Choir of the Year

[DracoM]

Apologies for dreadful typos!!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Switching off. Decided I'd give Jonas Kauffmann a listen.

Mary:
I agree the boys were charming indeed, but why was saweying and heart clutching necessary? to cath judge's eye and distrate thir ears?

Of course I AM delighted that boys sing outside the cathedral setting. But if a group introduce 'choreography' like that, i can see most adolescents running a mile screaming in embarrassment. Would that not close a boys' choir in about thirty seconds flat? Doing a stage show is totally different of course. 'Sit down you're rocking the boat' etc with a proper mid-teens boy choir = good choice, some irony, etc.

DracoM, I agree with all of what you say. I'm amazed there are any choirs left, but this all ties in my comments on the "Is singing dying" thread. People are so patronising and end up putting young people off. I've seen how embarrassed teenagers are in happy-clappy churches when their middle-aged parents start making an exhibition of themselves. There's much to be said for having fun, but if you want to dance and sing together, do so in the school musical production, where you won't look and feel a complete idiot.

[ardcarp]

Draco. I could do without the swaying too...but the man's a genius with that boys' choir. If the final had been judged on what a choir can achieve from an 'ordinary' intake they would have won hands down (or up or sideways). Quite apart from the choreography, they all moved with spontaneous musicality, something I love to see, even occasionally in choir-stalls. Did you notice the conductor's movements? Minimal and highy effective. And his point that these are the future male singers for our choral tradition was spot on. Wasn't 'Firefly' a lovely song?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I wonder whether the choreography for the boys was an add-on for the benefit of trendy judges, who seemed so taken with that kind of thing. I suspect the excellent conductor concentrated on singing and making the experience enjoyable. He seemed far too sensible to believe they actually wanted to jig about. But perhaps, at that age, they were OK with it.

[ardcarp]

I had to laugh. The Beeb Singers who were wheeled on to 'entertain' while the judges were deliberating (a) didn't jig about (b) had their heads stuck in the copies and (c) were quickly faded out by the producers. No further comment..

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

arpcarp, are you saying the BBC singers would have been better jigging about, or that the producers were too moronic to appreciate them?

Hmm. Perhaps the LSO Chorus should learn to jig about in Verdi's Requiem.

[Mary Chambers]

Fading out the BBC Singers was very odd indeed, though they are by no means my favourite choir.

The small boys were clearly enjoying every minute - did you see their shining eyes? - but I too wondered if the movement had been added for the competition. The wonderful man who runs it is 64 (so says my Radio Times) - I wonder if he has anyone who can take over if need be in the future.

What I see as dumbing down in the presentation generally was presented as a virtue -"Audiences expect more than" singers standing still and singing, we were told. I thought on the whole the right choir won.

[mangerton]

"Audiences expect more than" singers standing still and singing, we were told.

I didn't see the programme, and from what I've read here, I'm quite glad.

Mary, who actually said "Audiences expect more than"? This may have been discussed elsewhere, but if this is so, should audiences not be disabused?

[ardcarp]

[QUOTE=Eine Alpensinfonie;9936]arpcarp, are you saying the BBC singers would have been better jigging about, or that the producers were too moronic to appreciate them?


I was being equivocal.

[rauschwerk]

I have very mixed feelings about this choreography business. If it helps to get kids singing, then that's good of course. But does it distract our attention from shallow music? I'd love to see a Choir of the Year final from when it started. What music and performing styles were on offer then?

I have a nagging feeling that the centre of what I call proper choral singing in Europe has moved east to the Baltic states. Google on 'Sulasol' and see if you agree with me that the activities of that organisation suggest a healthier amateur music scene in Finland (pop. 5m) than in the UK.

[Mary Chambers]

I didn't see the programme, and from what I've read here, I'm quite glad.

Mary, who actually said "Audiences expect more than"?

It was a member of one of the more show-bizzy choirs, but I felt that some of the judges said the same thing, if more indirectly. A TV programme, Glee, was mentioned as an influence more than once. This is apparently about an American "show choir", whatever that is.

Fortunately, the choir that sang the Dies Irae from Mozart's Requiem (just about the only piece I really knew) didn't feel the need to improve it with actions.

[ardcarp]

I thought the Mozart was a poor choice for that choir...it made my toes curl, and the poor old pianist was finding it a bit hard-going too. On reflection, a few gyrations might have been a welcome distraction.

[DracoM]

Yes, I'm inclined to agree, ardcarp. A very hard and insistent top with pretty shrill vibrato did not endear itself to me. I know they come from oop North [ well, sort of ] an' that, but.....all the same.

The contrast with the Wells Cath Alumni could not have been greater. I truly felt that they were a young and very class act.

I've posted Wednesday's Westminster Cathedral Choral Vespers list elsethread.

[ardcarp]

"elsethread."

Is that one of the Saxon kings?

[mangerton]

Mary, thanks for the info.

I've sung the Mozart Req, Fauré Req, Rach Vespers, and divers Mass settings, to name but a few, and don't remember prancing about during any of them.

The choir came from "ooper North", too, but we managed to avoid "a very hard and insistent top with pretty shrill vibrato".