A Whiter Shade of Pale (Orchestral Version)

Despite its age, for (younger) classical music enthusiasts and listeners perhaps, the beginning of this "oldies song", A Whiter Shade of Pale, sounds a little familiar. It's because: Bach. The Hammond organ line of “A Whiter Shade of Pale” was inspired by Bach’s "Air on the G String” from his Orchestral Suite No. 3 - specifically the ground bass line. However, contrary to popular belief, the song does not directly copy any music by Bach. "If you trace the chordal element, it does a bar or two of Bach's 'Air on a G String' before it veers off. That spark was all it took. I wasn't consciously combining rock with classical, it's just that Bach's music was in me." Thus said Gary Brooker (1945 – 2022), singer-songwriter, founder and main vocalist of the band Procol Harum, in his interview with Uncut magazine. In June 1967, Procol Harum went to No.1 on the UK Singles Chart with "A Whiter Shade of Pale", composed by Gary Brooker and Matthew Fisher (b. 1946), with lyrics written by Keith Reid (1946-2023). Nearly 60 years later today, it remains as one of fewer than 30 singles to have ever sold over 10 million copies worldwide. More than a thousand recorded versions and covers exist today. The version performed in this video is an arrangement by English arranger-conductor Martyn Ford (b. 1944), for the album "LSO Classic Rock 1978", newly adapted in 2024 for the Singapore Symphony Orchestra by Singapore-based cellist-composer Khachatur Khachatryan. This was first performed on 27 and 28 September 2024, at the orchestra's "Classics at the Movies" programme. The title came about by chance. At a party, lyricist Keith Reid overheard a man say to a woman, "You've turned a whiter shade of pale." The phrase stuck in his mind, and inspired the unusual lyrics of the soulful song. We skipped the light fandango, Turned some cartwheels across the floor. I was feeling kind of seasick. When the crowd called out for more, The room was humming harder, And the ceiling flew away. When I called out for another drink, The waiter brought a tray And so it was later When the miller told this tale, That her face at first just ghostly Turned a whiter shade of pale. There's a bit of Bach in everyone. Perhaps that's why his music is timeless. Singapore Symphony Orchestra Gerard Salonga, conductor Joanna Paul, organ Recorded live at the Victoria Concert Hall, Singapore, on 27 Sep 2024. Audio: msm-productions (Singapore)