The Choir

newist Me too!

I would love to sing in a choir, as I imagine it's really exhilarating when you all get it right and it sounds good. Unfortunately I have no musical ability. Even when I sing along to the radio when alone, I can hear how awful and out of tune I sound!

mishap not only thinking about pubic hair, but pubic hair belonging to viccars

I apologise deeply for lowering the tone! Only Gransnet could go from choirs to pubes!

I was just thinking the same thing Mishap!

It is lovely to sing in a choir, but like acting it has long periods of boredom waiting till the tenors finally get it right, and then over and over again. A weekly practice for a good choir nearing the day when they will sing before others is real hard work and tiring after a days normal work.

After 10 - 15 weeks of practicing you have to perform and then it repays you. I sang in a Catholic choir and we sang Mass at Easter and Christmas and sometimes when I was sitting on the contralto seats behind the professional soloists I felt quite faint with the purity of their singing, whether Mozart or Haydn. We in the choir sang the choral parts and that was after all that practice, a really lovely feeling.
I used to go home to cook the Christmas dinner feeling flat, as if the best part of Christmas was over! So that is what singing in a choir is like.

I had to leave at 65 as my voice gave up on me.

Mishap What you have started!

What is the point of trying to write about singing and being in a choir when the ladies are only interested in what colour the choir master's pubic hair might be. No hope for a serious note in GN then. I wish I could take back my post. it does not belong on this below the waist page.....

OK call me too serious of you want.......

You cantake back your posts if you wish , Margaret x , contact GNHQ and ask for them to be deleted , just saying .

Margaret Given what the conductors of both the choirs I go to are like, I cannot think of anything more dreadful.

MargaretX don't be too disappointed in us, conversations on GN have a habit of wandering, but we usually come back to the point of the original thread.
With regard to competitiveness in choirs; is it really so bad? My lovely mother in law led a choir that got through to the semi-final of the choir of the year competition and I don't remember any comments from the time that were derogatory about the competitive aspect.

I've been and had my lunch since then and can leave my post. Like many of us at the moment on GN I am feeling a bit touchy , just not in the mood for frivolity. Thanks grannyactivist

I think the kind of competitiveness on the BBC is awful. Whether its baking cakes, dancing or now choir singing, the good or the best have to be chosen and the worst - mostly people who have worked hard and done their best have to go.
I don't think normal choir singing is competitive. Most choirs want to sing their own choice of music and some day perform it for somebody or sing at a funeral or a wedding. People in choirs just want to sing but in Gareths choirs they do it for other reasons as well.
We'll see how Gareth proceeds, he is an extremely musically gifted person with absolute pitch and has suceeded in making a niche for himself in what is a difficult world to make a living in.

Sorry if the bit of humour offended! - humour is the stuff that keeps us young and fit - laughter therapy is all the rage now.

I take choirs very seriously indeed - promoting choirs, conducting them and singing in them have been part of the whole of my life - and very wonderful it is too!

Competition can be good, especially where they is constructive advice from the judges - I just dislike the fact that it seems to permeate everything on TV now - even programmes, like Malone's original choir ones, where it is not appropriate. I dislike the idea of trying to wring emotion from people for the sake of "good" TV rather than for the benefit of the individuals involved.

The original programmes where he went into schools and got young people singing were truly inspirational.

I'm not apologising I'm afraid MargaretX - such humorous moments occur in face to face conversations on all subjects (even in serious business meetings) and thank goodness they do, or wouldn't life be dour. I think we all need our spirits raising a bit after such a sad couple of weeks.

Jess really! I never expected apologies.(or a lecture!)

All I did was show that I was offended. I was not nasty about it. If it made others feel better then good for them. Enjoy......

Letting your mind wander during the boring bits of a rehearsal when you are not allowed to talk means it's not just the MD who comes in for scrutiny.

There was a very interesting study done which followed peoples' eye movements using some sort of laser technology, which meant that a little red dot appeared wherever their eyes were looking when they were in a roomful of people. It was very revealing!

I knew this thread was doomed ("we're all doomed, Captain Mainwaring") when Mishap (or was it JessM?)started talking about *Natural Vices*

Must have been mishap

I deny everything!!

Doomed, we're all doomed graces mum

To return - the early ones, especially in the boy's school made me cry - so much hard work with kids who really needed something special to achieve & they got it. Similarly the community choir - really showed Gareth had guts. There was still an element of competition with other choirs but it wasn't the be-all-and-end-all of the series. One knock-out series with company choirs was enough. I do find the inner workings & culture of the companies interesting though.

I was only able to watch half of it and I don't think I'll bother with the rest. It's all been done before and like Mishap, I don't like the songs.

Indeed - the time when he got those boys singing was wonderful. It gave them such confidence in the arts-deprived environment of a sport-obsessed school where macho was all that mattered. I really took my hat of to him.

I woke up in the night and got to thinking about competitions. I arrived at the conclusion that the competition element in these things has to be perceived an essential part. Ok the wringing of emotion that producers love to emphasise is just 'telly' - 'bland and emotionless' would not add to the viewing figures. Its their job.

LIFE is competitive, children are encouraged to play competitive sports; to sit exams where their results will be compared with others; to try to be top of the class. Adults continue to strive to win - remember the magic of last years' Olympics? Competition is healthy and drives individuals to success. Whats wrong with that? So often these days, we hear of silly rules like teachers not being able to use red marking pens for fear of hurting someone's feelings - oh purrleees!!!!

Watch the faces of those choristers when they enter the final competition - they're full of joy and anticipation. Those who win are ecstatic and those who don't win have the satisfaction of knowing that they took part and tried. C'est la vie as we say in France!