This is the type of music clarinets are made for.

Fun fact ( as told by my band director ): This piece was originally commissioned by Dreamworks, whom wanted to produce a movie about a seal who'd lost his mother. So, Whitacre went to work and began writing this piece, and when he approached Dreamworks, they'd told him that they'd changed the theme around, and had began the production of Kung Fu Panda. The more you know!

I wish this song could just play for the rest of existence in my head

In my band, I'm playing the piano part, and it is the most beautiful piece I think I have ever heard

I played this in high school my junior year, went on to college and played it freshman year, and I'm now a new music educator, and my first song, will be this one

Tuba, we are the most beautiful thunder.

Being an audience member is one thing, but being an actual performer is just breathtaking. I was crying during the real deal performance. This describes so many emotions!! I love this piece!

My high school symphonic band is playing this at graduation. There won't be a dry eye in the audience. Sad, it's the last song I get to play with my closest friends.

I didn't know this was about a literal seal when I first started this piece. So the image I had in my head was of a _Navy_ SEAL; a soldier singing a hymn and praying for the safety of himself and his family back home. So yeah, I just made this song even more tear-jerking and emotional. Congrats, me. ;~;

This arrangement gave me CHILLS! +1 if you agree.

just when I thought this song couldn't get more beautiful I discover it for band...I love band music so much...nothing is more romantic.

This song practically moves me to tears every time I hear it its so beautiful

I'm playing this piece on french horn and it is beautiful

Holy crap why does this have to be so beautiful? Played this as a third clarinet my freshman year, and it was the last song I played before we were shut down due to covid. We got the seal, too. It was also the last song that we played with our old band director before he retired (like 3 years past when he should’ve), and it hit him harder than all the band combined. He specifically wanted this song to be his last with us, and I don’t think he could’ve picked a better one. God, it hits me right in the feels.

I had the second clarinet solo in this song... Beautiful.

When playing this my senior year, I cried every single time we ever touched it... Rehearsals, region, state, the concert. It is my favorite song, filled with emotional ties & memories. So beautiful!

This is the most beautiful song to ever be played by any band

This was one of my high school senior band's favourite songs to play, and now that most of us have graduated I feel like crying every time I hear it. But I love it soooo much!!!

I played alto saxophone most of my early school life, but in high school I switched to baritone (at request of my band teacher) and for the first three years of band I hated baritone sax’s lack of Melodies. But this song made me really appreciate the importance of the low support. The deep crescendos & decrescendos behind the melody give me more chills than any part of this arrangement, it gives this piece life, a feeling of breathing the music in - which I find beautiful.

I cried so hard when we played this. it's so beautiful.

I'm playing this in a concert tomorrow. Such a lovely piece, and I have the fortune of being in an honors band, so my fellow musicians really do this justice. I nearly cried after just a few measures; I can just imagine a little seal pup being rocked to sleep in the gentle waves.

i play the flute in this and can i just say it's freaking gorgeous. when i first heard it i felt so overwhelmed and emotional that i burst out crying. i still get overwhelmed and feel so vulnerable but in a good way? does that make sense

as a choral student i never thought i would prefer a band arrangement over a choral one.

This is hands down the most wholesome band piece to ever exist

We are singing this in my choir and I feel as though i am unworthy of such a beautiful piece.

Now I'm all tired

Eric Whitacre is an actual genius. This is just so beautiful. As a trumpet, I can say that this is by far the most beautiful song that I have ever had the privilege to play.

one measure into this and I am weeping. the choral version is exquisite, heartbreakingly tender.

This is the first piece i ever heard and thought “Wow. The clarinet part for this is amazing”. I play horn

This is such a beautiful piece. I cried when I played this in highschool. The student who did the piano part was amazing. He brought me to tears whenever he played.

I’m playing the glockenspiel part on a set of orchestra bells made for my grandfather over 110 years ago. Deep feels every time we play it.

played this song at state during a very pivotal point in my life-this video makes me violently sob without fail every time ✌🏻

knowing that the movie this song was supposed to be in was never made because of kung fu panda really makes me sad :(

I'm playing the piano part for our concert next week and it's really moving each and every time I hear/play this piece.

Had the joy of playing piano for this my senior year of high school with our wind ensemble, love this song so much!!!

We played this piece today for our school's Veteran's Day assembly. I learned the second clarinet part in three rehearsals. Veteran's Day band is only about 20 people and we had three clarinets. ABSOLUTELY IN LOVE WITH THIS PIECE

the feeling this piece gives me is indescribable. my entire body just fills up with this crazy emotion and for a few minutes i feel kind of fulfilled in a way.

I'm playing the 2nd clarinet solo part with my friend and I was tearing up when we heard it in class.

My band is playing that this year. And I just love this piece especially the clarinets

I play Clarinet for this song and I think it's amazing how we get a solo and everything!

what a change to hear this delightful classic played by a band its rather lovely ....all the instrument parts are selective and sound stunning xx

I recently performed this piece (on piano) with my school's concert band/wind ensemble at the Meyerson center in Dallas. It was honestly the most amazing musical experience I have ever had, and probably ever will. Thank you Eric Whitacre for this beautiful piece of art.

We are plying this piece later this month. I play first flute and I absolutely love this song. Its something you can really get into and be emotional.

One of my favorite songs

literal chills all the way through...

I play the flute in the band I'm in, and I don't think I could play as beautiful as the people in that song are playing, it's so beautiful and legato.

My middle school played this when I was in seventh grade. We all enjoyed it!

This piece made me cry. Such a beautiful song with a beautiful meaning.

love this song. I'm playing this with my band. I'm third clarinet. and we will be going to festival with it and two other pieces

Never fails to make me cry

This song was the "senior sendoff" for the senior band kids in my highschool starting my senior year.... awesome.

I want to play this in symphonic band I have to convince my director now

this is such a gorgeous piece, brings me so much memories from back in last year before our woodwind director moved schools .-.

The clarinet part for this piece is beautiful, simple, and easy. I listen to it every day, amazing piece!

This may be the most beautiful thing I've ever heard in my life. Our women's choir is singing this for contest, but this is so much more moving.

My Junior High band is playing this. I'm so glad that we get to play such a beautiful piece.

I conducted this piece for my hs band in junior year and it was the most magical experience I could have endured, it is such a beautiful piece ❤

Played this with 8th grade Carrollton Junior High School Band. First chair Clarinet, the whole crowd was in tears and most of the band. Such a beautiful piece, with such emotion. Definatly will remember that night.

One of the only songs I try not to cry to when I play it in band. Tears of joy and happiness

Such an incredible piece of music. Moving musical experiences happen during songs like this.

I remember being in band. In Jr High, and high school. I would've loved to play this. I was always obsessed with playing ballads like this, vs the songs that are fast and full of runs. Runs are fun, they are. But there's nothing quite like playing a ballad like this and putting your emotion into it. THAT feeling is unmatched. Right now I teach color guard and I love it. But songs like this remind me of band, and how much I miss the people I did it with. Some days I pick up my clarinet and I remember the pieces I played, and how much fun it is to play an instrument. I really do genuinely miss it a lot. Lots of fun memories that I won't ever forget

Played this in Tri-state honor band.loved playing the song. Beautiful. *"thumbs up" to the video*

Pine Tree junior high band used this for contest and we won first division, best in class, and Superior. so we were the best of our area. this was last year 2014-2015

Playing French horn for this piece in Symphonic Band. The MIDI they used doesn't quite capture the right sound of an F horn, but who cares, it's one of the best sounding songs in the world.

pretty sure at least a thousand of these views is me

We played this as a tribute for children who had lost their lives in school shootings during a winter concert. It was hard to play through this as a trumpet player, but we had a harpist and everything for the piano parts. Every parent was crying through the theater.

This song can pull on my emotions so much no matter what time I’m going through

I played the piano part for this in my college band it was awesome. I was also super scared of performing and blacked out for a sec during the performance and played a wrong note.

We're playing this in band for our next concert. Even in sight reading, the song was bringing tears to my eyes. If they had actually made the movie, I best this would have won the Oscar for Best Original Song.

Played this in high school, I believe it was my sophomore year. Makes me miss high school so very much.

Absolutely love this piece. Beautiful.

I'm so loving this piece of music

we played this piece for wind ensemble and i don't think i'll ever forget it. it's so beautiful

I'm playing this in band and I can't get enough of it. This song just evokes so much emotion! I love it!!

im in choir and we sang this last year, but it makes me smile to hear the band play it... i used to play clarinet as well as sing so it's nice

AH THE CHILLS I played flute for this song btw :)

Gorgeous. When I teach, I plan on getting my band/choir to play this piece.

Started playing this with my band at school - loving it 😍

We did this in choir last year, and it was absolutely gorgeous. I transferred to a different school and now the bad is doing it this year. It's one of my favorite choral?band pieces. So gorgeous!

I still remember getting goosebumps when playing this in an Honor Band. Still one of my favorite pieces I've played of all time.

I miss band so much. I really wish I would’ve stayed in it for highschool. I like this piece ❤️

Breathtakingly beautiful!

I played this on trombone for Memphis Honor Band 2018. It was by far my favorite piece just because of how beautiful it is.

i had such a great experience playing this. It will be an unforgettable piece. so beautiful

Not gonna lie. I listened to this over and over while crying in a corner for like 3 hours. Eric Whitacre needs to score a Pixar film.

I played this last year with my school's concert band. It's the nicest peace I think we've ever played, it even brought a tear to our conductors eye during a competition, it was so beautiful :')

We’re marching this as our second movement

We are playing this song for my high school concert band and I love it sooo much every time I hear it I get chills

this song made me cry. this piece is gorgeous

How lovely to hear this delightful band play this lovely lullaby ,, it puts a different slant on the presentation of a most divine classic , its the bet ever i adore it x Long live the Ukraine and its people 19/ 3 /2022 x 🌞🌞

Loved when my band played this a couple years ago!

Playing the piano for this piece at my high school

I play tuba in this, and we split parts, it sounds amazing

I personally are playing this for our marching band this year. i play the second synth. but next year i’ll be playing baritone saxophone. awesome peace of music. glad my director chose this peace of music.

Im playing this with my band and it sounds just as beautiful as this does! Brilliant playing in this piece!

this song actually makes me tear up, it's so beautiful!

We played this in my highschool band and I literally cry everytime cause i miss it so much

my heart melts at 2:14

I really hope our band does this piece justice. It’s truly beautiful

Last year my band played this piece. It really was quite nice, sitting at the back of the ensemble right next to the euphonium soloist, and being able to sit and listen to the woodwinds and euphonium continue the melody after the trombones finished their last phrase in the piece.