Bryn Terfel Jones was born in Pantglas, North Wales, the son of a farmer (he knew of another Welsh baritone named Delme Bryn-Jones, so Terfel chose Bryn Terfel as his professional name). Terfel had an interest in and talent for music from a very young age. A family friend taught him how to sing, starting with traditional Welsh songs. After winning numerous competitions for his singing, Terfel moved to London in 1984 and entered the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, from which he graduated in 1989, winning the Gold Medal. He came in second behind Dmitri Hvorostovsky in the Cardiff BBC Singer of the World Competition the same year, though won the Lieder Prize.
In 1990, Terfel made his operatic début as Guglielmo in CosÏ fan tutte at the Welsh National Opera, and later in the same season he sang the title role in The Marriage of Figaro, a role with which he made his debut with the English National Opera in 1991.
Terfel made his United States début as Figaro at the Santa Fe Opera. In 1992, he made his Royal Opera House, Covent Garden début as Masetto in Don Giovanni, with Thomas Allen in the title role. Terfel's international breakthrough came when he sang Jochanaan in Strauss's Salome at the 1992 Salzburg Festival. Terfel went on to make his début as Figaro at the Vienna State Opera. That year, he also signed an exclusive recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon, and returned to the Welsh National Opera to sing Ford in Falstaff. In 1993, he recorded the role of Wilfred Shadbolt in The Yeomen of the Guard, by Gilbert and Sullivan. Terfel has said that he would like to record "an album of Gilbert and Sullivan arias."
In 1994, Terfel sang Figaro at Covent Garden, and made his Metropolitan Opera début in the same role. He also sang Mahler's Eighth Symphony at the Ravinia Festival under the baton of James Levine. However, back surgery in 1994 (and again in 2000) prevented him from performing in several scheduled events. In 1996, Terfel expanded his repertoire to include Wagner, singing Wolfram in TannhÀuser at the Metropolitan Opera, and Stravinsky, singing Nick Shadow in The Rake's Progress at the Welsh National Opera.
In 1997, Terfel made his La Scala début as Figaro. In 1998, Bryn had a recital at Carnegie Hall which included works by Wolf, Fauré, Brahms, Schumann, Schubert, and others. In 1999, Terfel performed in Paris the title role of Don Giovanni for the first time. That year, Terfel also debuted in the title role in Falstaff at the Sydney Opera House for Opera Australia and then performed the same role at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Stars
Bryn Terfel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A fugitive running
Fallen from God
Fallen from grace
God be my witness
I never shall yield
Till we come face to face
Till we come face to face
He knows his way in the dark
But mine is the way of the Lord
And those who follow the path of the righteous
Shall have their reward
And if they fall as Lucifer fell
The flame, the sword
Stars in your multitudes
Scarce to be counted
Filling the darkness
With order and light
You are the sentinels
Silent and sure
Keeping watch in the night
Keeping watch in the night
You know your place in the sky
You hold your course and your aim
And each in your season, returns and returns
And is always the same
And if you fall as Lucifer fell
You fall in flame
And so it must be for so it is written
On the doorway to paradise
That those who falter and those who fall
Must pay the price
And stars in your multitudes
Lord, let me find him
That I may see him
Safe behind wrong
I will never rest
And just to share
It's pleasures and belong
It's pleasures and belong
That's what I've been here for all along
Each day, till then, this I swear
This I swear by the stars
By the stars
By the stars
Look down and see the beggars at your feet
Look down and show some mercy if you can
Look down and see the sweepings of the street
Look down, look down upon your fellow man
In Bryn Terfel's song "Stars," the singer speaks of a fugitive who has fallen from God and his grace. Despite this, the singer, as a follower of the path of the righteous, refuses to yield until he comes face to face with the fugitive. The singer sees himself as holding the way of the Lord, with the flame and the sword waiting for those who fall as Lucifer fell.
The singer then reflects on the stars, which fill the darkness with order and light. They are the sentinels, silent and sure, keeping watch in the night. The singer admires the stars' unwavering course and return each season, just as they were always the same. However, the singer also acknowledges that if the stars fall as Lucifer fell, they fall in flame.
The song concludes as the singer prays to find the fugitive and see him safe behind wrong before finally belonging to the pleasures of life. He swears to do this every day until finding him and by the stars themselves. The singer then urges the listener to look down and see the beggars at their feet, to show them mercy if they can, and to look down upon their fellow men.
Line by Line Meaning
There, out in the darkness
In the dark of the night
A fugitive running
A person who is hiding and trying to escape
Fallen from God
No longer supported by God
Fallen from grace
No longer respected
God be my witness
I swear on God's name
I never shall yield
I will not give up
Till we come face to face
Until we meet each other in person
He knows his way in the dark
He is accustomed to darkness
But mine is the way of the Lord
But I follow the path of God
And those who follow the path of the righteous
And those who follow the good path of life
Shall have their reward
Will receive their prize
And if they fall as Lucifer fell
And if they fall like the devil fell from God's grace
The flame, the sword
They will be punished with fire and sword
Stars in your multitudes
There are many stars in the sky
Scarce to be counted
Almost impossible to count
Filling the darkness
Lighting up the dark night sky
With order and light
With structure and light
You are the sentinels
You are like guardians
Silent and sure
Quiet but vigilant
Keeping watch in the night
Keeping an eye on everything that happens at night
You know your place in the sky
You know exactly where you are in the sky
You hold your course and your aim
You stay on the same path and direction
And each in your season, returns and returns
Each of you come back in your own season
And is always the same
And are constant as before
And if you fall as Lucifer fell
And if you fall like the devil fell from God's grace
You fall in flame
You will be punished with fire
And so it must be for so it is written
As written it has to be so
On the doorway to paradise
At the entrance to heaven
That those who falter and those who fall
Those who fail and those who succumb
Must pay the price
They should bear the consequences
Lord, let me find him
God, let me find him
That I may see him
So I can see him
Safe behind wrong
Being safe in the midst of chaos
I will never rest
I will never give up
And just to share
And to share
It's pleasures and belong
Its delights and membership
That's what I've been here for all along
That's what I've been here for since the beginning
Each day, till then, this I swear
Every day until then, I swear
This I swear by the stars
I swear on the stars
Look down and see the beggars at your feet
Look down and see the poor people at your feet
Look down and show some mercy if you can
Show kindness if you are able
Look down and see the sweepings of the street
Look down and see the dirt from the street
Look down, look down upon your fellow man
See and acknowledge the humans around you
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CLAUDE MICHEL SCHONBERG, ALAIN ALBERT BOUBLIL, HERBERT KRETZMER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kayanimarco
I never thought I'd see anyone come close to Philip Quast but Bryn Terfel has done it . Well done , well done indeed .
baculkar
HeÂŽs one from most greatest singers in this century.
moggs1978
How can anyone dismiss this as mediocre, he is a world renowned singer, vocal perfection.
Sam Reid
I think this is my favourite version of stars...what a voice!
Actors With Issues podcast
A wonderful rendition of the piece. I've sung this song dozens of times for recitals and auditions and just for fun. His voice is incredible. He did an awesome job last night at the Andrea Bocelli concert too. Top of the class singer :)
shaun jacobs
Love his voice so much. Such a kind and talented man
The Trumpet Man
This is one of the best versions of "Stars" that I've ever heard. I love the power of the orchestra, and how Bryn Terfel uses his vibrato, especially on the word "fall". I've always believed that note should be vibrato free.
flicfan416
Everyone commenting on this comparing it to Quast seem oblivious to the fact that Terfel is, in this video, riding a 60+ piece orchestra with no microphone. And on top of that, his consonants are still crystal clear.
Malin Thulin
This is one of my all time favourite songs from a musical... Listened to Philip Quast singing it for hours at an end. You need a good voice for it and what's better than Bryn Terfel?
MissFancypantzzz
PERFECTION. I am in tears. This is incredible :)