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Castle On A Cloud

23/5/2015

3 Comments

 
For anyone learning the lyrics to this piece of music from Les Miserables, you soon realise that one part of a verse doesn't rhyme!
This has always been a great debate by singers and perhaps audience alike, as to whether the transcribed lyrics have been transcribed incorrectly, or was the original meant to be like that?
I can say from experience of singing the choral arrangement for years and seeing the stage musical, it never entered my head as they all seemed to agree.  But it is interesting to check out whether there is a typo somewhere.  After all I have discovered a recent lyric typo in two different versions of 'The Prayer', so it always pays to check.
Thanks to one of our keen eyed Tenors who came across the following extract from an interview with the lyricist Herbet Kretzmer, this probably puts the debate firmly to bed for us - for now:
SHEAHEN: In the hauntingly beautiful “Castle On A Cloud” a natural rhyme seems to be avoided. “There is a room that’s full of toys; there are a hundred boys and girls.” Shouldn’t that be “girls and boys” to make it rhyme ? 

KRETZMER: Yes, of course, that’s how I wrote it. Trevor Nunn and/or John Caird suggested the switch because the ‘boys-toys’ rhyme telegraphed itself and lacked surprise and, secondly, the song is sung by the untutored little urchin Cosette who is not expected to be facile of speech. Still, there must be some in the audience at every performance who conclude that the little girl simply fluffed her lines. 
Incidentally, speaking of “Castle On A Cloud”, Alain’s original French lyric took an altogether different line on Cosette’s plight. It had the unhappy child fantasizing about being rescued by a prince. I felt, however, that little girls of that age do not dream of men, even if they are princes. I also felt that the saviour/prince idea had been rather too famously done in the old Disney song “Someday My Prince Will Come.” So I took Cosette’s little song in another direction, and made it a plea for love and comfort in a safe place.


3 Comments
Kate Perry link
21/5/2015 02:42:12 am

I can see the point from both sides, but as the rest of the song is in rhyme, it grates on me that this one line is not!

Reply
kath
21/5/2015 07:59:34 am

I always wanted to sing it the other way around..

Reply
Eithne Kneale
17/6/2015 09:11:21 am

How the weeks have flownat Hotel Roselada every week! Like a 'castle on a cloud' I now like to go there in my sleep - thinking of words and intonation as well as musical emphasis and emotional meaning!
I think you know by now of what and whom I speak - these are the very hard working and dilligent singers I have become so attached to on a Wednesday nights - The Incognito Singers! How hard everyone works - not least the Musical Director David Murphy who very often does not take a break, as we all do half way through our two hour rehearsal - but spends this time giving one to one instruction and listening to queries and giving advice!
Our last rehearsal before we stop for summer is on the 24th and quite honestly I will miss this weekly rendezvous very much!
We are all in agreement that our singing skills have greatly improved and our ability now to gel as a single unit - listening to each other, has greatly increased the dynamic within the group as well as moulding us into a proper choir!
Well done everyone and well done and thank-you David!

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