WIBU to say that choirs full of people who can't sing (Rock Choir) are awful?

Nobody should feel obliged to applaud anything that's rubbish - but that's the point people have made which you have repeatedly ignored, Rooiboscz - you don't have to go. No one is forcing you. Leave it to people who do want to. Like me. And my mum.

But this idea that we should all enjoy (endure) watching people 'having a go' is just dumbing-down and passing rubbish off as entertainment.

I once 'had a go' at learning the guitar. I was crap. But should I have just joined a band and said that everyone should cheer because I'm having a go and look at the little smile on my face?!

FFS, we're adults - not children. These people seem to think they're special snowflake charity cases.

Nobody should feel obliged to applaud anything that's rubbish. Would you pay for a meal restaurant if you were served tinned Heinz soup? By this argument you should because, you know, the chef's only doing his best, hasn't had any real training and really enjoys himself in the kitchen.

Yay for under-achievement and mediocrity!

"It's not 'perceived superiority' to suspect that choirs where you have to audition and read music and generally display a bit of trained musicianship might produce better-quality music."

Didn't say it was. I said putting down other people is often done by those who feel the need to reinforce their own perceived superiority. It's perfectly possible to hold an opinion about the quality of various musical groups without lumping one type all together and putting down those who participate in them.

I also definitely didn't say that pushing oneself to create better music is living life in a negative fashion.

But again, it's possible to do that without putting down others. I.e., living life in a more positive, supportive, open-minded fashion.

Rooi

No one makes anyone watch. Get over it.

And far from 'living life in a negative fashion' it's arguably more positive - far more creative and better for one's mental health - to push oneself to create and produce good music, if that is what you want to do and/are capable of doing. A bit of rigour and hard work is enormously productive and beneficial.

It's not 'perceived superiority' to suspect that choirs where you have to audition and read music and generally display a bit of trained musicianship might produce better-quality music.

Like I say there's room for all sorts of choirs....

"Some choirs might let you join but skip the concerts, but I would suggest a nice gentle 'everyone welcome' sort of choir first. Rock Choir is quite in your face I think."

There is absolutely no obligation to perform in Rock Choir events. We have several members who just enjoy the sessions and social side but don't want to perform, which is fine. We also have loads who wouldn't have dreamt of performing when they first joined but now have the confidence to do so, which is brilliant.

As for the OP et al, well, there are plenty of people who feel the need to put others down, presumably to reinforce their own perceived superiority. Leave them to it I say. Life's too short to do that or be bothered by those who choose to live their life in a negative fashion.

I love my RC. Our leader is fab, she is funny and talented and great at making everyone feel included. We have also improved loads since the choir started and she gives us plenty of good vocal training tips.

I am a musician myself so I do know the difference. I'm not deluded about my own singing abilities and would not consider myself good enough to sing a solo, but I'm full of admiration for those who have a go.

It's so much more than 10 rehearsals a term. We do loads of other stuff, much of it included in the annual fee. We also have the freedom to stretch ourselves and do different things. At our concert in the summer, our choir leader wanted to do a slowed-down, acoustic version of one of the songs. So that's what we did. She did a piano arrangement and I wrote a violin solo to go over the top of it, which we did with the choir. It was lovely.

So it's not all samey and commercial.

Why do the participants in these choirs all seem so proud of themselves? I think it's the smugness that really irritates me. It's cringey to be so pleased with something so utterly rubbish. It's embarrassing for everyone

What a deeply unpleasant person you are.

You'd be surprised. I know of one Rock Choir Leader who was indeed sleeping with my best friends husband. Not saying you are, but she most definitely was. The husband left my best friend and their two children (2 & 3 at the time) for this lovely woman.

I love singing at home, when it's just me and the cat. I belt out vintage Mariah Carey and it's cathartic.

Singing in a choir must be fantastic. Really good fun. So, keep at that and please, please don't make the public watch.

brill, you might find it difficult to find a choir that doesn't perform.
Some choirs might let you join but skip the concerts, but I would suggest a nice gentle 'everyone welcome' sort of choir first. Rock Choir is quite in your face I think.
And if your choir leader is any good, you will develop the confidence to sing in a concert.

Why do the participants in these choirs all seem so proud of themselves? I think it's the smugness that really irritates me. It's cringey to be so pleased with something so utterly rubbish. It's embarrassing for everyone.

When children sing in a choir, they're not self-conscious and that's just wonderful. What childhood is all about. When it's adults, it's not cute, charming or funny. It's just really, really naff.

The only rock choir i have seen was at our local fireworks. They added something, raised some money for charity and had a ball.

It goes towards the salaries of the leaders, who are all professionals, and the running of headquarters, who organise our events, from small appearances in local churches to 10,000 members singing together at the NEC in Birmingham, for example.

According to the OP, the leaders are all

shitty leaders who also can't sing and are presumably failed musicians.

From what I've read on here though, I'm thinking RC might be all about the money, like Jo Jingles, charging a fortune for toddlers to make a racket, but with more wrinkle cream which I could do with

Me too. I like singing and I can read music and can find something to enjoy in most genres.

But I'm afraid I don't want to wear a t-shirt and click my fingers to Bad Moon Rising.

I dunno CH, I'd just like to meet new people and have fun singing along, the way I might do in my car but with a social aspect.
I though about Church but the hymns are slow and boring, I don't know them and I'm atheist, that's never going to work.
I at no time do I want to perform for anyone, ever.

And I am being slightly tongue in cheek. It's all part of the show after all...

And he plays a bloody strad!

Well..he isn't the only performer I can think of currently who doesn't make the most of a strad. Although again I'm veering into personal preference I guess.

Actually I find the implication that those of us over 50 are only up to RC pretty insulting too.

Like Glee on HRT..

I agree. All people over the age of 50 should know their place, stay in their house sand never, under any circumstances make the mistake of joining something. They definitely shouldn't be enjoying themselves.

IHaveBrilloHair

Check out other local choirs as well. A lower profile community choir might well suit you, where they do perform but very much just for friends and family without the ticket sales focus I experienced.

In all honesty if their focus is around the music rather than the social side then the social tends to follow naturally. Don't ask me why. The RC I joined seemed to be all about RC with the music being an extra rather than the core interest which brought people together. Don't exclude your local RC - its plain from comments here that they vary significantly, just look at others as well.

I have more of a problem with Rieu because it could be better (though I guess he wouldn't have got very far in more highbrow classical so he's certainly found and exploited his niche). And he plays a bloody strad! Give it to someone who could make the most of it fgs. (And before anyone says, yes I know most strads are locked away and hardly ever played, but if it is to be played make the most of it!)

I've been reading this thread and see their is rc in my area, I might go along for a taster, but the whole point for me would be to meet new people and sing fun, familiar songs, I don't want to inflict it on anyone else, I'm shit at it and I know it, so if there's some onus to perform where people might not want to hear then it won't be for me.

There's nothing wrong with being in a not very good choir. But there is also space in life for other choirs.