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David Archuleta fans moved to tears at Ann Arbor Symphony concert
David Archuleta’s performance Friday night with the Ann Arbor Symphony was full of many high points, breathtaking moments and tear-jerking melodies.
Stepping into this concert, I didn’t know what to expect. On one hand, I was bracing myself for high-pitched squeals from young teenage girls and on the other hand I was getting ready for a lovely symphony performance. During this concert, Archuleta combined an element of pop and classical music to create a beautiful, once in a lifetime experience.
The concert was filled with too many mentionable moments to list. He opened with a jaw-dropping rendition of “Angels We Have Heard on High” (Arr. Kurt Bestor), which brought many of the audience members to tears.
Between songs, in this innocent boyish charm, Archuleta filled the auditorium by talking about many different oddities such as showing us where we were in Michigan using his very own hand for the lower and upper peninsulas. He also shared with us his connection to each song and how much he enjoyed the symphony.
During the first half of the show, David sang a few of his pop songs accompanied by the symphony. A definite stand-out among these was “Crush,” his debut single from this self-titled album (released in November). The symphony slowed it down quite a bit and turned this usually fast, upbeat tune into a slower, more ballad-like version of the song.
During the first half of the concert David also stepped away from his usual concert repertoire and sang songs from other artists such as “Fields of Gold” (Sting), “The Riddle” (Five for Fighting) and “1000 Miles” (Vanessa Carlton). Although the first half of the concert was definitely note-worthy, after intermission, David really stepped it up a notch.
David surprised everyone in the crowd with a new song he had never performed before called “A Merry Christmas to Me” (Philip Keveren; Arr. Sam Cardon; Orch. Neesha Quinn), which quickly became my favorite Christmas tune.
After Archuleta sang a superb “Ave Maria”, I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house- including mine. When David sang “Ave Maria” it really reminded me of why I fell in love with him in the first place. Although David can belt out any pop song you throw at him, when he sings a slower, more traditional song while backed up by a symphony, you can’t help but have tingles sent up and down your spine. The environment of the auditorium, along with the Ann Arbor symphony, really helped David’s voice to soar.
The acoustics in Hill Auditorium were amazing — they really helped to bring all of the songs to life. When Archuleta sang his rendition of “1000 Miles,” his voice engulfed every last corner of the auditorium and made it vibrate with soothing notes and lyrics. Along with the acoustics, the fact that there was a very minimal amount of teenage squeals made the concert more professional, polished and entertaining.
When you pair a glorious, Josh Groban-like singer along with a beautiful symphony and a stunning auditorium, the product is nearly perfect. The concert on Friday was an unforgettable experience in an amazing venue. I sincerely hope that Archuleta’s producers choose to have him perform with symphonies more often because it really brings out the best in this young star.
it’s so cool the writer of this is an eighth grader! wow great job!:))
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David Archuleta has new CD out and concert in Ann Arbor
It’s been Christmas since July for David Archuleta.
The seventh season “American Idol” runner-up went into the studio over the summer to record “Christmas from the Heart,” his second studio album and his first Christmas set. The album was released in October, and on Friday he performs a holiday concert with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra at Hill Auditorium.
When settling on which songs to record for the album, he decided staples such as “O Holy Night,” “Joy to the World” and “Silent Night” had to be in the mix. They were songs he’s been singing since he was a little kid, he says.
“(My siblings and I) would go Christmas caroling, we’d go to hospitals and retirement homes together, sometimes we’d just go around the neighborhood and sing,” says Archuleta, on the phone last week. “Anything that was around for me to sing at.”
He added to those standbys with “Christmas from the Heart,” which includes songs sung in French (“Pat-a-pan”) and Spanish (“Riu Riu Chiu”). The traditional “Ave Maria” is sung in Latin.
“I’ve never spoken Latin or French in my life until I had to learn the words to those songs and record them,” says Archuleta, 18. “I really enjoyed it, it was something new to add to the album, a way of connecting to different people.”
The album also includes one original, “Melodies of Christmas,” about the memories people intertwine with Christmas songs. It was a last-minute addition to the album, Archuleta says.
It was also last minute when Archuleta learned “Christmas from the Heart” would share a release date with the extremely similarly titled “Christmas in the Heart,” Bob Dylan’s seasonal offering. Archuleta laughs and says the similarities are “coincidental” and says he hasn’t yet heard the Dylan record.
Archuleta — who counts Celine Dion’s “These Are Special Times” and “The Jackson 5 Christmas Album” among his favorite holiday records — says after wrapping the Christmas tour he’s heading into the pre-production on his next album in early 2010. He’s been working with some writers from Nashville but isn’t sure how the album will shape up.
“We’ll see what kind of directions the songs go,” he says.
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David Archuleta
“Christmas from the Heart” (Jive)
David Archuleta may be a teenager but he’s well suited for classic holiday songs like “Silent Night” and “Ave Maria.”
The former “American Idol” runner-up sings those songs and more on his new holiday CD “Christmas from the Heart.”
Archuleta’s recording makes sense. He’s got a powerful, soulful voice that’s beyond his years.
If you’re looking to add to your holiday music collection or get into the spirit of the season, this CD is a good choice.
LOVE that statement!!<333
