Not such a mean performance

I refer to Chris Spiteri's letter (October 30) regarding the Voices concert and in particular his criticism as to the choice of themes for the videos shown during the song Who Wants to Live Forever? and Logical Song.

While, of course, Mr Spiteri is entitled to his opinion, it is a pity that he chose to dismiss Voices Xtraordinaire as "just another amateur performance" based simply on his opinion on the choice of themes for two videos in spite of his admission that he enjoyed the music and appreciated the great talent of the musicians and singers.

While I declare my bias towards the singers of Who Wants to Live Forever?, Nicola Said and Nicky Agius Darmanin, being the father of the first, I grant him that perhaps the choice of theme for the video could have been better. However, as Mr Spiteri himself confirms, the excellent delivery of this Queen ballad by two young artistes who sang together for the first time, as well as the band's musical arrangement, choir backing and impeccable direction, amply made up for the choice of theme for the video which was a little more than a minute long in between shots of the singers and the stage. The attention of the audience was captured by the voices and the music on stage, leaving little room for attention to the visual accompaniment on the two screens on both sides of the stage.

On the other hand, I completely disagree with Mr Spiteri's criticism of the theme of the video accompanying Rodger Hodgson's Logical Song. This was not about "a disgruntled mentally retarded boy" as Mr Spiteri puts it. The theme of this superb production, brilliantly acted out by Karl Wirth, was about the many children who, too early in life, are pushed into an adult's world and taught to be "sensible, logical, responsible, practical, dependable, clinical, intellectual, cynical" etc and not allowed to enjoy their childhood.

The video portrays this theme, made more poignant by the fact that the child was even less ready to be pushed into a man's world because of his impairment, in a tasteful yet stark manner accompanying the excellent rendition of the song by the Voices choir. This theme strikes a chord at the very heart of our society and how we bring up our children and the video visually portrays the question in the song: Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned? I know it sounds absurd. But please tell me who I am? In my view, Mr Spiteri clearly missed the point of this video.

Although, indeed, these volunteers were amateurs in the sense that they do not perform for a living, the concert was far from an amateur production in the pejorative sense as attested by the fact that it was attended by over 14,000 people and appreciated and enjoyed by most of them.

The choir members, singers, directors and musicians and committee deserve a public round of applause for a quality production in aid of a charitable cause.