I wouldn't mind if they could do it well, but they CAN"T!

I bought an HDTV, I like Xmas music, and everything else is repeats, so I've been watching a bunch of PBS Xmas Specials in HD, including Mormon Tabernacle Choir (MTC), St. Olaf, Baylor, and some others from various Midwestern choirs. All have these (99+%) lily-white choirs and perform traditional northern European Xmas music well.

However, they all feel the need to be "inclusive" (how about integrating the choir?) and include "black" carols, whether of African, Caribbean, or Southern gospel origin. I'm not sure this is the right word, but they lack the "fluidity" of both body movement and voice to carry it off. Their awkward, jerky, "white boy" body movements had me and it was doubly bad when a white singer had to perform a solo part.

(In one, a black soloist kind of carried the Mormon Tabernacle Choir through the piece.)

So, should they just give, practice some more out of the public eye, or just keep performing?

I am personnaly offended when black people sing songs written by white people actually.

I have a Christmas CD by Kathleen Battle, and I think it is a VERY nice performance, but I have seen others that aren't.

I was sort of joking with my post if you couldn't tell.

No they shouldn't. You don't hear them singing negro spirituals, so they should stay away from the carols as well.

What exactly is "Black music"?


And for the record, I think Mariah Carey butchered every Christmas song that she sang...

Not a Xmas Carol, but if you've ever heard Charlotte Church sing selections from Porgy and Bess, you know it's embarassing.

It was a tradeoff, we got the Christmas carols and granted use of the drinking fountains.

I think i'm going to Hell for laughing at that...

having spent the last few Christmas' with Catholics, I can summize that can't carry a tune or sing or simply just don't want to

Maybe. But why the need to classify songs and who sings them? It is about the christmas spirit, not what race sings certain songs better. What is wrong with new interpretations?

Madonna's version of Santa Baby wasn't very good, so you may be right.

There are black Christmas carols?

Well there should be, since Jesus was black.

*runs*

What does Jesus have to do with Christmas?

We are all going to hell ...

I call FRONT SEAT !!!!

and now more of the debate of "is she black or white?"

She was white from 1990-1996, and black from 1997-present.

I don't know if he was black, but he sure as hell wasn't white.

Jesus was American...at least according to Bad Religion.

I don't really understand the original post. "black", "white" these words shouldn't really matter. A song is a song.

I'll take a mangled Christmas Carol over a destroyed steakhouse any day.