I disliked the music on the whole programme. I've sat through many church services with the kids as, I believe, everyone should have a choice of faith or whether to believe or not. It's easier if they are comfortable within church, for them to choose not to go, so my views are never expressed to the very young or those who are uncertain.

 

Yes, I preferred 'From A Distance' by both Bette Middler and Cliff Richard - both of who just sang but it's not a favorite anyway.

 

I thought the best sung peice of music in the whole show was Darius singing the hymn - he was very good. His voice was very smooth and it seemed effortless I still wouldn't buy it though, as it just isn't to my taste.

I suppose up until last night I had never thought of from a distance as a hymn probably because of Bet midler singing it way back, was it a no. 1 for her. Its funny but I do like a lot of the songs that she has done, was it the korean war song or was that the wind beneath my wings she also sang and love that also.

She's not a favorite of mine - I was just saying I preferred her version to Darius. I don't really know anything else she's done.

It just shows we've all got different tastes, apart from Darius. I really dislike Cliff's version of From A Distance - to me it sounds like he's "whisper" singing with an echo, but then I've never thought highly of Cliff's voice. I've only liked a tiny minority of his output, over the years.

 

I've always just preferred lower voices, both male and female. I find it virtually impossible to listen to top sopranos and no matter how pure a sound a great boys' choir makes, I can't listen to more than a couple of songs at a time. I prefer the IMO richer sound of a great Welsh male voice choir.

 

I think B.P. is also right. We've yet to see Darius's best performances in that genre. He cruised well within his capabilities. Just watch when he sings "fighting for" - he opens his chest just a fraction more and there's a hint of his power reserve.

 

Imagine if he used full power and applied vibrato, maybe not as much as Katherine, but enough to step up from singing "normally", as IMHO he did at the Big Sing, to putting a real classical edge on a song. The two songs he did, didn't require it, but personally it's made me all the more hungry to hear Darius's voice properly unleashed.

 

If he did it on a great self written power ballad , that would be the icing on the cake.

I like him just singing - without backing, just for the shear joy of singing. We seem to be moving further and further away from that.

I loved when he gave his voice that umph towards the end of from a distance - I am rewatcihng over and over on virgin catchup tv - I muted the rest of the program - but I really love hearing Darius singing, when he goes for it in from a distance towards the end I just am getting goosebumps!

I don't know if it was Darius who treated the two songs very differently or Ray Monk, the musical arranger/director.

 

On INTEH, Darius sang the top melody all the way through - he'd have sounded much the same singing to a piano backing or indeed, unaccompanied. During the repetitive parts of FAD, he was harmonising while the 1000 voice were carrying the melody.

As I said before, I did prefer the hymn. He just seemed so aware of listening for where he should be in FAD that I lost the 'just listening' I enjoy. I will go back and listen again after I finish lunch though.

I felt that Darius sang the first hymn much as he'd sing it if he attended the ordinary service in his local church and was not in the choir - i.e. he pretty much just opened his mouth and sang.

 

I think if Darius sang FAD in concert, I'd expect him to perform it acoustically and he'd sing the top melody all the way through like Bette. He probably wouldn't even use backing vocals. I'd have preferred to hear him do that, but this was a showcase BBC event and there was someone else in charge of the performances.

 

If I were an arranger/orchestrator presented with a singer with Darius's vocal range, I think I'd be tempted to play about with it too.

 

As you know, I always feel less is more with regard to production, so for that reason, I too think Bette's is still the best straight version of FAD for me. When /If Darius ever sings it that way, I may, of course, change my mind.

 

I should say that several people who don't know I'm a 'fan' of Darius have spoken to me about seeing him on SOP and were impressed both with his singing and with his little interview with Aled.

 

I was at my brother's last night and my niece was home for a couple of days because she's going with her former schoolfriend to see Bryan Adams tonight at the SECC.

 

I knew Darius had done more than OK before I got to see SOP for myself, because I heard my sister-in-law in the kitchen telling my niece who also likes Darius and Will that D had just been on the tele and how wonderful he'd been.

 

Edited October 27, 200816 yr by Baytree

I've listened again and I olove the hymn. His voice is great in that and the fact that it is a religious song neither adds or subtracts. FAD is better with my eyes shut but it'll never be a faorite. Maybe if i hear him just sing it. Whatever he's doing with vocal training, I thought the hymn showed just how good a quality and tone his voice has.

More shallowly, when Darius was in conversation with Aled I was mesmerised by his further away eyelashes. They're always long but this time they looked so thick. I wonder if it was just the way the camera caught them or due to the make up girl.

no harm in a little shallowness...I have been noticing those eyelashes when watching the replays, I thought he sounded so good harmonising with the choir,

How many times have I seen those lashes close up? You'd think I wouldn't notice them particularly, but they were actually distracting me from what he and Aled were saying when I first watched the show.

I must be shallow I have been replaying and replaying on video from a distance, just love hs voice. Like Baytree I felt the hym at the beginning was sung with absolute restrain with no light and shade but FAD he op-ened his shoulders in parts showing what his voice is really about and I also would like to hear that again.

Moody and Sankey (sp) medley

 

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Hg4he7Yp5p0

 

chat and FAD

 

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=wiukPrHKL3E&...feature=related

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks, Sooz.

Edited October 27, 200816 yr by Baytree

Thank you.

I listened and heard. I didn't intend to dissect D's performance as this, to me, would spoil the enjoyment.

The one point I would make is that D as a stationary singer disappointed me. Much of his appeal lies in

his energy,his drive and verve, embodied in his movements and fleeting facial expressions, all of which

were missing in this performance. This I know was largely due both to the type of song (hymns) and to

the visual presentation with the choirs behind him. But I felt his singing would have graced radio rather

than TV. His performance to me was repressed; nevertheless I enjoyed it.

I like them better on you tube - I don't have to sit through the rest. I think, for FAD, it may be the arrangement that causes me the problems.

I felt that too, Bramley. I think Darius was overcautious and maybe a bit too reverent and static, because he wasn't sure what was expected of him as a performer singing hymns and was wary that some people would consider he wasn't taking it seriously if he injected his usual verve into these performances.

 

Normally he'd take the mic off the stand and move around while singing.

 

Nina said there were technical problems with FAD on the night - maybe he had to be static.

 

A static Darius - and I didn't have my camera.