Customer Reviews

Whistle Down The Wind (1998 Original London Cast)

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

"~This is an outstanding musical, with an engaging storyline. It follows a teen named Swallow who is confronted by an escaped criminal who tells her he is Jesus. Swallow believes him, and she and the other children see him as a miracle. If the story is at all difficult to follow, it does not matter, because the cd comes packaged with a libretto, containing the entire script of the play and songs. would have heard some of the songs on these cd's. That is great, because one already has a taste for the music in this play. The best songs would include "The Vaults of Heaven," "Whistle Down the Wind,"Tire Tracks and Broken Hearts," "When Children Rule The World," "No Matter What," and "A Kiss is a Terrible Thing to Waste." The list is long, but could easily be longer. They are all great. Also, Swallow has a good singing voice, adding to the quality of the songs. To sum up, this is musical not to be missed. Most likely, one is worried about not liking the songs because one has never heard them. But trust me, there is nothing to fear.

Once again, I believe, Webber has written an extroadinary musical piece. I first became aware of some of the songs from this score from the video of TRIBUTE:ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER'S 50TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION and couldn't wait to hear them again on the soundtrack album. It was worth the wait. While the criticism is correct re: the British actors' bizarre Southern accents (I'm sure that American actors' British accents sound just as strange to English ears), it has nothing to do with the music or the singing which is wonderful. The accents actually remind me of 2 old American musicals:LIL ABNER and OKLAHOMA and from what I remember, the American actors in those 2 films don't sound very much more authentic than the British actors here! In any case, the music, lyrics and orchestrations are uniformly excellent. If you're a Webber fan, I feel strongly that you will enjoy this CD. My favorite tracks are the exquisite title song, THE VAULTS OF HEAVEN and the mesmerizing IF ONLY (what a simple, brilliant melody - Webber at his best). I see that there is an album of these songs recorded by other artists inc. Tina Arena, Elaine Page and Donny Osmond. Does anyone know where a copy of this compilation CD can be obtained?

Whistle Down the Wind is a wonderful musical. It has a mixture of songs, including, gospel, rock and typical musical type songs. My favorite songs are "No Matter What" and "Whistle Down the Wind" It is true this is a London recording but I don't notice their accents as much as I have on other albums from London. The really neat thing is there is a fair amount of spoken word along with the music. This helps you follow the story better. It is a great musical and I recomend owning it. It is well worth it!

I LOVE THIS CD!.....This is the FIRST time Andrew Lloyd Webber has included the complete libretto to one of his plays, which makes it a much richer experience! Rather than just hearing the musical highlights from the show...this IS the show! The wonderful diversity of music takes us from upbeat rock to gospel and everything in between. The title track is particulary beautiful!...So many of the songs are standouts...and the story of Sparrow and her siblings believing an escaped convict to be Jesus is charming, reminding us of the purity, innocence and total trust that lives in the hearts of children. I truly think you'll fall in love with this CD...I Have!

"Whistle down the wind" was Andrew Lloyd Webber's first fresh work after "Sunset Blvd" premiered in 1993. With this musical he decided to get back to his rock and roll roots that made him famous with "Jesus Christ Superstar", after which he was mostly known for his big, soaring and lush scores of "The phantom of the opera" or "Sunset". The result is very satisfying. Jim Steinman, the lyricist of "Meatloaf" is credited with the lyrics and the director is Gale Edwards, who directed a very successful run of "Superstar" in the West End in 1996.

"Whistle down the wind" is based on the original novel by Mary Hayley Bell and the film produced by Richard Attenborough and directed by Bryan Forbes from a screenplay by Keith Water house and Willis Hall. The main plot of the film and the musical coincide: Set in a sleepy backwater town in 1959 Louisiana, three days before Christmas, "Whistle down the wind" tells the story of three children who discover a stranger hiding in their barn. They believe the man to be Christ and in their innocence feel a need to hide him from the adults in the small community. Each child fears he will be harmed as happened once before. At the same time the adults have been hiding the news from the children that a prisoner from a nearby penitentiary has escaped and may be at-large in their town. A wonderful ambiguity then surrounds the remainder of the story and we are never quite sure whether the innocence of the children or the experience of the parents and elders is to be believed. The main characters include a girl named Swallow, her siblings, the mysterious Man and Amos, a teenage rebel.

Setting the story in the above framework was a big advantage for Webber and his score, which matches the time when R'n'R and James Dean were the main subjects among the youth. The score boasts with fantastically orchestrated rock and blues themes as well as ballads. The use of guitars, drums and trumpets in orchestral leads is astonishing. The musical themes itself are very original and new. Some of the songs were released as a very successful singles, most notably "No matter what" performed by Boyzone or "Tire tracks and broken hearts" by Bonnie Tyler. My all time favorite song in this musical is "A kiss is a terrible thing to waste", sung by Swallow, Amos and The Man, because of its haunting melody with beautifully arranged guitar and drums sequence and the brilliant back vocals. But there is plenty of other notable songs here: "The vaults of heaven" is a rocky church hymn; "Whistle down the wind" and especially the instrumental overture of that song is certainly one of the prettiest Webber has ever composed; "Unsettled scores" and "The nature of the beast" are sweeping melodies of The Man's mental state, "If only" is a beautiful ballad with a nice violin and trumpet sequence. One of the things that this show benefits from is the use of the children's choir for two really sweet numbers, "When children rule the world" and "No matter what". Jim Steinman's rocky lyrics are more than suitable to evoke the appropriate atmosphere.

The cast on this recording is comprised of unknown (at least to me) individuals, but this isn't a drawback. Their southern accents don't sound bad to me as some of the reviewers pointed out. Lottie Mayor's Swallow has a beautiful and a gentle voice, at moments almost angelic. Marcus Lovett as The Man has a powerful vibretto and a range that varies from low to high. Dean Collinson is convincing Amos with the much needed touch of teenage mischief in his voice. He is awesome in "A kiss is a terrible thing to waste". Veronica Hart plays his black girlfriend with a wonderful vocal echo.

The show had its first run in 1997 in Washington but it closed soon for some reworking. It opened again in West End in July 1998 and played until January 2001. Some people complain that there is a lot of dialogue on this recording, but it is essential to follow the plot. The underscoring was done neatly during the dialogue sequences. This is one of those Webber's shows that needs a little effort and a couple of listening to get a grip on you. The only bad side of this CD package is its libretto, which comes only with the songs lyrics without any titles or stage actions in the brackets making it hard to follow. Since a synopsis is also missing, it is a good idea to download one from the net. Why do the publishers release such unfinished CD packages is beyond me.

"Whistle" is certainly a positive movement and breaking new grounds for Andrew Lloyd Webber. Although some of the critics weren't too keen on it, it is one of his best scores and will undoubtedly be appreciated by all true musical theater aficionados.

I think the title sums it up. I feel all the other reviewers have commmented enough on it. The CD "Whistle Down the Wind" is much smaller scaled than "Phantom..." and others. But I think it is appropriate for this rural setting. "Whistle Down the Wind" and "If Only" are worth the CD and sung beautifully by Lottie Mayor (She has a youthful and pure voice). The tune of "If Only" is familiar from an addition to ALW's "Chanson d' Enfance" on Sarah Brightman's CD (her ALW collection CD). You can't miss "A Kiss Is A Terrible Thing To Waste," sung by Lottie Mayor, Dean Collison, and Marcus Lovett. It is an addictive song, ever-changing and fast-paced (reminds me a bit of RENT). I think the CD needs getting used to. But it is simple and sweet. One last note: I think Marcus Lovett's voice is more appropriate for the "beast" in "Beauty and the Beast." (If you own the "Beauty and the Beast the musical" CD, you'll understand.) Not saying he is terrible, but his voice makes the ballads sound a bit bland.

I have placed this Album,Whistle Down The Wind on my TOP OF THE LIST recording....The music is so poignant and feeling I became lost in the beautiful story. After seeing the Show in Washington DC and London, I relive the entire story every time I listen....I feel this is the best of all Andrew Lloyd Webber's Music.

I have only have listened to the cd of "Whistle Down the Wind", but even without having seen the production, I think it has become my favorite musical (if I had to pick a single one). The 1961 movie on which it is partially based has also become one of my favorites. Musically, it's a great combination of both the soaring melodies for which Lloyd Webber become known as well the youthful energy of rock music. I've found the emotional honesty of Lloyd Webber's music to be the most appealing thread running through all his works, and the story and thematic content of this musical gave him fertile ground in which to work. I've heard few musicals that "get to the heart" of so many human issues the way this one does. The nature of faith is a daunting subject matter to take on, but I applaud ALW and his collaborators for taking a risk and doing so. I prefer the approach that "Whistle" takes takes to its subject matter as opposed to "Jesus Christ Superstar." Whereas JCS explored the question of whether the person of Jesus was divine or not (though leaning toward the negative answer), "Whistle" explores the need within the human spirit for faith in a divine savior. As a Christian, I believe that the recognition of this need precedes belief in the Jesus of the New Testament. Though I find the story to be affirmative of religious faith, it's a a multi-layered story that allows its audience to take from it whatever they can glean. I highly recommend this musical that is both moving and thought-provoking.

Lloyd Webber has once again come up with an enchanting and beautiful musical, this time with the help of rock lyricist Jim Steinman. Together with Gale Edwards, they have taken a charming story about children who find a convict in their barn and believe him to be Jesus, into an often touching musical. The music is a mixture of rock, operetta-style, musical pastiche, classical, soul and gospel, and suits the tastes of many.

I only have one problem with this otherwise brilliant recording - the accents! The writing team have decided to convert the story to the deep south of America, and the English cast often have some hilarious and also unpleasant attempts at Louisiana accents.

Otherwise, I seriously recommend any musical fan adds this musical to their collection, as it is one of Lloyd Webber's better ones!

I recently returned from London where I saw this fabulous play. The music was excellent, especially, the title song. Granted, the cast doesn't have the best southern accent I've ever heard, but Kevin Costner can't master the English accent either, so, it's a fair trade. This is the first musical I've ever encountered that has the play in its' entirety. I loved it!