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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

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

433 replies

PleasantPheasant · 21/01/2017 22:06

Honestly? I love singing, I think everyone should sing, and sing in groups - it's great. But why all the performances, crap choreography, shitty leaders who also can't sing and are presumably failed musicians. Why can't the ladies (and men) - very few of which can actually sing or understand rhythm, harmony, pitch... - just do it for fun and leave it at that? Why do they think they're amazing singers and their performances are great. From what I've seen they are largely outside, with shit backing music, crap acoustics making the whole thing even worse. AIBU?

OP posts:
cherrycokehead · 23/01/2017 18:08

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.

flowery · 23/01/2017 18:13

"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.

motherinferior · 23/01/2017 18:24

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....

motherinferior · 23/01/2017 18:30

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.

EvilTwins · 23/01/2017 18:31

Rooi

No one makes anyone watch. Get over it.

flowery · 23/01/2017 18:43

"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. Confused 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. Confused

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

Rooiboscz · 23/01/2017 20:14

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!

EvilTwins · 23/01/2017 21:26

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.

EvilTwins · 23/01/2017 21:27

FFS, we're adults - not children

Precisely. Adults who are capable of making our own choices. Like not going to see an amateur choir if we don't want to. Or going, if we do.

Give it a rest. No one is forcing you to go. You are a grown up. If you don't want to go, then don't. I am not interested in seeing Star Wars. So I haven't been. I can't see why you're still going on about it.

Rooiboscz · 23/01/2017 21:41

So, how do you avoid it at a sporting event, like the rugby matches mentioned above? It's nonsense to suggest that these crappy choirs can always be avoided.

It's adults putting on school concert-standard 'entertainment' for people to humour them as though they're small children. Urgh.

Good hobby - yes; public entertainment - no, no, no.

EvilTwins · 23/01/2017 22:02

Give it a rest. I suggest you either avoid rugby, take ear plugs or choose that moment to go to the loo.

JeffreyNeedsAHobby · 23/01/2017 22:13

Roo if anyone on this thread is being a snowflake it is certainly you...
Poor me, I can't stop seeing middle aged women having fun together EVERYWHERE! Waaaaaa!

Parker231 · 23/01/2017 22:13

Roo - you do seem to have a problem. From what I've seen on their website, RC seems to be very well supported with thousands of members and have well trained staff running the choirs. They seem to be very popular and their charity events well attended (and raise lots of money). I hate rugby and think many sports players are rubbish but just leave it to those who do enjoy it.

JeffreyNeedsAHobby · 23/01/2017 22:16

You've got to love the people who get so offended they post resentful bitter posts for days and then have the audacity to call other people snowflakes.

Rooiboscz · 23/01/2017 22:23

Why would I not want middle aged women to have fun? At 40 years old I'm a middle-aged woman. I don't expect friends, family and assorted members of the public to cheer me on because they feel a bit sorry for me though.

Sallystyle · 23/01/2017 22:29

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

Ouch! You are horrible. I might not be able to sing well, my choir might not sound amazingly professional but at least I'm not nasty and mean-spirited.

I don't expect friends, family and assorted members of the public to cheer me on because they feel a bit sorry for me though.

No one feels sorry for me or the other members. However, I feel sorry for you.

You really have taken your spitefulness to another level.

candycoatedwaterdrops · 23/01/2017 22:36

I must be very unusual in that I've not come across many of these amateur Choirs. A few, yes but I've certainly not come across enough to get worked up about.

Sallystyle · 23/01/2017 22:36

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.

Yeah, cause it's exactly the same.

People don't tend to pay just to see us. They might pay for a charity event knowing we are going to be a small part of that event. When we sang at the Xmas light switch on no one paid. Our last MS charity night was free. People aren't paying to see an amazing choir then finding out it's the RC singing. They know what they are getting.

Your analogy doesn't work.

Annie592 · 23/01/2017 22:42

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

Have you really honestly come across people who think like this Rooib? The people I know who do RC or similar are outgoing, lovely, successful people with non musical careers, who go to RC because they enjoy it. And they would be absolutely baffled (though completely unbothered) if they thought anyone was feeling sorry for them?!

flowery · 24/01/2017 02:19

"But this idea that we should all enjoy (endure) watching people 'having a go'...."

Whose idea is that then? I haven't seen anyone say they think "all" should have to enjoy/endure it? Confused

MrsTrentReznor · 24/01/2017 06:35

Rumour has it that this wembley rugby game will be the last one luckily.
It's a very disliked fixture. A lot of season ticket holders (game included in season ticket) refuse to go, and I'm afraid RC is part of that.
It's the steady stream of people that would never normally be at a rugby game that annoys mostly.
I could go to the bar when Living on a prayer Hmm starts up, but I can't avoid the Mexican waves and constant chatter by the couple of thousand people that don't really want to be there for any other reason than tone say they sang at Wembley.
There seems to be an excitement surrounding Wembley in the RC community. It fills the people that are going for the actual sport with dread.
The sooner the fixture is dropped the better.

aurynne · 24/01/2017 06:35

So, let me see... MN threads mocking women who make crafty stuff and sell it on FaceBook, and calling them "the hun brigade", are perfectly acceptable. It may be because most of MN considers themselves "middle class", so mimicking and laughing at the lower classes is ok and gives us a warm feeling of belonging.

However, ridiculing middle-age women who perform publicly (and awfully) on Rock Choir is utterly vile and unacceptable. Why? Well, because this is mostly MN's main demographic, and it stings when we feel we are being made fun of.

In summary, OP, go back to making fun of lower socioeconomic classes if you want the MN masses to join in with the joke, and share a nudge-nudge, wink-wink together.

greenfolder · 24/01/2017 06:50

Ok i do find the comments about the rugby quite entertaining. I get free tickets from work, up in the gods. I was bemused by the elton john impersonator and the rock choir when i last went. Mainly cos there were thousands of them seated all round the pitch. Do they have to pay for their seat? I

MrsTrentReznor · 24/01/2017 07:21

greenfolder No, they get them free I think. It's normally an attempt to get the most people to attend a normal league rugby match (world record) The gates are normally much smaller.
We are often a bit "WTF?" About the "entertainment"

Chippednailvarnishing · 24/01/2017 07:27

I blame Gareth.