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auction/deets here

http://www.charitybuzz.com/auctions/libertyhill/catalog_items/266811
 (http://www.charitybuzz.com/auctions/libertyhill/catalog_items/266811)
bid it up dudes

or, if you're feeling darker, there's http://kottke.org/11/05/unabomber-auction

Okay, the only kind of bloke/chick who bids for THAT probably ought to be behind bars him/herself. 

Signed by VDP?

I guess - those were some of his deeper lyrics?

Very interesting.

Now, are we supposed to believe that BW and his band relied on this for the recording of BWPS?
Or is this just made for publishing purposes/even ad hoc for the auction? There's just four voices, so... the rest of the singers were doubling those parts?
Can't remember the details of the BWPS recording now, but I assume Jeff took the highest part

Any insights/guesses?

The doubling of voices makes it sound as full as it does, but in reality most chorale style writing from the past 200 years is based around four vocal ranges and thus 4 parts. There may be a high lead voice working as a fifth voice on top of everything, but with harmony, you're covering the root, third, fifth, and a tension like the 7th on any given chord. If more harmony is added to those four voices, it sounds jumbled and takes it outside the traditional Bach chorale sound which Brian was going for on this piece and into the modern era. For that "classic" chorale sound you really wouldn't have more than three chord tones and possibly one tension on any given chord.

Those specific scores are limited-editions and are numbered as such, so it's not like they were used in an actual session. But the transcription of the vocal arrangement is the one we hear on the album, I'm sure. Display piece, nothing more, but a very cool one to have hanging on the wall!

:lol

Um, at the risk of sounding like a broken record... try reading the description ?  :)

"Own this limited edition lead sheet to Our Prayer from SMiLE signed by the iconic Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks. This is No. 98 of only 100 in the world.

Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson, who is credited as one of the most influential artists in the history of music, has signed this rare sheet music from Nonesuch Records’ Brian Wilson Presents SMILE. Additionally, Wilson’s chief collaborator Van Dyke Parks has stamped his signature profile on the music."

BTW, common mistake to think Jeff has the highest voice in the band. On "Surf's Up", Darian takes the top line.

So VDP has a stamp?  I like the hand drawn ones better; makes it more personal. Why bid on a rubber stamped anything? 

I studied Bach corales. I know that they dont' use more than 4 voices. But I thought that maybe Prayer (I don't remember the arrangement, I haven't listened it for a while, can't check it on You Tube right now) had not only voices doubled (and they should've been indicated if this was a chart actually used) but also octaved

AGD: they could have made 100 signed copies of the original chart. And any actual chart from a Brian session would qualify as even more rare than something written down for a charity auction.
Always thought Jeff sang the highest "Columnated ruins domino", though. Can't check now but you may be right. Darian has a pretty high voice too.

And to avoid misunderstandings, yes I reckon this is a chart made for the auction.

Well then I posted it for those who haven't studied Bach chorales! :) My bad I guess.

One of Brian's trademarks which he used from the 60's up to the present was to double the entire background vocal arrangement when necessary for the song. It gave the effect of a massive sound and the little pitch changes between all those voices gave the effect we've known as "chorusing" since the 1970's, only naturally. So there would probably be no reason to indicate such a thing if he'd just have the same voices sing the exact part again. Octaves would be a different story. The only parts "added" I'd say would have been those parts Bruce and the others added to Our Prayer for 20/20. You can hear them and I think some of them sound way overdone on 20/20.

One of Brian's trademarks which he used from the 60's up to the present was to double the entire background vocal arrangement when necessary for the song. It gave the effect of a massive sound and the little pitch changes between all those voices gave the effect we've known as "chorusing" since the 1970's, only naturally. So there would probably be no reason to indicate such a thing if he'd just have the same voices sing the exact part again. Octaves would be a different story. The only parts "added" I'd say would have been those parts Bruce and the others added to Our Prayer for 20/20. You can hear them and I think some of them sound way overdone on 20/20.
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Yes, Brian was the king of doubletracking, even the leads (remember the three Mike Loves on California Girls) Anybody knows any instance of Brian using ADT instead of actual doubling?