Susan Boyle sings Les Miserables

Francis, thanks for the link. Hadn't heard of Paul Potts. I'm no opera buff, but he sure nails Nessun Dorma.

First time I heard of the story was when I was driving home from work. The radio show talk host ran the sound track with the laughter and jeering and I heard a sweet voice singing and then there was the thunderous applause at the end. The host kept on mentioning the prejudgment of the singer, her looks, her angelic voice and so on. I made sure I remembered 'Susan Boyle' and checked on Google. Boy, you are right! I was kinda taken aback with this gray-haired aunt. I guess the sideways swinging of her hips probably caused the jeering and the 'ugh' expression on Piers Morgan's face. Maybe her hip swinging was an expression of frustration and playfulness at the same time as Simon Cowell sorta lowered his head when she mentioned her age. her response was 'you've only seen one side of me.' The selection of the song also created scepticism inthe faces of the judges and the audience as 'I dreamed a dream' is probably the signature song of Les Miserables and very difficult to sing. The second she opened her mouth and her sweet voice poured out the eyes of the judges and audience opened in surprize and hitting the high note with 'As they turned your dream to shammmmmme' was what shocked everyone.

Thanks to her I learned who sang 'Memories' from Cats - her idol Elaine Paige. I downloaded 'Memories' with the 'Youtube Downloader' from CNET.

I'm being the times. I've heard this name mentioned but, since I'm not interested music that much, I didn't pay attention.

I don't understand at all what the fuss is about (not her singing, it's good). I mean, jesus, she looks just like you or me, or our neighbor, co-worker, or the person who does your taxes.

All this talk about her talent being "unexpected"....what, you face and body have something to do with your larynx? what a tempest in a teapot.

She's just a normal looking person....and btw, not old.

honestly, I can't wait for slappy to hit the age the that he calls others old.

All the performers tody in addition to having nice voices, also have great tits, teeth and hair. Susan is a refreshing departure from all that.

I'm almost afraid to admit it, but I don't enjoy her voice. I think it has a studied air about it (all that vibratto) and a flat edge to it (although that IS a hard song to sing- those low notes would test anyone's range and pitch- maybe she'd sound better on another song).
I just listened to it here, expecting too much maybe, but I wasn't inspired.

But no, I don't think she's a departure at all in terms of her voice- I think she's a departure because of how she looks and because of her poignant life story (which sort of goes along with that song- never been kissed, lonley spinster, etc.:
There was a time when men were kind
When their voices were soft
And their words inviting
There was a time when love was blind
And the world was a song
And the song was exciting
There was a time
Then it all went wrong

I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving
Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used and wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung, no wine untasted

But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
And they turn your dream to shame

He slept a summer by my side
He filled my days with endless wonder
He took my childhood in his stride
But he was gone when autumn came

And still I dream he'll come to me
That we will live the years together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms we cannot weather

I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
So different now from what it seemed
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed.

So to me, it's just another marketing gimmick for Simon Cowell and his shows. Some of these people really have the voice, some really have the look and he tries to make both of them fit somehow.
I don't think Susan Boyle really has either, but what a STORY!
And she can obviously sing well enough to learn to sing better.
So there you go. Good for her.
I hope it brings her some dreams that come true.

You are right Nick, Susan is great. Chin hairs and all.

Well aidan, if it helps you any, I'm always afraid to admit I don't enjoy some sort of musical entertainment everyone else is going gaga over. I've learned to chalk it up to the fact I don't know **** from shinola about what makes a good voice. my honest reaction was, "ok, she can sing" and by 15 seconds later I was ready to move on.

Yeah, sounds like some publicity stunt on the part of the show.

sglass, what you said about her chin hairs is a good example of what I'm talking about. Chin hairs? Most women, whether they will admit it to others or not, have chin hairs once they get past a certain age. So what does that make this susan person? It makes her just like most women her age. I'm not going to go back and look at the vid again, but I have no idea if you could see chin hairs or not. But again, without looking at the vid again, it seems pretty convenient the camera zoomed in on the members of the audience that were looking at her aghast, as if they'd never seen an average looking person before. Sadly I guess, Nick does have it correct.

I agree with your observation about chin hair on women relative to age; it's no different than men getting prostate cancer after a certain age. That's life.

The good thing about this video is that I checked professionals who sang that song and found Ruthie Henshall and Lea Salonga to be my favorites while there is an up and coming 14-year-old Australian girl Haylie Westenra singing it with a voice like Julie Andrews. Ha ha, Sammy Davis Jr.'s last public performance was this song for Jerry Lewis' Telethon.

Fantine who sings this song really is a lamentation like Jeremiah. She was seduced and stuck with a child Eponine whose image is the Les Miserables 'waif with the broom' at the front of the theater. Her child held for ransom by the innkeeper.

Yes, I read Les Miserables as a child in the form of a Classics comic book.

Susan sang Memory from Cats

Elaine Paige still has the best version. From her 'Live performance at the Royal Theatre at Drury Lane' I managed to break down the phraseology of the song. Elaine's phrasing of the song really gives it that edge. If Susan wants to better her performance she should study and follow the phrases of the song as given below:

Memory from Cats:

Midnight, not a sound ... from the pavement
Has the moon lost her memory?
She is smiling alone
In the lamplight ... the withered leaves ... collect at my feet
And the wind ... begins to moan

Memory--All alone in the moonlight
I can smile at the old days
I was beautiful then
I remember ... the time I knew ... what happiness was
Let the memory ... live again

Every street lamp ... seems to beat ... a fatalis-TIC warning
Someone mutters ... and the street lamp gutters
And soon ... it will -BE- morning

Daylight, I must wait for the sunrise
I must think ... of a new life
And I mustn't ... give in
When the dawn comes ... tonight will be ... a memory too
And a new day ... will begin

Burnt out ends of ... smokey days
The stale cold smell ... of morning
The street lamp dies, another night ... is over
Another day ... is dawning

Touch me, it's so easy to leave me
All alone with the memory
Of my days ... in the sun
If you ... touch me ... you'll understand ... what happiness is
Look, a new day ... has begun