[Natty Bumppo@frontier.net]

Send in the Clowns has achieved the well deserved status of my conic or a standard, and almost as many people have recorded it as recorded Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen.

But it was originally written for Glynis Johns who created the role of Desiree on Broadway in the musical A Little Night Music.

While perfect for the role, Glynis had difficulty with sustaining notes, so Sondheim tailored the song to her capabilities.

Which didn’t stop Frank Sinatra, Judy Collins, and others from immediately recording cover versions of the song. That Sondheim wrote a song restricted by the capabilities of his singer, that was so beautiful and powerful many and more talented singers were compelled to record it, is a testament to his genius.

[lee martell]

Interesting. I didn’t know about a Glynis Johns and her role in this song till now.

Re: Hallelijah, I’ve never understood why it’s so popular, except that it is often used as a piece to express ‘Spirtuality’ by singers known to be either atheists or agnostics. “See? I have a Soul. I’m not just a Hedonist.
I have tearful compassion too, not for Men but for ‘Maya’”

This reason has also made John Lennon’s “Imagine” very popular as a default ‘Spirituality’ anthem, a non-denominational ode often embraced by those same atheists and agnostics in moments of national upheaval i.e. after terrorist attacks.