I apologize for my ignorance, but who was the hefty singer with longish dark hair and no beard who sang only one song towards the middle of the movie? I found his performance particularly touching and beautiful.
Also, does anyone know the name of the song he performed?
Thank you in advance for your help!
I found it on the Verve website that Saareman posted:
http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/product.aspx?ob=n&src=art&pid=11595
The performer's name is "Antony," and the song was "If it be your will."
Hi - yes, I also found it hauntingly beautiful. I just researched who he is, and his name is Antony Hegarty, of Antony and the Johnsons. Apparently, he has been a fixture in Manhattan cabaret-style music, among other stuff. There's more info, if you want to check him out, at www.antonyandthejohnsons.com; also the words to "if it be your will" are available at cohencords.com. Looks like he's quite successful in Europe as well.
shareI saw him on a BBC Four Sessions programme in April, he had Marc Almond as a guest
I thought he was good then and maybe the best of the Leonard Cohen tributes.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/music/features/antony-johnsons.shtml
The Hefty guy is one of the most interesting things happening in pop music in years. The first listening of his second album Im a bird now, available everywhere -if not, think about moving out- put me in nearly the same amazement i was in my first Suzanne listening 14 years ago. And ive been listening to music in between, quite a lot in fact, and i thought it would neveer happen again like it was when i was a teenager.
Antony is said to be a Leonard Cohen fan and his second album is an instant classic, whatever happens to him next. Now he can nearly stop or making bs, which i hope wont happen. It has nothing to do with the so called "art" specialized magazine try to sell here in France. Its genuine beauty of folk, cabaret style, an insight into the mind of a man torn apart between beauty and personnal thorns. And the way he sings in his concerts, you see it seems so easy for him to pour out this high pitched miracle of all instants its so unseen for me.
About the song, If it be your will, its a prayer to god or whatever superior presence who could exist behind all things. I take it as an existentialist song. Lc akss for a reply.He wants to humble himself to something superior. He asks what to do whith what has been given to him. He critisizes his oneself as a poet, the place he took in the world and if its right. Much like he did in Field Commander Cohen but with much less humor and a much more sense of spirituality. Its not clearly a catholic or a jew or a "turn yourself into a devot" stuff. It is about us, about the things that surrounds us, and about he place of writing, and singing, breathing and being a poet in this world. Much like Antony's work, it is great personnal crisis and of a great beauty. One of my favorite songs of his, coming from Various positions, 1984, which was not distributed in the USA back then (a lot of people must have been moving out).
It's hard for a Christian not to see Gethsemane / Calvary allusions in this song (and obviously in its title). But it's hardly a novelty for LC to use Christian motifs in his songs. I'm still trying to assess tbe significance of "Jesus was a sailor when he walked upon the water".
If it be your will
That I speak no more
And my voice be still
As it was before
I will speak no more
I shall abide until
I am spoken for
If it be your will
If it be your will
That a voice be true
From this broken hill
I will sing to you
From this broken hill
All your praises they shall ring
If it be your will
To let me sing
From this broken hill
All your praises they shall ring
If it be your will
To let me sing
If it be your will
If there is a choice
Let the rivers fill
Let the hills rejoice
Let your mercy spill
On all these burning hearts in hell
If it be your will
To make us well
And draw us near
And bind us tight
All your children here
In their rags of light
In our rags of light
All dressed to kill
And end this night
If it be your will
Great performance by Antony singing 'If It Be Your Will.' She is now known as Anohni after becoming transgender, so giving her respect in her choice of gender identification, she would now like to be called the hefty gal with the high voice.
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