Chic, IL Okay, it's school and blah blah blah (part deux)

Okay, okay. I know. You're thinking, "What! Another one of those things?" Yes, I guess we get one every week.
Hey, it gives you something to do!
But this is an easy one, I promise! It's not even a survey, just two simple questions.
And you don't have to answer if you don't have time or don't want to. I just need a little insight, and any help would be appreciated.

So, here goes:

What do you think of singers (classical not pop, please)?
How do you think society views singers?

Whatever you say is only for homework purposes and will not be held against you (I feel like a commercial!)
So, in advance, thank you.

Oh, and when I do these things, I never use anyones name, just so you know. I usually just use things like "participant" and "person".

 

Quick question for clarification - are we talking operatic singers or what. I know you specifically stated NOT pop - but just what type of singing are we talking about?

 

Okay, Jeff. I meant classical singers. Well, operatic singers would fall into that category, but also people who sing in choirs or sing other pieces of music that are not operatic arias. Get it?
I'm so complicated, I know.

 

Ok, I was gonna need some clarification too, and not to be picky, but you could have given some additional specific examples, so far we have operatic, choral, and other classical. Other classical is maybe a nebulous category for some of us. I like classical music myself, but have practically NOTHING vocal in my collection. But, anyway, I'll take a stab at these questions.

1. What do >I< think of singers?
Well, I don't. Think of them. Hardly at all. If I did, it would probably be to be jealous of their voice. I LOVE to sing, but among the many gifts God gave me, a fantastic voice was not one of them. The few singers that would ever cross my mind would be ones who get a lot of press, i.e. Pavarotti, and then, I might think they are prima donnas. But I might not. I try to be tolerant and non-judgemental. So mostly I would have to go with that I just DON'T think about them at all.
Now, POP singers... another story.

2. How do I think society views them?
I think society doesn't much give a hoot. See above. I think that in this I'm probably in the mainstream. I don't think society, when they think of classical music at all, thinks much of classical vocal music or the singers of it. I think they think symphony orchestras. POP/ROCK have taken over. Only a small portion of society is much aware of classical vocalists, IMHO.

 

1. Classical singers...hmmm...are you talking professional ones? or just people who sing classical music. I've sung for 10 years in various school choirs. So I've sung the classical Latin masses, Schubert Mass in G is still my favorite, and various German composers. So I don't really know how to answer this. I think it can be fun and gruelling and exciting and everything. When all parts come together, it's beautiful. Those of us in choirs know how frusting it can be to not hit your note. (My face turns red if I'm having trouble with my part. My choir director at UIC figured this out. So he always was able to zero in on me. How !) Also, when you or your fellow choir people can just not pronounce Jubliate Deo. (I wish I could remember who did the version of that with four part choir and four part horns, I love that.) So, basically, I'm just rambling because I don't know what you want.

2. I agree with jedigal. I think society forgets about the singing aspect of classical music. When you go to the musical section of the store, it's hard to find any choir music. Yes, there's the Three Tenors, and hopefully some Shaw. But try to find some Verdi that's not the Four Seasons, . Not that there's anything wrong with the 4S, but I want some singing. I'll even throw in a SW reference here. It took four movies before Williams did a major choral piece! (I love the Ewoks, but I don't think the Yub nub song counts.) Duel of the Fates is something I still hum. And those measures leading up to the close ups of Darth Maul, Qbi and Qui-Gon...wow.

So if you want to pin me down for a more precise answer for my questions, just email me, jediautobot@aol.com with the specifics.

 

Sorry guys. I didn't want to get too specific, because we really didn't need too, but it seems that I must, though it's kind of hard to explain.
But what you have is really what I need, so that's great!
Okay, people listen to music with no words and that's termed classical (which not entirely true, but I ain't delving into all THAT right now). There's is also classical music for singers that are not operas, but are sung by people who do sing opera. There are different kinds of music that are written and though they may sound operatic to the "untrained" ear, if you will, because of the singer, they may not be. It's how the music is written that determines that.
Choirs sing mostly classical music (but it probably depends on the director too), but, okay I'm gonna shut up cause I'm confusing myself a bit.

What I really mean is, what do you think of people who sing classicaly/operatically/in a choir as far as their attitudes and their preferences for friends? Just along those lines.

So, that Gem's lesson for today. I promise you I won't torture you anymore!

 

Ok, now that I understand a little better, new answer.

1. People that sing in choirs are exactly the same. They wear the same clothes, pick the same friends, (other choir people) and are just generally clones of each other.
What? You're suprised by my answer? That's because it's not a serious one. I don't think you can point to a person in choir, and then, without really knowing them from Adam, list their qualities based on that information. Being in choirs, I knew ones that were snobs, prima donnas, too "artistic" for you, the beautiful people and just plain werid. (Guess which category I put myself into ) I think they chose friends like everyone else does, based on their own personality, not whether they were altos, sopranos, etc. Or what kind of classical music they like, Barquoe, Madrigal, ummm, ???.
So maybe this expansion will help?...Hopefully.

JediAutobot
If it's not Barquoe, don't fix it.

 

I'm biased towards choral/classical singers since, like Carrie, I've been one myself. (junior high through high school) On the whole, they're cool to get along with, perhaps moreso than others because of two things. First, they are performers, so they tend to be expressive... and secondly, since their job is all about differences coming together to shape a unified, harmonious whole, they're more open-minded. This is a bit generalizing, I admit, but then every group of people has its exceptions....

Society as a whole, well, I can't add much that hasn't been said. Choral music tends to be relegated to community concerts or sublimated by religion. Finding it in movies, as Carrie pointed out, is a rarity... although Williams actually utilized choral highlights in both Empire (the approach to Cloud City) and Jedi (the Emperor's Theme). Highlighting is actually a good way to describe common use for choral performance in film & TV... it's so unusual that it adds a distinction to any piece.

BTW... "The Four Seasons" came from Vivaldi, not Verdi.

Thom

 

I am shamed by my screw up.

Wait, that was a spelling error, yeah, that's the ticket.

But, about the choral music in SW films, you can find a nice dirge type chanting in the Sith music for PM and also in Qui-Gon's funeral. Duel of the Fates in unusuall, IMHO, because of the type of singing. It is more in the foreground, more noticable and out there, than the typical singing you hear. The others ones use choirs to enhance the piece, in Duel, the choir is the piece. But like I said IMO.

 

Hey, thanks for all the help once again, guys! Very interesting answers I must say. No new think piece this week, so no more of Gemini's torture for a while! ;p
Thanks once again!

 

I guess I'll jump in with torture, then!!!

Who's buried in Grant's Tomb?

What's the color of Jeanie's light brown hair?

If a hen and a half can lay and egg in a half in an hour and a half, how many pancakes does it take to shingle a dog house?

 

Bananas don't HAVE bones.

 

If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper, how many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?

 

How a normal sentient might say it:
--Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.

How Yoda might say it:
--A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.

How someone from the Show-Me State might say it:
--IF Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
--WHERE'S the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?