Diction and pronunciation
Choir music and solo singing are always challenged by the acoustics given by the building, the consonants simply disappear. Because of this, singers must exaggerate the consonants. If the pronunciation is poor as well as not managing to make clear consonant sounds, the perceived singing as heard by the congregation will impossible to understand.
From this I have developed a bad habit of criticising song performance of other genres, which of course have no relevance. One time I found a YouTube clip of an Asian artist singing Beatles' Black Bird. In it's own environment the song was probably quite al-right, but from a church musicians point of view it was ridiculous. I made the effort of writing down what I actually heard (and not what I knew he was trying to sing), and the result is given below. Imagine a similar case in a church service, we are trying to proclaim the Gospel, but the congregation may hear something quite different. I will certainly carry this experience with me as a big warning sign in everything I do related to church singing. Here it goes:
Sexiest bloke in Swindon learns to fry.
All your lies.
You were only waiting for tease, no men to a lithe.
Black butts sing of the dead at night.
Sexiest bloke in Swindon learns to fry.
All your lies.
You were only waiting for tease, no men to a lithe.
Black butts sing of the dead at night.
Takes these fucking nice and long to sea.
All you lie,
You were only waiting for tease, no men to be free.
Black butt, define.
Black butt, define into delight.
Offset dark black mind.
Black butt, do fry.
Black butt, do fry.
Into the night of dark black light.
Black butts sing of the dead at night.
Sexiest bloke in Swindon learns to fry.
All your lies.
You were only waiting for tease, no men to a lithe.
You were only waiting for tease, no men to a lithe.
You were only waiting for tease, no men to a lithe.
