Oxbridge? What on earth are you on about? There are lots of people singing Pie Jesu (again and again FFS) for you to make comparisons as to breath control, accuracy of note placement etc. You don't have to be particularly clever to hear the differences.

I missed tonights show so can't comment on this young lad but this is exactly what I said last year about Bessie Curzons. No better than the 100's of other kids her age who do the dance festivals. I know at least 20 of them who would have wiped the floor with Bessie.
The thing is if people are not used to these things then when they see them they are amazed but to people who see it all the time it's just not that amazing.

Oh is he? Well, that puts a different light on the subject.

I somehow got the impression he couldn't sing because bullies wouldn't let him. Oh well, I still hope he does well on BGT.

They don't always have a sad story. That was his experience as a kid, not a nice one. He could have gone to pieces in his performance, he didn't. Good on him I say.

I'm in love with Simon Cowell. *sigh*


Just thought I'd mention that fact.

They'd better get marketing that kid quick, his voice will be breaking soon.

yes, he was amazing.

i suspect this may make him even more of a target to the scum that taunt him at school though, and i really feel his mother should pull him out of that school, because its clearly still happeneing, and he obviously has no self esteem and is very unhappy. children shouldnt have to live in fear of relentless bullying.

Well, I don't think Carlisle has a choir school so he goes to a normal school and if he lives on a council estate he'll live with loads of CLKs and because being a choirboy isn't cool (despite the skills and dedication it takes) then he'll be an easy target.

Yes, I could still sing the 2nd part of that Pie Jesu when I was 14... The 1st part is slightly higher. It's a bit gross really.

He was great. It's the first time I've seen the show and most of it was just bizarre so it was good to see someone with a serious talent.

I couldn't get the memory of Michelle on BB5 'singing' Pie Jesu out of my head though

Within a year, easily.

Really? How many of those have been on TV programmes other than Crimewatch?

I have a bit of thing for him as well but I'm torn between him and David Tennant

Decisions, decisions

I get what you are saying. But the fact that he's head chorister at a cathedral, he's going to be surrounded by like-minded people who he can mix with without being mocked.

And cool for you. Were you a treble? My all time favourite is Allegri's Miserere Mei. I love to hear cathedral choir music.

he was fantastic, sent shivers down my spine. i really hope the bullies lay off, jealous little b@stards.

although..... a part of me did wonder whether he made up the sob story to get the sympathy vote (not that he needed it, he was amazing) i am being a bit cynical here and that is genuinely not in my nature, it's just that the story was kind of similar to paul potts.

regardless, i hope he wins.

You can have David and I'll take Simon.

Settled?

Yes, but if they go to different schools then it doesnt help because there are less of them. Especially because he's in yr8. Don't forget most cathedrals have about 10-20 trebles between about 8 and 14 yrs old so even if they go to the same school there won't be many in the same class.

Hmm, Allegri. That's a good one.

I thought Simon C was quite clearly steering him away from that approach though, which was good of him. I think the sob story has become such an orthodoxy on these shows that even SC is tiring of it. I hope so, anyway.

Thank you. Thank you for saying what I was posting in the BGT thread. I am sick to death of everyone seeing people like Paul Potts and that girl string quartet as out of this world, when I encounter that type of talent amongst my peers and down at my local concert hall. If people actually went out to concerts, they'd see that they're not as earth-shatteringly amazing as everyone thinks they are.

That kid won't win BGT. Not if anyone's got any sense. It'll be too much of a risk his voice breaking. It can suddenly go between now and the Royal Variety performance, and that would cause problems...

[/rant over]

Not judging by his speaking voice, it's still pretty high.

But Carlisle must have about 15 trebles and he's the best of them apparently.

True, but I expect there's been cases where a voice has been high one day, and suddenly go. The worse case would be if it 'half' goes - I knew one boy who's voice took 3 years to properly break - the poor guy had this awful croaky voice.

Even if it only gets deeper, it'll still affect the pureness and texture (not to mention the top notes!) - he'll have to choose his repertoire very carefully.

Yes, I've seen plenty of cases of ones which have just slid slowly, ones which have just gone, and ones which have done a mixture. Can happen between 12 and 15 usually... I heard that Ben Crawley (from Libera) was still singing treble at 17 - no idea how he managed that.

It's always a risk when you get choirboys to be old enough to do that sort of thing because they're likely to be about 12/13 which is the age other things happen. Like a few years ago when they did The Choirboys - 18 months later they were 2 down with their voices having gone and they'd left the cathedral choirs they were singing in.

It will only be a risk for the public who know naff all about choirboys anyway. I can't think it's unreasonable IF he does win for his voice to break and then him have to pull out of the show afterwards... Prince Charles will understand, he's an arts patron and subsidised JEG's Bach Cantata project both in the recordings and in putting on the concerts to begin with, so he isn't an ignoramus.

As it stands (and speaking as a former treble) he should milk it whilst he can.

(serious musical discussion on Britain's Got Talent, pah)

Pfft, are you implying I know 'naff all about choirboys' because I said it'd be a risk ?

Whilst it wouldn't really affect the show musically, it would affect it commercially - especially for the public who don't know about choirboys as you put - they'd be cross their winner was unable to perform - the prize of the show.

I agree about milking it whilst he can, though.

Not you, no! The general public...

Biology is always a risk... Good choirboys are a ticking timebomb.

I've heard better at Southwell, though, but he is good.

some Boys do sing though
my son is now 15 , attends a normal comp with over 2000 pupils and has sang in the choir since year 7, year 8 he was doing solos in summer concert and performing to his peers, he is now in year 10 and his Bands posters are all over the school promoting their next gig at The cavern Club ... has he been bullied , probably but , he wont/hasn't let that stand in is way and in fact he has a lot of respect in the school , and he is still the only BOY his age in the choir

yes that kid was amazing, but this time next year he will have to learn a baritone song

well have friends where he comes from and they say he isnt bullied

but it makes for a good sob story dont it?

I know - I was in the "proper" choir at school from year 7 to year 13. Just the general perception is that it isn't cool for boys to sing.

All boys school kind of helped, but in a mixed school it kind of is different, little kids don't sing which means that you don't get the older kids in. Our school was more reliant on the kids singing through the break (which isnt always possible) and staying in the choir to sing one of the lower 2/3 parts after it's gone... because chances are once a kid's finished you won't get them back in.

Just look at that The Choir programme which was on BBC a while back - the one where Gareth Malone took a choir from a school which previously didn't have one to China or somewhere. Kids can sing, they either don't realise it, or choose not to because it's not cool.

Of course, none of this applies to Andrew Johnston who's been singing since he was six.