Thoughts, feelings...?

I think it's not a bad thing. On the other hand, it doesn't suit the album in the place where it actually is. Reprise should be a hidden track after ''The Birds'' or as the last track on the record.

Well it wouldn't be a reprise if it were immediately after the song it was reprising...

It's an odd one certainly, but not a bad one.

I liked it on the first few listens through the album. Now, I'm not so sure.

I dont mind it, it just seems abit out of place, it's probably my least favourite on there though

He's got SUCH a thespian voice, almost cliched...it's an enigmatic piece, to be sure

Have to say, I like it, it's alright - it seems though that it may be an excuse just to get the Halle included....

mmm. not that sure about it - don't particulary mind it.
seems kind of like the end of a story, the old guy looking back in a kind of
retrospective, lest us not forget type of thing. ?

i think it would have worked better as an interval before going into 'The night will always win' Personally i think that would have been the perfect place for it.

It has grown on me but I'm another one who's not sure on it's placement. I agree that I think it may have been better placed at the end, as a sort of "closing thought" type thing.

I just today thought of a way of interpreting this song which makes me extremely happy. Say that the man singing is the old man depicted in the birds, and we're now in the evening time after the events depicted in that (he's sat outside recollecting old times, then his staff get fed up and try to take him inside, but indignant, he resists and sings louder!). I like the idea that they finally do of course get him in because he's old and frail, and here we are now in the reprise with him, perhaps having been put into bed (approaching sleep is suggested by the dreamy backing vocals), and though in some ways defeated by the staff, here he is still remembering and looking back, and they can't take that away from him

Personally I think it's in exactly the right place. Have to say it does make me well up a bit, it's the fragility of the old man's voice combined with the beautiful music, so I'm glad it's not the very last song and we get the happy ending of Dear Friends afterwards.

While I agree that the placement is a bit iffy, I can't say I would like it at the very end of the album, for two reasons:

1. The feel of the reprise is a bit too dark for an album all about, as Guy said in his ShortList article, "encouraging people to give it a go."
2. "Dear Friends" is a damn good closer, and it belongs there.

As far as the song itself goes, I quite like it. It's full of the beautiful Hallé choir, and it serves its purpose as a reflection quite well.