Clash of the Choirs, Review Part I

By Peggy Oliver

It seems numerous reality musical shows find their inspiration from abroad; ie American Idol, The Singing Bee, and Dancing With The Stars to name a few.   Now get ready to experience Clash of the Choirs, where amateur vocalists are hand-picked to form twenty-member choirs by five celebrity judges/choir directors/encouragers.  Broadcast on NBC TV for the next four nights, the original concept came via Scandinavia’s Friday TV.

The opening two-hour special stretched to reveal some unique stories, auditions, and the celebrity’s observations of the tryouts and rehearsals.  Nick Lachey, Blake Sheldon, Kelly Rowland, Michael Bolton, and Patti LaBelle are put to the test in finding twenty-member aggregates that can blend as a team.  There were no real constructive critiques from any of the judges, but one judge summed up: ‘there were notes that I didn’t know existed’, regarding Team LaBelle that pulled out every vocal trick from the choir loft.  They were also the only entry representing with Gospel in the building as “He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands” was in great hands from note one, built on tight harmonies, then going for the final punch with precision control and note shaping.  LaBelle, who held her auditions at the historical Philadelphia International recording studios, also seemed the most adamant about her mission, taking each of the final vocalists to ‘boot camp’.  Some props should also go to Team Sheldon, who impressed with “Life Is A Highway”, especially for the nicely-layered harmonies during the song’s choral hook. 

Each city (Philly, Oklahoma City, OK, Houston, TX, New Haven, CT, and Cincinnati, OH) also focused on a special story within the choir’s development process, including a seventy-seven year old who has thrived in amateur choirs for over thirty years, an over comer of domestic violence, members of the military who recently served in the Middle East, and a father/daughter combination.  The winner will receive a cash donation to their city’s favorite charity.