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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:
atheistmantis · 21/01/2017 22:38

I'm tone deaf and I'm in a rock choir, I love it. YABU.

glitterazi · 21/01/2017 22:40

the performances I've seen are pretty cringe-y. Like Glee on HRT...

Charming. Hmm
So, in your world, if you're over a certain age singing, you're a cringey embarassment and Glee type singing should be left to the youngsters.
As older people are all HRT'd up and should be at home sipping cocoa and doing age appropriate things, presumably?! Hmm

5foot5 · 21/01/2017 22:41

I have never heard of Rock Choir but I agree with SurreyBlah and others, your post sounds sneer and offensive. How dare women of a certain age go out and socialize and have fun like this Angry

glitterazi · 21/01/2017 22:42

How sneery.....
I was thinking of joining. Am middle aged, can hold a tune - just, and thought it might be a fun evening. Something different to do, especially at this time of year when it's so easy to just be at home in front of the TV.
You've made me feel pretty old, boring and crap. Thanks.

Go for it! Don't let some internet windbag take the joy out of it for you. As you say, it's something different to do and it gets you out doing some fun.
I have a couple of friends who do it (separate choirs) and they love it.
Looks really sociable and great fun.

PeachBellini123 · 21/01/2017 22:44

Ouch. My MiL is part of one of these. It's been great for her self-confidence and she's made loads of friends.

I don't think she's under any illusions about her voice but it's made a positive difference to her life.

Zhx3 · 21/01/2017 22:44

I joined Rock Choir in September. I had discovered the joy of singing through work (school) and am missing it since I left!

The members are very friendly and not the type of people I'd meet in my normal life. The director has endless enthusiasm and makes us laugh. You need to do a bit of work outside of the sessions but it's no way as onerous as playing in an orchestra, for example. I have found there to be a distinct lack of pretentious people, to be honest!

Music enhances my life. I love going to Rock Choir!

Strongmummy · 21/01/2017 22:45

What a horrible attitude you have OP! Music is there to be enjoyed by everyone. If they're enjoying themselves and are uplifted what's it got to do with you. I speak as s musician and opera singer and can pretty much guarantee my ability is far superior to yours. Stop sneering

Zhx3 · 21/01/2017 22:48

This is what we were learning before Christmas. It was great fun! Looking forward to finishing it this term.

Kr1stina · 21/01/2017 22:48

You sound rather unpleasant and sneery.

If you don't like the concerts, don't go.

ImperialBlether · 21/01/2017 22:48

I agree with you. It looks like they're having great fun, but the trouble is that it usually doesn't sound good. Wanting to do it isn't a good enough reason for inflicting it on the rest of us.

glitterazi · 21/01/2017 22:49

The key part was "who can't sing", otherwise there would not be a problem

So what? It's a fun activity. Maybe they're under no illusion that they can't hold a tune (I wouldn't know, I've never been) but it's not a professional thing from what I can gather.
It's just an organisation of like minded people coming together and doing something they enjoy.
It's sociable, it gets people out, what's wrong with that?

girlandboy · 21/01/2017 22:49

I think this is a depressing thread. I was honestly thinking of joining a choir (maybe a rock choir) but you've put me off a bit. I was wanting to just go out and have a bit of fun, make some new friends and get myself a new interest. I didn't think I might be on the receiving end of raised eyebrows and knowing looks. And yes I'm 51 so I suppose I am middle aged and only an average singer. Perhaps I should think of something else to do that doesn't inflict my voice on the general public. Thanks.

girlandboy · 21/01/2017 22:49

I think this is a depressing thread. I was honestly thinking of joining a choir (maybe a rock choir) but you've put me off a bit. I was wanting to just go out and have a bit of fun, make some new friends and get myself a new interest. I didn't think I might be on the receiving end of raised eyebrows and knowing looks. And yes I'm 51 so I suppose I am middle aged and only an average singer. Perhaps I should think of something else to do that doesn't inflict my voice on the general public. Thanks.

SloanyAnne · 21/01/2017 22:50

Your posts say more about you than they do about the choirs sadly.

glitterazi · 21/01/2017 22:51

Wanting to do it isn't a good enough reason for inflicting it on the rest of us.

Nobody's inflicting it on you, they're hardly holding you at gunpoint and forcing you to listen to them. Confused Hmm
Go do something else instead of listening to them!

Original poster
PleasantPheasant · 21/01/2017 22:51

I can't make any of you feel anything. I'm an anonymous person on an internet forum and this is my opinion. Seems the jury is out on whether IABU..

FWIW I'm less fond of the "leader" of the group I am familiar with. She seems to use the choir as her back up singers, refuses to listen to the choir's ideas for example to lose the crappy backing tracks that just put everyone off especially when there are inetivable tech failures at gigs. And yes, not fond of the wannabe tone deaf solists who stand in the front row and hog the limelight.
I really don;t think the songs they sing do them justice. I do think community choirs can sound great, but rock choirs, from my experience do not.
I also think £10 a session to sit in a hall and sing songs is extortionate. Money-grabbing bastards.

OP posts:
TheClacksAreDown · 21/01/2017 22:51

I did Rock choir for about 6 weeks. For me personally it was way, way too slow in terms of progress and the melodies too basic. I always wasn't interested in going to Wembley to sing the 4 songs everyone was learning across the country which seemed to be the big thing. So yes it is pretty mass market but frankly there is no harm in it and the OP is bring sneery.

SanityAssassin · 21/01/2017 22:52

and as for the Womens Military Choir - just no! Just because you have forces husbands doesn't mean you can sing that well and the only reason you got anywhere in the 'charts' was because of the publics over developed sense of support for our military.

TheBeastInMsRooneysRoom · 21/01/2017 22:52

But the OP isn't suggesting you don't go and enjoy being in a choir, just that event planners are making a mistake adding rock choirs to performances (ie the rugby). I don't think her point is invalid. Go and sing for fun, for your own benefit. As an audience member it makes you heart sink.

Magzmarsh · 21/01/2017 22:52

A friend of mine who has found her brother hanging and told she's infertile all in the space of 2 years joined rock choir and said it was her salvation so up yours op, up yours 😑

Haffdonga · 21/01/2017 22:52

It's a bit like saying that only young fit women should wear a swimming costume on a beach because the old fat ones don't look good to you and spoil your view.

They're doing it for themselves, not you. If you don't like it, don't listen.

noeffingidea · 21/01/2017 22:53

I've just checked out a couple of rock choir performances on youtube. They sounded fine to me.
There are other choir groups like this and I think they're great.
Music is for everyone, OP. Singing together is a community thing. It doesn't have to be technically perfect, it just has to be fun.

Original poster
PleasantPheasant · 21/01/2017 22:54

Strongmummy - I never said I could sing! Now I see where "sneery" is coming from.... nah, not a great singer, just love singing but don't like rock choir.

OP posts:
user1478860582 · 21/01/2017 22:56

I love singing, I think everyone should sing and sing in groups however when they do I will slag them off and take the piss.

My wife has just joined a choir. I think she can sing but I might be biased. I don't care because I am so fucking proud of her. She has the guts to stand up and do it. I couldn't.

glitterazi · 21/01/2017 22:56

I think this is a depressing thread. I was honestly thinking of joining a choir (maybe a rock choir) but you've put me off a bit. I was wanting to just go out and have a bit of fun, make some new friends and get myself a new interest. I didn't think I might be on the receiving end of raised eyebrows and knowing look

You're seriously not going to get raised eyebrows, any sane person can't get riled up by people singing! If they do, it says more about them. Some are intent on sucking the joy out of everything,
Go for it, I know a couple of people who love Rock Choir. Don't let some anonymous grump on MN bring you down.
YOU like it, what does it matter what others think? Enjoy yourself.
Doesn't matter what hobby you do, somebody somewhere will be intent on bringing it down and try to make you feel shit on here.
Looks like Rock Choir is the new thing to slag off - must have got bored of tearing bloggers to shreds!
Do what hobbies you enjoy and screw everybody else's opinions.