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美国国家公共电台 NPR After Royal Wedding Spotlight, The Kingdom Choir Releases Debut Album

时间:2018-11-16 07:20:07

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MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Finally today, it's been a hard week. I think we can all agree on that. So before we leave you, we have this little offering for your soul. If you are one of the millions of people around the world who watched the wedding of Prince Harry1 and Meghan Markle earlier this year, then I bet you remember this gospel choir2.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "STAND BY ME")

KINGDOM CHOIR: (Singing) So darling, darling stand by me, oh, stand by me. Yes. Stand by me, stand by me. Stand by me.

MARTIN: That is, of course, the Kingdom Choir, led by the award-winning conductor Karen Gibson. The group, which is based in London, has now released its debut3 album. It's called "Stand By Me." And Karen Gibson is with us now from the BBC studios in London.

Karen Gibson, welcome. Thank you so much for joining us.

KAREN GIBSON: Oh, you're so welcome. Thank you for having me.

MARTIN: And thank you for singing that song...

GIBSON: (Laughter).

MARTIN: ...That beautiful song. I feel better already.

GIBSON: I'm glad you enjoy it.

MARTIN: When did you realize that something huge had happened, something enormous had happened?

GIBSON: I think it was after the wedding and trying to get across the road to the press building. The crowds were still outside, of course, and people were calling out to us, trying to take selfies. And it just felt so different from a couple of hours before when we're going into the chapel4. It felt almost like we were being mobbed and being treated like celebrities5. And I was, like, whoa. What is this? And then, of course, Facebook went mad, as did Instagram. I think that's when, you know, I got a bit of a hint...

MARTIN: (Laughter).

GIBSON: ...Of what was going on (laughter).

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "STAND BY ME")

KINGDOM CHOIR: (Singing) I won't cry. I won't cry. No, I won't shed a tear. Just as long as you stand, stand by me.

MARTIN: Well, you know, it - the royal wedding was not your first big gig. I mean you'd...

GIBSON: No.

MARTIN: ...Previously6 performed for Queen Elizabeth, Bill Clinton...

GIBSON: That's right.

MARTIN: ...Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela.

GIBSON: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

MARTIN: What was it about this particular event that you think struck such a chord?

GIBSON: There's a few things, I think. Number one is wedding. Everybody loves a good wedding (laughter). But it's a wedding of two very special people, I believe. I particularly have a soft spot for Harry, I have to say. And then there's this beautiful...

MARTIN: And who doesn't?

(LAUGHTER)

MARTIN: Go on. Do go on.

KINGDOM CHOIR: It's true. It's true. And then there's Meghan, who is of mixed heritage. And then there was the fact, I think, that this wedding passed by some of the usual traditions. I do not remember a black gospel choir at a royal wedding in my living memory (laughter). And you had Bishop7 Curry8. So it was a very inclusive ceremony.

MARTIN: Well, you know, speaking of gospel choirs9, you said you don't recall a particular black gospel choir performing at a royal wedding. I'm not...

GIBSON: Yeah.

MARTIN: ...Sure that a lot of people perhaps outside of England know that there are black gospel choirs in England. And so...

GIBSON: Really?

MARTIN: I just think - well, I'm just saying that I think the image that a lot of us would have would be people who are attached to the African-American experience. In fact, I think you said in an interview that gospel is England's best-kept secret. So just...

GIBSON: Yeah. Yeah.

MARTIN: Tell us a bit more about how the gospel tradition lives in England.

GIBSON: Right. Yeah. Happy to. There are so many gospel choirs up and down the country. And when I say it's the best-kept secret, those in the know know. There is a - very much a thriving gospel community in Britain - not only in Britain, but in Europe. So I - before I was a signed artist, I was up and down Europe. And I'm not the only one. Several of my peers would be teaching gospel music workshops nearly every weekend in places like France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Latvia. It just goes on and on and on. Gospel music is very much alive and well.

MARTIN: Well, speaking of which, I mean, one of the songs from the album - I just want to play it...

GIBSON: Yeah.

MARTIN: It's a cover of Labi Siffre's "Something Inside So Strong."

GIBSON: Yeah.

MARTIN: Let's play it, and then you go tell me...

GIBSON: Yeah. Yeah.

MARTIN: ...About why you wanted to put this one on the album. Here, let's hear it.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SOMETHING INSIDE SO STRONG")

KINGDOM CHOIR: (Singing) You can deny me. You can decide to turn your face away. No matter 'cause something inside so strong. I know, I know that I can make it, though you're doing me wrong, so wrong. You thought that my pride was gone...

MARTIN: You know, obviously a lot of people love this song. But...

GIBSON: Yes.

MARTIN: Many people know it as an anti-apartheid song. So tell me why you wanted to have this on the album.

GIBSON: Because I feel that the song speaks of an inner strength. It speaks of resilience. It speaks of hope. It speaks of identity and knowing yourself - that despite what troubles come your way, despite the things that would come to knock you down or make you feel low, actually, if you reach deep down, you can find hope for tomorrow. And I think that's so important that people learn that resilience and have that understanding that, you know, whatever's going on, joy comes in the morning. There's always a brighter day tomorrow - always.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SOMETHING INSIDE SO STRONG")

KINGDOM CHOIR: (Singing) The more you refuse to hear my voice, the louder I will sing, sing, sing, sing. You hide behind walls of Jericho. The walls come tumbling in.

MARTIN: And it's interesting also that the mix of songs - that you've got a lot of pop songs on it. And I was wondering...

GIBSON: Yeah.

MARTIN: ...About that. What were you going for with that?

GIBSON: OK. So we wanted songs that people could connect to. But actually, I kind of think that some of the differences that we've put between the secular10 and the sacred - sometimes you can find the sacred in what we see as secular. I mean, when I hear the song "Make You Feel My Love" - that speaks of God's love to me, you know?

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "MAKE YOU FEEL MY LOVE")

KINGDOM CHOIR: (Singing) When the rain is blowing in your face, and the whole world is on your case, I could offer you a warm embrace to make you feel my love.

GIBSON: People who have been writing us about the impact the album has had on them - and they're talking about washing up the dishes and bursting into tears or, you know, having real great spiritual moments hearing these songs that we say are pop, and we want to maybe put them on that side because they belong to the pop world. But, actually, if you listen to the lyrics11, some of them - you know, I think you can have great experiences with them. We don't have to give them these labels of pop or not.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "MAKE YOU FEEL MY LOVE")

KINGDOM CHOIR: (Singing) I'll make you happy, make your dreams come true. There's nothing that I wouldn't do for you, go to the ends of the earth for you to make you feel my love.

MARTIN: Do you find it interesting, though, that you're receiving this reception at a time when there's just so much ugliness - particularly so much ugliness around race and difference in ethnicity? I mean, let's just be real about it. I mean, the fact is...

GIBSON: Yeah.

MARTIN: Meghan Markle did receive some kind of racist12 hostility13 directed toward her when it was first understood that she and the prince were together, and to the point where the...

GIBSON: Yeah.

MARTIN: ...The palace even had to speak about it.

GIBSON: Yeah.

MARTIN: I just wonder how you receive the fact that you are being embraced so warmly at a time when there is so much other ugliness elsewhere.

GIBSON: I think that it means that people want to hear good news. I think it means that people are tired of the ugliness, and they're embracing something that brings hope. I was in Marks and Spencers the other day, a big - I shouldn't maybe - not say that, but anyway a big department store. And I was shopping for a coat.

MARTIN: We've heard of it. Yeah (laughter). We know about it.

(LAUGHTER)

GIBSON: OK.

MARTIN: OK.

GIBSON: Great. Anyway, I was shopping. And this lady was also in the mirror trying on the coat. And then she turned around to me and said, you're that gospel Lady, aren't you? And I said, yes. And then she proceeds to tell me that - she said that her grandmother was the biggest racist. I didn't expect any of this. She comes out and says this. And then she said, but they lived in an area which is a very urban area called Peckham in London. And she was then introduced to gospel music. And she said that gospel music helped her to see past skin color and helped her to see black people as people, which was really important for the lady that I was talking to because her children were of mixed heritage. And she said, by the time her nan passed, she was able to accept her jewel heritage grandchildren because she'd been started off on the pathway of acceptance through listening to gospel music.

And I was blown away by that because I did not expect that singing "Stand By Me" on a national stage could bring about racial conciliation14. And then there's the other side, where black people have come to me and said, we felt like it was our wedding. Or there's the other lady on the bus, who, when I sat down next to her, she said - started talking about the song and then said, yes, we've made it. So there's that thing of inclusion and that thing of acceptance that it's - that seems to have taken off. And I think it's the right time. I think people are saying, we don't want to do the ugliness. We want acceptance. We want love. We want inclusion. We want diversity. And it's all good.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BLINDED BY YOUR GRACE")

KINGDOM CHOIR: (Singing) Lord, I've been broken. Although I'm not worthy15, you fixed16 me...

MARTIN: Karen Gibson. She is the conductor of the Kingdom Choir. Their debut album as signed artists is called "Stand By Me." Karen Gibson, thank you so much for talking with us, and continued success to you.

GIBSON: Thank you so much. It's been a pleasure.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 harry heBxS     
vt.掠夺,蹂躏,使苦恼
参考例句:
  • Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天,人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
  • Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。
2 choir sX0z5     
n.唱诗班,唱诗班的席位,合唱团,舞蹈团;v.合唱
参考例句:
  • The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
  • The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。
3 debut IxGxy     
n.首次演出,初次露面
参考例句:
  • That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里,他初次在百老汇登台,扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
  • The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。
4 chapel UXNzg     
n.小教堂,殡仪馆
参考例句:
  • The nimble hero,skipped into a chapel that stood near.敏捷的英雄跳进近旁的一座小教堂里。
  • She was on the peak that Sunday afternoon when she played in chapel.那个星期天的下午,她在小教堂的演出,可以说是登峰造极。
5 celebrities d38f03cca59ea1056c17b4467ee0b769     
n.(尤指娱乐界的)名人( celebrity的名词复数 );名流;名声;名誉
参考例句:
  • He only invited A-list celebrities to his parties. 他只邀请头等名流参加他的聚会。
  • a TV chat show full of B-list celebrities 由众多二流人物参加的电视访谈节目
6 previously bkzzzC     
adv.以前,先前(地)
参考例句:
  • The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
  • Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿,解释原先发生了什么。
7 bishop AtNzd     
n.主教,(国际象棋)象
参考例句:
  • He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
  • Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。
8 curry xnozh     
n.咖哩粉,咖哩饭菜;v.用咖哩粉调味,用马栉梳,制革
参考例句:
  • Rice makes an excellent complement to a curry dish.有咖喱的菜配米饭最棒。
  • Add a teaspoonful of curry powder.加一茶匙咖喱粉。
9 choirs e4152b67d45e685a4d9c5d855f91f996     
n.教堂的唱诗班( choir的名词复数 );唱诗队;公开表演的合唱团;(教堂)唱经楼
参考例句:
  • They ran the three churches to which they belonged, the clergy, the choirs and the parishioners. 她们管理着自己所属的那三家教堂、牧师、唱诗班和教区居民。 来自飘(部分)
  • Since 1935, several village choirs skilled in this music have been created. 1935以来,数支熟练掌握这种音乐的乡村唱诗班相继建立起来。 来自互联网
10 secular GZmxM     
n.牧师,凡人;adj.世俗的,现世的,不朽的
参考例句:
  • We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
  • Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。
11 lyrics ko5zoz     
n.歌词
参考例句:
  • music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
  • The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。
12 racist GSRxZ     
n.种族主义者,种族主义分子
参考例句:
  • a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
  • His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。
13 hostility hdyzQ     
n.敌对,敌意;抵制[pl.]交战,战争
参考例句:
  • There is open hostility between the two leaders.两位领导人表现出公开的敌意。
  • His hostility to your plan is well known.他对你的计划所持的敌意是众所周知的。
14 conciliation jYOyy     
n.调解,调停
参考例句:
  • By conciliation,cooperation is established.通过调解,友好合作关系得以确立。
  • Their attempts at conciliation had failed and both sides were once again in dispute.他们进行调停的努力失败了,双方再次陷入争吵。
15 worthy vftwB     
adj.(of)值得的,配得上的;有价值的
参考例句:
  • I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
  • There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。
16 fixed JsKzzj     
adj.固定的,不变的,准备好的;(计算机)固定的
参考例句:
  • Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗?
  • Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定,我们就不应该随意改变。

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