Review by Abby Kenna & Staff
“The Warrior” by David Britton is a colorful tale of confident heroes, bursting with life in every aspect. The artful dynamics of the arrangement combined with Britton’s expressive, full voice create a breathtaking narrative that is bound to captivate listeners.
Opening with the drone of ambient synths, “The Warrior” begins to build a powerful soundscape. Church-like bells resonate over the hum of the synths, as well as a driving piano progression reminiscent of Coldplay. The song already emanates with this tangible energy through the emotive instrumentals, but David Britton’s voice propels it even further. His articulate delivery and full, warm tone adds an edge of determination to the arrangement, building upon the compelling atmosphere of “The Warrior”. Britton’s voice also carries the feeling of narration, as though he’s telling a story rather than simply singing a song. This translates into the arrangement of “The Warrior” and overall, creates an arc of emotion that leads listeners through the song’s story. With the addition of marching drums, the song resonates with a triumphant air as it navigates a tale of brave heroes:
“Though the enemy surrounds them
Closing in on every side
You can hear their voices singing
As the battle raged that night….”
One of the most compelling aspects of “The Warrior” is the dynamic arrangement choices of David Britton. He artfully contrasts moments of stark silence and bold brashness to create emotion and color within the instrumentation too. The second verse exemplifies this masterful use of arrangement, wherein Britton tailors the accompaniment to illustrate the line “stopped and stood in silence”. On the word “stop” he pulls back the instrumentals suddenly, emphasizing the lyrics by continuing in almost a whisper. Intensifying the tension, Britton slowly builds the music back up, reaching new heights at the second chorus. These subtle shifts of moments fill “The Warrior” with anticipation and excitement, bolstering the song’s effect.
“The Warrior” is a stirring work of musical storytelling. David Britton’s rich voice narrates with conviction, working in harmony with the compelling arrangement to create a powerfully inspirational song.
About David Britton World-class Baritone and Nashville recording artist, David Britton, brings a unique sound to his audiences, by blending his big voice with a signature orchestral rock instrumentation. This approach is the result of Britton’s eclectic musical heritage, which included drumming in a rock band through high school and college, before beginning a career in opera. Over the past couple of years, Britton has emerged onto the scene with albums which take full advantage of both the classical training as well as the rock style creating music that is at times both intimate and grandiose.
David began studying classical voice at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA, where he discovered a love for opera and art song. He continued to refine his voice by studying at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he earned his Master’s Degree in Vocal Performance. His experience has included performances under the auspices of Opera San Jose, Opera Santa Barbara, Festival Opera, Intermountain Opera, Livermore Valley Opera, and the North Bay Opera.
He also made his Carnegie Hall debut in New York, as Townsend Harris in The Dawn of Japan by Toroku Takagi with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. With more than twenty roles in David’s catalogue, highlights include his well-received interpretations of Mozart’s Count Almaviva (Marriage of Figaro), and Don Giovanni.
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