More thoughts on tonight's show from Malcolm @ Mal's Murmurings Blog (check out his excellent paintings) who kindly sent The Rhydian Factor his view:-
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Rhydian, even when by his own admission he performed below par, still stands head and shoulders above the rest of the contestants; the big question is how will he perform in the semi-final. He is the consummate professional and, as such, we never expect less than brilliance!
Niki comes on first, trying too hard, competing with her own echo in the a capella intro; a potentially sensual voice performing a dreary song, nothing really special. When it comes to forte, that means harsh!
Danni’s “Braveheart”, Leon the frightened, performs “The Very Thought of You” with a peculiar out of tune tremolo warble. Is the tremolo simply a result of stagefright or an un-natural artistic affectation?
So, two disappointing acts then along comes Rhydian; “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” has never been a favourite of mine but, tonight I’m a convert, an incredible heartfelt performance revitalizes a hoary old chestnut. I find myself almost stunned into silence, during his performance, not for the first time this series.
And now for something completely different, well at least the Same Difference. Cheesy, this brother and sister act may be but, their performance is never less than professional. Is it enough to cause a “Chain Reaction”? Although this number didn’t show their voices, or harmonies, to best advantage, they still managed to enjoy themselves.
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The song Niki has chosen to perform in her second spot is “One Moment in Time” and, I start to wonder if she’s already had that moment as she belts out in a shouty dissonant tone; once again forte becomes harsh, her strength has always been in the quieter passages. Too many duff notes for my taste!
Strangeheart returns to sing; the way he stands and moves I suspect he’s just peed himself. “How Sweet It Is” the song, how mediocre the performance although, I’ve got to admit, that for once he was almost in tune. I used to like this song! Michael Buble, Leon’s inspiration, has a lot to answer for. Rhydian's choice is “When You Walk Through A Storm”; I’ve always been wary of this song since Gerry Marsden murdered it in the sixties. Tonight I realize, once more, that it’s a really great song!
A slightly slushier choice comes from Same Difference and, they carry it off perfectly! Whether it’s to my taste …..?