Wednesday, August 18, 2010

The Most Beautiful Voice Ever Recorded-Orriel Smith

In the early 1960's, at the height of the folk  music boom an 18 year old girl named Orriel Smith recorded a folk album for Colombia "A Voice In the Wind" which showcased what is surely the purest, most lyrical voice ever recorded.

I have documented her career at this website and have placed some of her seminal tracks there. For pure emotion, clarity of word and tone "Take My Mother Home" is incredible-how someone so young could lend this old spiritual such mature emotional feeling is a mystery.

So too with the classic Irish Fenian song "Down By The Glenside" which is imbued with soaring emotion and a coloratura soprano of incredible purity.

I have had the privilege of meeting Orriel and she is as delightful in person as her talent suggests and, all these years later, her voice is still as pure and sweet as ever as witness the video clip of her singing "O Holy Night" in French.

I am delighted to advise Orriel is working on a new collection of folk songs, the advance listening of which gave me much delight as does her whimsical  "Operatic Chicken" Cd's which cluck to incredible operatic high notes !

For those of you who remember Orriel I hope this is a re-introduction and for those  hearing her for the first time I am sure you will be enthralled  and delighted at this incredible talent.

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