Is singing dying?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

DracoM, that's most heartening for two reasons: 1. The numbers of young singers involved, and 2. It has raised my opinion of Roland Fudge, who is best known for some rather feeble arrngemnts in the hymnbook "Mission Praise". If it's the same person.)

[DracoM]

Well, EA, I can only report as found. It was a pretty thrilling experience in the hall, and as you say, massed ranks of youg as well as not so young singers, so.....

...........and I don't know much [anything] about Mr Fudge's back history, I'm afraid.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Yesterday, I was helping out with the choir at a school carol service. Good 4-part singing, which was most encouraging, but at times it took on characteristics of a pop concert.
Some of the 6th formers were saying "It was better in the olden days (i.e. 2 years ago)" :)

[Oldcrofter]

Some background info about 'Celestial Light' in this review of an earlier performance in Cumbria.

http://www.musicweb-international.com/sandh/2010/Jan-Jun10/Finzi_2703.htm

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

That's interesting. I'll look out for future performances.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

With friends like this, who needs enemies?

I picked up a copy of "Life & Living" Summer 2012' and chanced upon the seemingly positive article - Why Singing is Good for You. it began as follows:
"Questionable memories of school choirs may still lurk in the recesses of your mind, but don't be put off. Nowadays choirs thankfully have changed beyond recognition. Today, you're far more likely to be singing Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody than Handel's Halleujah Chorus - and having a huge amount of fun in the process, as Christine Tagg discovered when she joined a choir two years ago."

There is some merit in what follows, but further snide comments are to be found further on.

[ardcarp]

EA Don't despair. There is an interest in so-called 'community choirs' to which anyone can turn up irrespective of ability and have a good sing-song. It's partly on the back of the Gareth Malone thing, and I don't think we should knock it even if the stuff they sing and the standard at which they sing it is pretty middling. Just so long as they don't start giving public concerts and expect people to fork out £15 for a ticket!

At the moment there is plenty of good amateur singing around, with lots of competent chamber choirs. The worry is that these are peopled by a generation that probably did cut their teeth in a good school choir or church choir. So it is worrying that they may be an endangered species.

[cloughie]

With friends like this, who needs enemies?

I picked up a copy of "Life & Living" Summer 2012' and chanced upon the seemingly positive article - Why Singing is Good for You. it began as follows:
"Questionable memories of school choirs may still lurk in the recesses of your mind, but don't be put off. Nowadays choirs thankfully have changed beyond recognition. Today, you're far more likely to be singing Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody than Handel's Halleujah Chorus - and having a huge amount of fun in the process, as Christine Tagg discovered when she joined a choir two years ago."

There is some merit in what follows, but further snide comments are to be found further on.

But there is a greater chance of making a decent fist of sing the harmonies in Bohemian Rhapsody if years back you sang eg Hallelujah Chorus in the school choir.

[cloughie]

EA Don't despair. There is an interest in so-called 'community choirs' to which anyone can turn up irrespective of ability and have a good sing-song. It's partly on the back of the Gareth Malone thing, and I don't think we should knock it even if the stuff they sing and the standard at which they sing it is pretty middling. Just so long as they don't start giving public concerts and expect people to fork out £15 for a ticket!

At the moment there is plenty of good amateur singing around, with lots of competent chamber choirs. The worry is that these are peopled by a generation that probably did cut their teeth in a good school choir or church choir. So it is worrying that they may be an endangered species.

...and the average chorister age is probably 50 or 60!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

EA Don't despair. There is an interest in so-called 'community choirs' to which anyone can turn up irrespective of ability and have a good sing-song. It's partly on the back of the Gareth Malone thing, and I don't think we should knock it even if the stuff they sing and the standard at which they sing it is pretty middling.

It's not what they sing, so much as the utterly negative attitude about really great classical music that has infected our society.

[MrGongGong]

It's not what they sing, so much as the utterly negative attitude about really great classical music that has infected our society.

I find the same attitudes applied to "really great" Jazz, Rock music etc etc
if one conflates taste with value then the folks who drone on about how wonderful Beethoven is simply because it IS BEETHOVEN are doing exactly the same thing that you are complaining about.
What is encouraging IMV is that amongst young people music is far less "tribal" than it was when I was a teenager
I'm sure "great classical music" (whatever your version of this is ?) can cope