Let Me Hear How Big Your Brave Is

November 7, 2018 5:05 PM

"Brave," by Sara Bareilles, with a full symphony orchestra and backing chorus at the Kennedy Center (SLYT).

Listening to this just made me feel very, very happy and very, very inspired, and I wanted to share it with all of you.

posted by WCityMike (9 comments total)

Thanks for posting this! Loved the performance, and the arrangement was particularly delightful.
posted by mixedmetaphors at 6:28 PM on November 7, 2018

That's the bounciest timpani player I've ever seen.
posted by ChuraChura at 6:58 PM on November 7, 2018 [3 favorites]

Oh, my, thanks so much for this. I heard this song so many times before knowing what it was called or who performed it, and seeing it now with NSO is simply uplifting. (Plus, I'm a real sucker for combining pop artists and symphonic arrangements).
posted by lhauser at 7:43 PM on November 7, 2018 [1 favorite]

Is it possible the timpani player was Ben Folds? It sure looked like him, and not like either of the guys listed here. He's credited as a percussionist at the end of the video...

At any rate, thanks -- that was delightful. Folds and Bareilles were also great together as judges (with Shawn Stockman) on the Sing-Off .
posted by natabat at 6:32 AM on November 8, 2018 [4 favorites]

Ah, one of the comments on the video says that's him, but it's a muted base drum, not a timpani.
posted by natabat at 6:34 AM on November 8, 2018

Wow, this was really cool and I wouldn't have found it without this post.
posted by veggieboy at 6:54 AM on November 8, 2018 [1 favorite]

How I adore Ben Folds, I thought that was him back there too. This was just lovely, thanks for posting it.
posted by haunted by Leonard Cohen at 12:00 PM on November 8, 2018

Good eye on Ben Folds. This video was from a concert at the Kennedy Center with Ben Folds, Sara Bareilles and, Caroline Shaw. The whole series is part of Ben Folds' role as artistic advisor for the National Symphony Orchestra, which he talks about here.

There are a couple of other videos from this concert as well:

• Sara Bareilles sings Love Song as arranged by Caroline Shaw (also at the piano)
• All three together sing Once Upon Another Time

posted by fremen at 8:20 PM on November 8, 2018

Folds and Bareilles were also great together as judges (with Shawn Stockman) on the Sing-Off

YES!! Miss that show. They were great.
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 2:37 AM on November 9, 2018 [1 favorite]