Friday, November 27, 2020

Eric Conway: Morgan State Choir sings "Bridge Over Troubled Water"


Eric Conway writes on November 26, 2020:

Happy Thanksgiving all!  

On this national day of Thanksgiving, when we all take time to thank God for all He has given us, I would like to share a song the Morgan choir learned earlier in the semester: Simon and Garfunkel’s iconic song:  "Bridge Over Troubled Water”. 

Paul Simon believed this was perhaps his greatest single piece that he had ever written.  It has been said that the piece gives the flavor of a white gospel song.  This song was immediately accepted by the public with immediate resonance from citizens in this country as well as the UK.  This piece was first released fifty years ago in 1970, and found favor in performance by Elvin Presley, Peggy Lee, the Jackson 5, and the Supremes.  In 1971, Aretha Franklin claimed this piece as a staple of her repertoire, confirming the Gospel feel of the song.  In subsequent generations, the piece was used to help heal in times of need.  Paul Simon performed this song for the victims of 9/11 in 2001 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005. 

In 2020, the Morgan choir offers this piece to encourage all during this very unsettled period in our nation's history given the world-wide coronavirus pandemic.  We hope you enjoy this arrangement of this timeless song.

Eric


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