2025 Competition Entry:

I Do by Jonathan Preiss

Genre

Pop

Co-writer(s)

no

Performer(s)

Talisha Karrer – Vocals
Ian Smith – Sax
Tristan Banks – Drums
Jonathan Preiss – Guitars, Keys, Bass, Production

Description

This song was written specially for a bride-to-be who was profoundly deaf and who wanted to created a moment that she could share with her friends and family in the best way possible. She was able to feel sound through her feet and was able to dance based on that rhythmic sensation. I took this idea as the starting point for an RnB flavoured song – a style that the groom was into.

So, it begins with a deep “heartbeat” intended to make the whole room pulse in way that would bring together the hearing and non-hearing guests …

The lyrics were very much written from a “50-yr old” perspective – thinking about my own wedding quite a few years ago (!) and how, somehow, the apparently familiar words that are spoken at countless weddings never fail to transform into something unique, personal and enduring each time that they are spoken.

Bio

Born in London, Jonathan Preiss studied classical and jazz guitar at Leeds College of Music and Trinity College of Music, London. A versatile guitarist playing classical, acoustic and electric guitars as well as other plucked strings, his performing career has encompassed classical music, jazz, musical theatre and film, Latin-American music, folk and contemporary chamber music. ​

He has performed and recorded with artists including Aled Jones, David McAlmont, Kathleen Turner, Cerys Matthews, Michael Ball, Tina Grace, Rose Windross, Tina May, Natalie Williams, Jacqui Tate, Joanna Strand, Joanna MacGregor and Adrian Brendel and Thomas Gould.

West End experience includes the award-winning 2023 revival of “Oklahoma”, Kathleen Turner’s one-woman show “Finding My Voice”, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights” and “Zorro the Musical”. Other shows have included “Assassins”, “West Side Story” and “Chess”. Other notable performances have ranged from performing Pierre Boulez’ serialist masterpiece “Le Marteau Sans Maître” with contemporary music specialists the Warehouse Ensemble to playing guitars and mandolin in live performances of Howard Shore’s “Lord of the Rings” soundtrack with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by the composer.

Jonathan also has a deep involvement with Brazilian music, and has performed with many highly respected Brazilian singers and instrumentalists from the worlds of samba, bossa nova, choro and Brazilian jazz, including Monica Vasconcelos, Chico Chagas, Henrique Cazes, Dirceu Leite, Rogerio Souza, Leandra Varanda, Adriano Adewale, Bosco de Oliveira, Paraiso School of Samba and Gilberto Gomes. He is also a member of Argentinian tango group the Romano Viazzani Ensemble.

Broadcast credits include BBC Radio 2’s “Friday Night Is Music Night” and BBC Radio 3’s “In Tune”; recording credits include projects as diverse as film work including “The Hobbit – An Unexpected Journey”; Aled Jones’ “The Christmas Album”, a duo folk album with BBC Young Tradition award winning accordionist Luke Daniels and two albums with Brazilian group Caratinga.

Lyrics

In this moment
On this day
Let the whole world fade away
Just this heartbeat
Just this dance with you

This is where our story starts
Joining hands and joining hearts
In this promise
That I make with you

The dreams we share, the hopes we feel;
We’ll make them true; we’ll make them real
A promise of a life brand new
Sealed with a vow to say

“I do”
And the words we say today
Are written in our hearts to stay
Forever strong
Forever true
Forever new
Like the April skies above
A promise that we’ll always share the gift of love

When we look back on this day
Distant future, who can say
Where this road we’re starting on will lead

Through the hard times, and the good
Joys and tears, we’ve understood
We’ll remember how we danced today

As winter changes into spring
We’ll make each year a perfect ring
A promise of a life brand new
Sealed with a vow to say

“I do”
And the words we say today
Are written in our hearts to stay
Forever strong
Forever true
Forever new
Like the April skies above
A promise that we’ll always share the gift of love

SAX SOLO

And everything I share with you
Something old and something new
Something borrowed, and something blue

I’ll give you the skies above
And promise that we’ll always share the gift of love

And say I do
And say I do

And promise that we’ll always share the gift of love

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