Title: Heavy-handed and dead, but Americans dont seem to mind
Review: Why is that American choralphiles and most choral singers seem to go along whole-heartedly with the heavy-hand of these bohemoth old-school conductors? Page, Shaw, Hillis, Flummerfelt - it's all over done and lacks spark (well, that which doesnt come from sheer volume and thickness).If you want to hear Poulenc sung with style and life - then listen to Harry Christophers and The Sixteen.I have been a professional singer, both from the inside and outside of choirs, large and small, for the last 15 years. I have sung with 90% of the professional choirs in America and a handful of European conductors and their choirs. As an American, it's hard to explain to my American colleagues why I prefer to work in the UK and Europe, but if I want to actually enjoy the experience, I never work here in the states.Leave Shaw to the big, robust choral rep (his Rachmaninoff/Vespers is great), but PLEASE - if the music has any life or light... steer clear!
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