A rehearsal, caught on camera. Louise Gibbs works through Duke Ellington’s ballad Prelude to a Kiss ahead of a jazz concert in Leeds, 2021.
About the song
Prelude to a Kiss is one of Duke Ellington’s most enduring ballads, written in 1938 and later given words by Irving Gordon and Irving Mills. Its winding, chromatic melody has made it a quiet test-piece for singers – a tune that rewards phrasing and patience over display.
Rehearsal is where that reading is found. Louise’s way with a standard has been described as reimagining it rather than simply performing it, and moments like this one show the work behind that.