Judy Collins:Wolf Trap

An excellent transfer of this concert to dvd. Judy Collins is in fine voice and sings "Send in the clowns', "Where does the time go?', "Amazing grace", "Mountain girl', "We are not forgotten any more', songs by leonard cohen and others in the 90 minute concert taped at Wolf Trap. Great sound and picture.

The other review is for the DVD copy. This review is for the VHS copy. The VHS concert has excellent quality stereo audio and excellent video. In addition, Judy's performance is outstanding. The live concert lasts 90 minutes and includes Someday Soon, Mountain Girl, Both Sides Now, City Of New Orleans, Gypsy River, She Moves Through The Fair, My Funny Valentine, Kerry Dancers, Danny Boy, My Father, Beyond The Sky, Send In The Clowns, Amazing Grace, Bird On A Wire, The Great Selchie Of Shule Skerry, Who Knows Where The Time Goes, Walls, and The Blizzard.

A very nice voice plus perfect diction and perfect control of breath, and moreover, there is no affectation at all. The way she sang reminds us of Peter Seeger and to a lesser extent Joan Baez; and the way she holds onto the rhythm and spirits of the songs when varying the melodic lines reminds us of Paul Simon: they are not just any musicians but also composers and song writers! Yes, I like her Mountain Girl and also her Amazing Grace which brings out the meaning in whole so well.

Well, when seen from any of the seats in the hall you could hardly believe that the singer is already over 60. In any event, her make-up is much more natural than what we see on the sleeve. It is only when she sings the extraordinary high notes, sweet as they are, that one can say she is slightly past her prime. Nonetheless, she is hardly surpassable.

Judy must be over 60 by then, but she has everything so well-organised: not just her voice as seen from the two songs she sings without any accompaniment; but also her pianism as seen from the two songs she sings on the piano, or the perfect orchestration and well chosen musicians. Above all, the way she presents herself and sings is majestic!