Choir of the Year

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I'm watching it on BBC4 at this very moment. The girls in the first are singing with great proficiency, though the voices don't blend particularly well. But why can't they keep still. They look like a charismatic church service.
The judges - where did they dig them up?

The ex-Wells Cathedral singers are excellent.

I'm switching off now. They're playing nausiating background muzak while talking to the participants. The choir made be good but the broadcasting team are i****s.

[DracoM]

Beat me to it!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

You mean switching off, or the general sentiments?

[Mary Chambers]

The little boys were enchanting, though, in spite of the choreography. Probably not the best choir in the world, but they are boys and they are singing.

I was a choral singer for many years, and so far there hasn't been one piece I know. We're on the second Rutter, which mercifully I've avoided.

[DracoM]

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]

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..