You last sentence has a smack of ‘X’ to it. Isn’t that a bit below us?
I’m completely with you there. I don’t pretend to be any sort of connoisseur of art or know much about it, but when I see something that I like I stop and take my time to really look. Don’t need a picture.
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I don’t understand. No “X” intended, whatever that means.
‘X’ as in Twitter the horrible social media where people destroy others. Criticising that kid who was there to sing, not look attractive.
I expect a singer to look engaged with what she is singing. The girl’s face was completely blank and expressionless, which spoilt it a bit for me. Nothing to do with her being attractive or not. I think you have misunderstood my comment.
Singing is a very complex process. In the early stages of a career, a singer will usually be giving all of their concentration to creating the right note - including the pitch, volume and timbre. Achieving this often precludes introducing an element of ‘acting’ into the face to convey emotions.
Older, more experienced singers will master the art to a greater (or in many cases, lesser) extent, but most young singers prioritise the voice over the face - and that is essential to their artistic development.
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As often happens, the thread has departed from your specific post, Sue - so may I confirm your thoughts? I am an erstwhile organist, and adore and understand this majestic instrument. I was totally dismayed and a little bewildered by the improvisations of the four organists, like you!
I do understand that ‘improvisation’ is a big thing in French organ playing - but so too is it in the Anglican church environment. But not in this way! It simply was not appropriate to the moment. More like the backing to a Disney horror cartoon scene - or Harry Potter. All four performers, imho, failed to bring out the best, stunning, range and versatility of this immense instrument, and it’s 8,000 pipes!
As for the choir. Sweet kids; but poorly trained; and not at international choral performance level. Just imagine how Westminster Abbey would have undertaken this whole project!
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Having been brought up in the Anglican church (father an excellent lead tenor in the choir, brother and I choristers) I know much more about the richness and diversity of organ and choral music in the CoE. In contrast my OH was brought up a Catholic and (I’d like to be proved wrong) it seems to me that a Catholic congregation merely observes a process such as a series of chants and counter chants between priest and choir with some pretty dull music.
It’s always saddened me that I cannot persuade OH to come to a service of 9 lessons and carols with the congregation singing to the rafters. His excuse? He doesn’t know the carols! Whereas they were in my life from toddlerhood. And the new stuff, by Tavener and the like is just wonderful.
You would have thought someone organising the day could have suggested some Saint-Saëns or Fauré at the very least, without shocking the sensitivities of the Archbishop. Sadly not.
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Joanna Trollope puts it very well in The Choir, I think it’s a passage right at the beginning.
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While my church could not accommodate an organ, even if we wanted to, I love the feeling of being inside the instrument that you get when you’re in a church and the organ is being played.
At the moment, our music is closer to 60s yé-yé than Fauré 
quote=“SuePJ, post:28, topic:50439”]
In contrast my OH was brought up a Catholic and (I’d like to be proved wrong) it seems to me that a Catholic congregation merely observes a process such as a series of chants and counter chants between priest and choir with some pretty dull music.
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Think Catholic choral music went a bit downhill after Monteverdi, whereas visually, full blown OTT Catholicism still wins every time. 
Which reminds me, wonder what they’ll eventually do with the fragments of the Notre Dame rood-screen found during the restoration, One of Notre-Dame de Paris’ last kept secrets discovered during renovation — Paris Property Group
Pugin wanted to re-introduce the rood screen to the new Gothic Revival Catholic churches that were being built in C19th England. Not a big fan of that movement, but this little one in St Wilfred’s, a Pugin church just outside Carlisle, is more than mere pastiche - tho’ less certain about those chandeliers:-
I absolutely love perpendicular gothic, the Anglican choral tradition, Protestant church music and choral works, Scottish metrical psalms etc. and was lucky to hear a lot of all if them throughout school and particularly university.
By contrast lot of what goes on in Catholic churches in France is dire, dumbed down and dirge-like. But they aren’t catering for lovers of music, church in France isn’t a social thing, it’s for true believers who are above a mere aesthetic thrill.
As seen in splendid Spanish and Italian churches dripping with fabulousness and the white and gold baroque ones in Germany, so beautiful.
I love Monteverdi and Allegri and Cavalli and that gang.
Edited to ask what’s the 
for?
I greatly admire the Gothic, but love the simplicity of Romanesque ecclesiastical architecture.
We were in Rodez cathedral last week-end, which is southern Gothic (nothing to do with Tennessee Williams) and as always admired its scale and magnificence, but we’re also fortunate to have Conques nearby and the Romanesque abbatiale is such a light and serene space.
Have been fortunate to experience a Monteverdi mass in the St Marco basilica and have been blown away by many Spanish cathedrals - but Seville!
The emoji like thumb down, but I never intentionally vote down other people’s posts. Apologies if that’s what’s happened.
OK, I accept that. It doesn’t change the fact, it just explains it. The fact that she had no expression can still detract from the performance. I said she was a “highlight” and sang very purely. I just found it a shame that she had a blank expression. Let’s not overanalyze this, please.
Could be the difference between showbiz and what she was doing - it isn’t about her after all.
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But she is expressing something.
And my singing teacher taught me that having an appropriate facial expression helps the vocal technique.
Yes but essentially she is an instrument, it’s not an oratorio or opera or lieder. You don’t need a load of eyebrow wiggling and soulful looks. I’d have found it really off-putting seeing choral scholars being all boy bandish while doing evensong, and that was in my younger more tolerant days 
And she’s only 12 so probably a bit nervous too.
But each to each.
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Here’s a nice thing to listen to, with lots of expression
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Fauré’s Requiem would normally be classed as an oratorio.
I’m not wanting her to put on a show and wave her arms around, just look involved.
But I didn’t realise she is only 12, so OK.
I liked the Men in Black!
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