rhythms in score vs. recording--Lion KIng Jr.

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Dear MTI People,

The recording provided for Disney's The Lion King Jr. is very polished, with the rhythms being very deliberate, and the intonation of the singers is excellent. I noticed, however, that their recording of "Grasslands Chant", which is a cool little piece, has the singers performing the rhythms of that song very differently from what is on the written score. It seems like they have really worked hard to perfect those difficult rhythms on the recording. But they sure ain't doing them the way they were written. My guess is that it was too hard to notate the rhythms that they want kids to sing...or I should say, the notation would have been intimidating for both music directors and singers. So I'm also guessing that we should perform the piece the way it was recorded vs. the way it is written. What do you all think? Thanks, David

 

 

1 Answer

Staff Answer
April 19, 2022

Hi, David! You should pick the easiest & best solution for your students: either matching what’s on the page, or matching what’s on the recording.