Name me a better vocal ensemble than the cast of Glee.

Cafe Society
1

It came up in conversation yesterday, how many of the cast of Glee have great pipes and can really sing. None of us could think of any vocal group or stage show with as many soloists of their quality.

Any takers?

2

The cast of any Broadway musical. Any touring a-capella group. Any choir, chorus, or gospel group.

The good singers in Glee are the ones who came from Broadway. They’re no more than half the group. The rest are mediocre to so-so. That’s why they auto-tuned everything to death in the first season. Glee is popular, but it doesn’t compare with the really good stuff out there.

3

^This.

A few just off the top of my head:
[ul]
[li]Gold City Quartet[/li][li]Take 6[/li][li]The cast of Wicked (as but one example)[/li][li]Rhonda Vincent and the Rage[/li][/ul]

4

But I would have to say that they are the most talented singing ensemble in a prime time broadcast network TV show.

5

And that explains everything, doesn’t it? :wink:

6

I really have no idea how good they are as singers, given that everything I saw on Glee (only watched about the first seven episodes) was audible autotuned and incredible overproduced.

I liked the concept, liked the characters, but had to stop watching because the musical direction was so disappointing to me and the writing just didn’t quite grab me.

7

These two things, IME, are mostly antithetical. You can have a good ensemble, or you can have a lot of good soloists. But most soloists aren’t great at ensemble work. A good ensemble will know how to blend, so you don’t notice any one particular voice, but a lovely patchwork of sound. The kids on Glee, while great soloists, haven’t mastered this art form. I can always pick out individuals, even when they’re not meant to be featured. I’m not sure if this is because they lack the talent or training, or because it’s a conscious stylistic choice by the musical director. Whatever it is, it weakens the ensemble singing, IMHO.

For an example of rock music done well as an ensemble *with *fantastic soloists, I’d point to the OCR of RENT - they know just when to stand out and when to blend. During the most “blendy” bits (“Two hundred twenty five thousand, six hundred minutes…” on “Seasons of Love”, for example), I can’t pick out one voice from another even after a decade of listening to it on stereo headphones. Every voice respects the other, and they’re creating sound together, not competing with one another to be heard distinctly.