Berry’s Best Carols and Folk Songs (2CD): Hi-Res Audio, Karaoke & Digital Songbook

 

 

The day has shortened to its very limit. Twilight arrives politely at five in the afternoon. Only the lovers of daylight savings time grumble; I know one such person. But he hasn't taken away our winter evenings, nor their music. „Nejkrásnější vánoční koledy od beránka“ – an album recorded and performed by the group Glanc – belongs precisely to this season. Smiles grow more heartfelt; if tears flow, they are tears of joy.

Little lamb, little lamb (Beránek), what does your fleece hide? Humility, purity, moderation. In any other form, carols should not be accepted! The singers and musicians of the rock-based Glanc dispelled my fears with their very first notes. At the same time, they occasionally hint at the vocal and instrumental potential hidden beneath the perfectly simple arrangements of the selected songs. I would add self-discipline – both musical and human. It cannot be sold; it either is, or it isn’t. Following each track, the accompaniment is served, inviting one to sing along. Karaoke, as they call it.

Zdeněk Beran (the "Beránek/Lamb" of the title for me) has draped the recordings in a stylish white scarf. Nonchalance from start to finish. He weighed the musical vocals on a pharmacist’s scale and decorated the arrangements with the whipped cream of chosen instrumentation. His delicate percussion, building to a climax at the end of the album, the significant amount of programming work, the style of the entire recording… Delicious.

Solo singer Gabriela Urbánková performs her parts as if from a church choir loft; Petr Kutheil and the aforementioned Zdeněk Beran do not lag behind. Only guest Zdeněk Podhůrský intentionally steps out of line. White spats, a pinstripe suit, a hat pulled low – you can almost feel the band Šlapeto behind him. I see it through the camera lens. A tip of the hat at the end. Slate, action! And so what if he’s singing Tichá noc? Fine. Give him a nice walking stick. But watch out! Meckie Messer used to carry one too.

 

As I get to know Mr. Beran’s musicality, I see the intent. You’ll find the clever touches yourself.

A minimized Stanislav Zeman with his trumpet seems to confirm what has been said. He participates in only two recordings, yet underlines the joy conveyed within them. Lenka Ambrožová on violin and Jarmila Chromíková on recorder give the recordings the scent of mistletoe.

I will gladly reach for this album again. Musical feeling and erudition guarantee the "Lamb" a ribbon around his neck. Musicians who don’t insist on pushing the faders to the max at the mixing desk get a gold star in my book.

 

 

It wasn't long ago that I introduced a collection of carols arranged by Zdeněk Beran. He confirms his drive once again as he set to work on a massive mountain of music, built up by our nations over the ages. It is up to us to ensure it doesn't become a lifeless museum exhibit.

Three paths lead to a folk song. Some may see it differently, so be it. I see a stone path, where the performer approaches the song bowing low and opens it like a rare tin can. Wrong! Tin cans belong to the war years. Then there is the wooden path – softer and more fragrant, the most frequent and widely used by our performers. A distinctive expression is expected and warmly applauded at musical gatherings. And finally, the earthen path – barely trodden, but offering the greatest adventure to those who embark upon it. Still damp, it sways beneath the pilgrims' feet. Difficult sections are often overcome only on the next attempt, and usually in secret. But when it works… we have the prototypes before us. Jarmila Šuláková and her Fleret are certainly not afraid to dig in. Čechomor shines with the brightest light. I just received news that the group Chodská vlna returned from a successful mini-tour in Washington and its surroundings; I wrote about them here too. Simply put: melt down what was found into your own image and don't be afraid of it. Then the whole town square sings along…

Zdeněk Beran does not experiment with the selection. He bets on proven hits. I find innovation primarily in the arrangements and their delivery. He ignores current state borders. The album begins with the notoriously famous „To ta Helpa“ from Horehroní. (The river curls beautifully there, and the lowing of cows at the ford has been an unusual wake-up call for many years.) But what he did with it! He wiped away the usually boisterous interpretation with beautifully sustained violin layers, and the slightly melancholic vocals of Gábina Urbánková immediately push the song onto a different track. Another treat for me is the song „Ej padá, padá rosička“. Removing the sharp edges from the selected songs is a great asset of the record. And one confirmation of the "wooden path": I will still prefer the song „Nezacházej slunce“ by Žalman. Perhaps a generational kinship?

 

The guests on the record form an interesting assembly: Roman Vojtek, musical theater actor and singer; Gabriela Urbánková, musical theater singer and soloist of the band Glanc; Petr Kutheil, musical theater singer (Hamlet, Galileo, Jekyll & Hyde); Michal Cerman, musical theater actor and singer.

The karaoke version is particularly lovely on this album. Sing for yourselves, sing to the children, I cry out. Let’s repeat the slogan from the booklet: “A unique treatment of the most beautiful folk songs.” The CD comes with a bonus. These are no longer folk songs. “But I wanted to strip away the unnecessary pathos from these songs,” says Zdeněk. „Kde domov můj“ and „Gaudeamus Igitur“. Something for our little ones on their journey through life.