Operettas or the crowd?

[Prestwick]

While I'm sure a great many people across the world (myself included) admire and respect Katherine Jenkins for her..er..um...you know, talents, it was nice to see across the Six Nations over the past two weekends that it was the crowd who were given center stage to sing anthems.

The best so far was the Scotland home crowd's cappella of Flower of Scotland (thankfully replacing Dollar Academy's "finest" if you can call them that) followed by the French Army choir providing mere backing vocals to a rowdy French crowd at the Stade de France in the weekend just gone.

Wales come a dead close and respectable third with their audible heroics (again last weekend) and an honourable mention goes to Italy for managing to sing themselves out of time with the band, then back in and then, amazingly, back out again, thus proving that while the Latin nations across the world do mean well, they can't organise anything without causing absolute chaos.

This is a nice precident. Unions try to tart things up by getting singers to come in and try and spice up their nation's boring, dull and perhaps unwanted anthems (England and Australia prime examples) or try to lend an aura of normality to what are frankly incredibly weird and disturbing concoctions known as anthems (i.e. South Africas) when actually, what you need is the massed bands playing and a large crowd of between 40,000 and 90,000 setting the tone themselves.

So, what do you guys think? Singer or the crowd?

 

[An Tarbh]

Well it was quite possibly the worst rendition of Ireland's Call I've ever heard, not difficult I know as it's woeful to begin with but some need music, others don't.

Genrally speaking though I prefer the band so long as there's no bint or burke with a microphone.

Don't be surprised to see the Dublin Welsh choir at Croke Park on March 8.

 

[Steve-o]

The 'operettes'are there to set the pace. As long as they don't try sing like a RnB singer, then I don't really give two shits

 

[Prestwick]

The 'operettes'are there to set the pace. As long as they don't try sing like a RnB singer, then I don't really give two shits [/b]

Pace they may set, but the problem is that usually they jack the volume up so loud that they literally drown out anything within a five mile radius.

 

[Princess Obolensky]

Give me a crowd with a marching band anyday. I never get goosebumps with an opera star or a pop singer or band, but I do when the crowd comes together to sing the anthems and you can feel the words in the air.

 

[Steve-o]

<div class='quotemain'> The 'operettes'are there to set the pace. As long as they don't try sing like a RnB singer, then I don't really give two shits [/b]

Pace they may set, but the problem is that usually they jack the volume up so loud that they literally drown out anything within a five mile radius.
[/b][/quote]
That's true.

No RnB, no excessive volume, and two shits

 

[lineens weegie army]

Although I think they choose the wrong game, the SRU's decision to have the pipe band play just the first verse of FoS is a good one.

If they do it again at the England game then you will get 67,000 hyped-up scotsmen blasting out the words, completley unacompanied - a noise to strike fear into any opposition.

Seriously though, I hate it when someone picks up the mic - generally it masks just how loud the crowd are and generally its the crowd noise that gives the opposition the shits!

and an tarbh - the worst rendition of irelands call has to be last year at murrayfield - dont know where the SRU got it from (possibly the same place they got their messed up copy of Chelsea Dagger?) but the irishmen around me were looking at each other confuzzeled as to what was actually being played!

 

[Prestwick]

That's true.

No RnB, no excessive volume, and two shits [/b]

No shits please. There is a time and a place for that and its called the lavatory!

 

[An Tarbh]

Although I think they choose the wrong game, the SRU's decision to have the pipe band play just the first verse of FoS is a good one.

If they do it again at the England game then you will get 67,000 hyped-up scotsmen blasting out the words, completley unacompanied - a noise to strike fear into any opposition.

Seriously though, I hate it when someone picks up the mic - generally it masks just how loud the crowd are and generally its the crowd noise that gives the opposition the shits!

and an tarbh - the worst rendition of irelands call has to be last year at murrayfield - dont know where the SRU got it from (possibly the same place they got their messed up copy of Chelsea Dagger?) but the irishmen around me were looking at each other confuzzeled as to what was actually being played!
[/b]

to give the SRU their credit they do a fine job butchering Ireland's Call, they've had Fame Academy rejects, as well as the awful recording they found last year, again by an Irish You're a Star reject, long may it continue. although I still think the French pushed them all the way this year.

I do like the Welsh Choir they've had in Dublin for the last few years, you're always aware of how many travelling fans there are once the anthems start up, it gets the best out of your own anthem as well as you feel you have to respond, a la Amhrán na bhFiain at Croker last year, hands down the best rendition of an anthem ever for me, gives me goosebumps even typing about it now.

 

[Prestwick]

To be fair, the SRU have been using the finest that Dollar Academy can provide since they can't get the massed bands of the Scottish regiments anymore...

 

[nam97]

The crowd for sure.

Nothing else, no powerful electric synthesizers blaring in the background (which seems to me NZ can't be without) needed. No Percy Montgomery lookalikes in tight black shirts, stove pipes and snake skin boots (reminiscing of last of last years tri nations) are required. You get my drift...

I can't stand sitting through an anthem sung by Hayley Westenra or Katherine Jenkins and even that poncy English prat who sings like he has a broomstick lodged up his bum bum h34r: . It's all to perfect and just horrible.

Bring on the drunkenness of the crowd I say.

 

[gjohn85]

Max Boyce gets us Welsh fans going. I'd love to see him this year.

 

[Prestwick]

Isn't Max Boyce that fat weirdo who wanders around the pitch with a huge Welsh flag and a microphone singing "BREAD OF HEAVEN" repeatedly because he doesn't actually know any of the words to the hymn?

Does he talk about how he knows Barry John?

 

[nam97]

Isn't Max Boyce that fat weirdo who wanders around the pitch with a huge Welsh flag and a microphone singing "BREAD OF HEAVEN" repeatedly because he doesn't actually know any of the words to the hymn?

Does he talk about how he knows Barry John?
[/b]

LOL! I know the guy, I always see him on tv when I watch Wales play. Is he the one in the stands with a Welsh jersey on (obviously) who prances around from group to group? The massively fat guy with a beard who no one in their right mind would want to be seen anywhere near with?

It must be him. Hardly strikes me as the guy to get a crowd firing on all cylinders before a game, but these are Welshmen we're talking here....

 

[Nidhogg]

Nothing better than hearing a group of drunken patriots singing Fratelli D'Italia or Le Marseillaise, my two favourite anthems.

 

[gjohn85]

No that isn't Max Boyce.....

This is Max Boyce. /\

 

[Thingimubob]

Not fussed on haveing Katherine Jenkins singing the anthem, it's not that I don't like her, she is a really nice person, and as Prestwick said, has nice 'talents', it's just she sings at a really high pitch compared to the crowd, and it just sounds dodgy. Always prefered the marching band, a choir and the crowd. Nothing beats that in the Millenium Stadium to be honest.
Max Boyce is awesome, his version of Hyms and Arias when we played Ireland in '05 was awesome. The bloke who comes out singing 'Bread of Heaven' is from the Welsh National Opera or something, and I quite like it when he does, especially when the whole crowd joins in. That usually gives me a second dose of goosebumps, and gets me fired up.

 

[NSRFC_Saint]

The crowd is better than some opera singer all the time, in the football world cup in 2002, the singers screwed up the national anthem of England by singing the second verse which no-one knew. The singers for the 2003 world cup screwed England's national anthem by singing it in a different tone. The crowd turned the 2007 final into a genuinely exciting and tense ocassion.

 

[Prestwick]

The crowd is better than some opera singer all the time, in the football world cup in 2002, the singers screwed up the national anthem of England by singing the second verse which no-one knew. The singers for the 2003 world cup screwed England's national anthem by singing it in a different tone. The crowd turned the 2007 final into a genuinely exciting and tense ocassion. [/b]

No no no, thats was the band that Japan laid on to play the national anthem. Afterwards it was explained that the Japanese wanted to put on the best impression for the visiting fans and thought that everyone knew the entire anthem (which is about six or seven verses) off by heart.

I remember them singing the anthem, then trotting off to start the game, only for the band to strike up again for the 2nd verse so everyone had to trot back and look really awkward while singing the 1st verse again.

The Japanese looked so proud too...bless. Kind of like how Mite & Webby would look if some Japanese fans turned up to Franklins Gardens and they had some out of date Sushi being sold in the nearby burger van.

 

[lineens weegie army]

the japaneese butchered FoS during the 2006 Kirin Cup aswell

And I remember being at Hampden for a Football game where the pipe band played all 4 verses, but there wasnt a signer so the crowd sang the third verse 3 times!

Although I wasnt even born at the time, watching the video of FoS from the 1990 Grand Slam match still gives me goosebumps. quite possible one of the best renditions of a national anthem before a sporting event ever?

Really looking forward to the Irish anthems on saturday though!