Anybody watching this?

Thought people might have some comments.
The string quartet thing thats just been on was quite good i thought? Though wasn't so sure on the cheesey foot stamping!?

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I had it on in the background (finishing off some work) but actually stopped to watch them.

I thought they were really good, not usually a fan of 'jazzing' up what is effectively classical music but I thought they pulled it off.

Guy at the start with the starwars thing on the keyboard though stopped to watch that for a whole different reason!

Hahaa, he had my family in stitches, he was so random.
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I LOVED the string quartet! So good Maybe it's cause i'm a violinist But i loved them!
Also liked the 13 year old singer at the end

Gosh at the star wars keyboard thing can't BELIEVE he got through, but it was funny. in a laugh AT him way though...

The Boyzone (or whatever it was) guy was also good!

Though i thought it was really stupid when that HORRENDOUS singer, Donald was it? "sang" and Piers was all like well he IS talented, he made everyone laugh and was like 'i loved him'. crazy

I went out half way through and missed the quartet.. might find it on you tube in a few days though!
Loved the boyzone dude, amazing. And the girl with the canine freestyle was good too. Sweet dog, it was really annoying how they kept called her a him! Get it right

I had it on in the background and sat up when the string quartet came on. My first thought was 'I'd really like to hear their album'.

I hope somebody in the music business was thinking the same thing and we hear about them soon

(Did you SEE Simon whatsisface staring at their LEGS!!!!!!!!!!!! I thought his eyeballs were going to fall out )

That guy used to go to my school...

Car Expert

Actually the first thing I saw was the pound signs going 'kerching' in his eyes the moment they started to play - whether they win or not we'll hear more of them.

I saw a preview a couple of weeks ago and there was a very young (5 maybe) oriental girl playing the Mozart 'alla turka' it'll be interesting to see how much she plays as I'm sure she'll go through, but I'm also sure she'll stop before the octave section kicks in - could be interesting.

I only managed to watch last nights BGT today and some of the acts blew me away.
That 13 year old was amazing I think the judges advice has given him some confidence and self belief. Those bullies should think more about their talent and not criticise others talents. He should be so proud of himself.
That man with the keyboard!! Well, I cant believe he got through, never heard anything like it!! He was entertaining though.
Boyzone man was brilliant, great mimic!! Good mimic of Piers too.
The String Quartet in my opinion was the best ths time, they were mesmorising, I think Simon thought so too!!

D x
Cant wait for next weeks!

WOW at the string quartet!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8E2DyXO3Tk


Although.......are they not just similar to the quartet Bond.............

I only managed to catch the last half hour of this, but i thought the string quartet and the little boy at the end were amazing! He gave me goosebumps when he sang!

Yeah the string quartet were good, I thought, and the young boy singing at the end was fantastic!! Those bullies should definitely be ashamed!

And the keyboard guy near the beginning...well :S That was just strange!! I thought the original was much more 'spacey' than his version - the brass instruments that he disliked make it sound patriotic!!

I missed the programme but have watched 'Scala' the string quartet on Youtube and am appalled that anybody here likes them. To me they summed up everything that's going wrong with British culture today from their ugly electric violins to their 'choreography' to their choice of material. Palladio! Written by Karl Jenkins for a De Beers ad in cod Baroque style. And somebody here called it 'classical music'? Puleeeze!

If not liking them makes me an old fuddy duddy then I couldn't care less. I like good rock, good pop, you name it - as long as it's quality. This wasn't quality - this was four girls out of college looking to become famous and make some money. So they go this route - skimpy clothes, a trite piece of music, a ghastly reality show. Watching them was like watching music from some nightmare image of a soulless future - all effect and surface but of zero substance. Which is fine if that's what they want to do with their lives and if you can ignore the waste of a good musical education.

But I thought posters here would have known better than to rate them so highly!

But if they encourage a youngster to pick up a violin, and in 15 years time that youngster is hailed as the next Maxim Vengerov who are we to complain?

You can not argue that these girls are not talented players, and if their electric violins and choice of material gets kids interested in something that isn't a second rate cover version, churned out by a mediocre pop group then surely they have their place in the crossover market.

Also I've seen a televised concert of the other group 'Bond' because my little girl who was 7 at the time just about to take her Grade 1 wanted to watch it, they did at least one piece with traditional instruments, which went down fantastically, but wouldn't have held that particular audience for a full concert. The effect on my daughter at the time was extra practice and a merit for G1. She's now going for grade 3 and has different inspirations, but that doesn't alter the fact the the flash performance encouraged her in the early days.

I think anything that gets people playing instruments is a good thing, even if it isn't my taste in music.

I loved the Star Wars guy - he plays worse than I do! I thought I had no sense of rhythm...

I loved the fact that he turned up with a beginners keyboard tutor.

Don't believe her she's really quite good.

That is EXACTLY what I thought!!! No sure if anyone heard, saw the snippet but the three girls who were singing reminded me of a group called the Puppini Sisters, anyone heard of them?

I felt so bad for the guys playing star wars. Poor guy he tried really hard, and messed up twice he looked like he was about to cry! the thing i hate about that is the fact simon cowell just puts people down, and i bet half the people just quit after being judged by him. I actually hope that guy who played the star wars theme gets through, he even got all dressed up in his gold cravat!

I felt so bad for the guys playing star wars. Poor guy he tried really hard, and messed up twice he looked like he was about to cry! the thing i hate about that is the fact simon cowell just puts people down, and i bet half the people just quit after being judged by him. I actually hope that guy who played the star wars theme gets through, he even got all dressed up in his gold cravat!

How do you know they're talented? Because they can play in tune and leap around while playing Palladio? They could be just efficient technicians for all you know.

And what an indictiment of our society that it needs 'flash' players leaping around with electric violins and playing cod classical pieces to get anyone interested in playing the violin. Don't you think we underestimate our children and what turns them on? If we don't expose them to any classical music then they're probably not going to go for it, but if we take them to concerts and let them hear great music, the chances are something will rub off.

My parents took me to lots of concerts when I was young and although I became much more of a pop and rock music fan when I got into my teens, I would also weep over lost boyfriends to the strains of Dvorak's Cello Concerto. Also, whenever I take on a new young pupil, I ask them what made them want to play the violin and they always say they heard some classical music and thought it was beautiful. Sometimes I think it's the children who need 'a voice' and struggle to express themselves who are drawn to the violin; will the strains of Bond or Scala stir that inner longing? For some perhaps, but we abandon exposing the young to classical music at our peril. What do we want, a generation with a complete inability to reflect and who can only respond to a driving beat?

And isn't what Scala did exactly that - a second rate cover version churned out by a mediocre pop group? Because that's what I think they are - toe-curlingly, almost embarrassingly mediocre.

I think that we should see this series for what it is. It is meant to entertain the masses and that is exactly what it does. It is not a Wigmore Hall audition; it is a fun thing and if those girls have enough about them to dress in a way that will win them attention and play upon up-to-the-minute electric fiddles etc so what? They are enjoying themselves and so were their audience. They fulfilled a brief and they will do well from their TV moments of fame. Paul Potts has done very well for himself. OK, so he isn't going to set the traditional opera audiences alight but he has entertained millions and he has been able to do what he loves to do.
The little boy treble at the end of the programme had a lovely voice and singing style and he was a delight to listen to. I liked the dog act too. It may never be a Crufts champion but that does not mean that it is not good at what it did, and full marks to its young owner for all of the hard work that must have gone into training the animal. I am sure that many of the string teachers here could take four of their most promising students and enter them for this competition but would they be as convincing as that quartet? They had the looks and the stagecraft to pull it off and good luck to them.

Thought the quartet was too much like the quartet Bond (only not as flashy, mmm...), and they do have good stuff! It's just that for me I listen to a track or two, and then I turn it off and put some Beethoven on or something because the insistent beat just gets a bit excessive...once in a while yeah, just not all the time.

in no way prejudiced against string players. Alright, a little bit.

What are the chances of this year's winner being a singer?

Sorry this is but I had to laugh at Petrat's signature - I bet I'm trailing a lot of dead fairies in my wake!

I agree with your sentiments about Britain's got Talent as well, Petrat.

However, I do understand where Violina's coming from about underestimating certain children - I think it's important to expose children to all kinds of music. I think they pick and chose what they like themselves, then. Unfortunately my youngest son has been exposed to a wide range of music, and always manages to pick things I don't like!

I have only seen a little of the aforementioned show, and have to confess that I am a bit cynical of such shows. However, I agree with Petrat's views on the subject; you have to consider the intended purpose of the competition. If it inspires interest in music, then that's great!

Like I said.. I did like them. And I think they would have wide-spread appeal. It just made great background music for what I was doing at the time.

I'm also a bit of an academic anorak when it comes to JS Bach, so I have wide tastes, but am known an 'inclusionist' and not a snob (sorry, don't mean to offend anyone by using the word 'snob' but that's how some people are sounding sorry.)

I think this country has great entrepreneurial spirit and I'm all for anyone giving something a go whatever their talents. It gives such a rich variety to life (whether they're 'right' or 'wrong' for some).

12 year old girl tonight! Did not expect that of her. Very very good!!

Thought the animal magic thing was a bit wierd.
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Regarding the 'String Quartet'
I also have to say that Scala is the name of a Female Choir.
Being a fan, I wasn't amused.
It was all a bit too Bond for me.
It's been done.

The 12 Year old girl tonight..
Im rather impressed.

The 12 year old girl singing Ave Maria...WOW!
Although I thought she looked a lot older than 12 (not saying that she's not really, I'm sure she is)

It's so easy to judge and get i wrong. I was convinced she was going to try and do anopther kylie or whoever. What an amazing voice she has!!

I don't think she looked old for 12 but the way she was dressed, suitable for Ave Maria, was a bit misleading.

OOO and I liked the guy with the saw haha!

I've missed a few of these episodes, but from what I've seen, little Charlie Green is still my favourite

I didn't see Scala at the time, but I've just watched them on Youtube and I hope they do well and have a good career in what they do. They've made classical music look and sound cool and exciting, and because of that, they may well attract a new audience to classical music, much as Nigel Kennedy did a generation ago. I love the look of electric stringed instruments (nearly bought one last year ), and although I prefer the sound of an acoustic instrument, I don't see why they can't co-exist. I thought Scala's act was very professional, and they obviously understand how to make it entertaining. There's a place for fun, entertaining music as well as serious music, and some of us like both

Scala - four good looking girls in skimpy dresses ... they had my vote even before they started playing

...and when they did, they proved that they know what they are doing.

They have decided to exploit their looks as well as their musical skill, to make a better living than filling out the ranks of violinists in some orchestra. So what is the problem? There is room in the world for all kinds.

If you want to hear fabulous, "pure" violin playing, then dig out the old recordings of David Oistrakh

Just seen this tonight.. the final 40 were chosen (although I think they should have allowed more viewing time for this) Michael Machell, the Star Wars keyboard player, got through!!!! And he says Star Wars is well and truly ready as he has been practising 5 hours a day!!!!! What I really want to know is..did Austin Blackburn the saw player get through? I thought he was wonderful and I couldn't spot him on the telly tonight.

I thought the star wars guy shouldn't have got through. There was a boy dancer who didn't get through who should have!

I don't know about the saw guy, i liked him too.
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I missed it - did Charlie Green get through (the little boy singer)?

And yes, I loved the saw player too, I'm hope he got through too.

ThatResults is meant to tell you who got through but my machine won't load it. I think I remember Charlie Green getting through though.

George Sampson?
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I was right haha .
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i was hoping for kate and gin,
i dont think any singers should have gotten through to be honest, they all were very talented, but it is a talent AND variety.
I think kate and gin had both of those, it was completley different, and that was a talent, being able to train a dog like that, thats amazing.
Scala weren't in my opinion talented, all they did was play on electric instruments with a a backing track, and i think any instrumentalist could have done it, maybe if they were 10 year olds.

And, on ITV2 did anyone just see that little girl standing in the middle of the aisle behind the presenter making funny faces?
Lol

I was hoping for Kate and Gin too.

I thought that Signature would win, but am happy that George did.

Michael Machell apparently studies music in his local college and has a diploma. I wonder what diploma it is lol. He's entertaining though.

maddielou, I think the boy dancer you were referring to was Daniel Pirie (I can't remember his last name well), the ballet dancer?

I'm so glad George won. He won his fight! I felt sorry for Andrew though...

I'm really glad George won!!!

I'm not sure I liked Escala actually...I thought they played well, but I didn't really like the dancing and the backing tracks...but perhaps that's because when I imagine a perfect string quartet, I think of a nice classical piece which isn't electric or 'dance-beat' backing tracked!! Although in saying that they can play a lot better than me (wouldn't be hard seeing as I don't play a string instrument YET!! 2 weeks 'til I buy my violin!), and are making classical music more appealing to a wider audience

I love George! SO glad he won! He was amazing. Although, i'm surprised that Faryl, the singer, wasn't in the top three ...

Well, it's back on our screens tonight. I wonder what sort of 'talent' is in store for us this year...

And wouldn't it be nice to see Donald Bell-Gam return for another audition?
sorry, had to mention him

Car Expert

I just got so confused! Saw the 1st post from the 12th April and thought that the forums had mucked up on their dates because today was the 11th lol! then I saw the year

You're easily confused ben

I have just witnessed a man blow up a hot water bottle, until it went 'pop' .

Now I remember why we don't have a tv

Oh come on ad_lib, I'm sure you'd have loved seeing the same man pull a van with his ear