Song, John Potter
Song, John Potter
List: $24.99 | Sale: $17.50
Club: $12.49

Song
A History in 12 Parts

Author: John Potter

Narrator: Elliot Fitzpatrick

Unabridged: 11 hr 49 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 01/30/2024


Synopsis

From one of our most innovative singers, a vibrant history of song stretching from Hildegard von Bingen and Benjamin Britten to Björk

"Songs can be intensely personal (whether you hear them or sing them) and none of us would choose the same twelve songs as anyone else. My choices are based on decades of performing experience in many different genres, but I hope they will reveal aspects of our common humanity as the story evolves from the Middle Ages to the present."

In this celebratory account, author and singer John Potter tells the European story of song. The form has captivated audiences and excited performers for centuries, from the music of the troubadours and the Christian liturgy through classical composers such as Bach and Schumann up to Britten, Berio, and the rise of popular music.

Choosing twelve key works, Potter offers a personal tour through this vital tradition, from John Dowland's "Flow My Tears" to George Gershwin's "Summertime." Throughout, he reveals who wrote and sang these joyful masterpieces—and what they mean to singers and audiences today.

About John Potter

John Potter's books include Tenor and A History of Singing. His singing career has included first performances of works by Luciano Berio, Arvo Part, and Gavin Bryars, and backing vocals for Manfred Mann and The Who. He records for ECM and was a major contributor to the Hilliard Ensemble's million-selling Officium album.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Joanna on June 27, 2018

Firstly I have to say how much I love that cover, the bold colours and unusual picture really works. I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but I think there is no denying that a great cover definetly helps. This was a surprising emotional read for me. The hardships that Songs family endure a......more

Goodreads review by Karen on June 14, 2018

I found this to be an astonishing story which showed the best, and worst, of humanity in all its' guises as we follow the story of Song who starts with nothing in life and fights to get the best kind of life he can for himself and those around him. The story starts in 1878 in a small village where li......more

Goodreads review by Linda on November 23, 2018

Wonderful, beautiful, sad, uplifting, gut wrenching.......more

Goodreads review by Rik on April 04, 2020

This book stirred up the same feelings of anger, resentment, outrage, and appalling disgust that if get when I visit a stately home. The opulence of the wealthy, their arrogance, their unassailable certainty that they are in every way superior to anyone else, their unforgivable racism and abuse of n......more

Goodreads review by Alex (ReadingBetweenTheNotes) on June 26, 2018

I am so pleased that people pledged money to have this book published because it is a definitely a story worth telling. In technical terms, the writing is superb. The author sets the scenes so perfectly, with sumptuous and evocative descriptions that really helped me to visualise a country I have nei......more