Joseph McManners
is a twelve year old from Canterbury who first started to
sing in public about four years ago and quickly appeared
in the title role in a local production of Oliver with
Ron Moody. From there he became known on both sides of the
Atlantic when he won the BBC competition to appear, again
as the title character, in the premiere of Rachel Portman’s The
Little Prince. Having appeared in a musical and an opera
before the age of twelve has set his course between these
two media, although he seems to enjoy the classics a little
more than the musicals. Whatever his preferences his voice
fits in with the type of innocent but theatrical boy soprano
that people not used to a Cathedral sound prefer. In addition
both Joseph’s repertoire and his manner fit in with the current
policy among the big recording companies for more or less
classical singers who can be used as crossover artists. Unfortunately,
this means not only a limitation in repertoire, but also
a use of less than sterling versions of classical pieces,
as we shall see.
Joseph’s debut
album strictly follows the dichotomy between classical pieces
and excerpts from musicals (mostly movie versions of musicals).
Out of a total of twelve selections, five are from the classics,
though hardly in the original versions and seven from musicals.
There is also a bonus track
from the Little Prince.
The well-known
song from Watership Down starts this disc and exemplifies
the largest complaint that I had with Joseph McManners’ singing:
a tendency to deliver the music in an almost oracular style.
This takes away both from the beauty of his voice and his
excellent diction. It also invests certain of the pieces
on this disc, such as the 23rd Psalm from The
Vicar of Dibley with more weight than the music
can support. On this particular track he is also over-miked
and insufficiently supported by the strings. The accompaniment
is much better in the first Rutter track, but again that
oracular element takes away from what we know is a fine piece
of music. In the title track Joseph seems more comfortable
with the Celtic element and more enthusiastic. This feeling
continues in the fifth track, from The Snowman, which is
delivered with all the right feeling and styling, making
it the high point of the disc. Joseph’s performance of Franck’s
Panis Angelicus is relatively straightforward, not too serious,
but not too sentimental. On the well-known excerpt from The Lion
King Joseph does not appear until the first chorus, the
first being ably performed by soprano Jo Appleby (another
crossover gesture). This is an effective rendition for those
who enjoy this piece of music. The Brahms Lullaby is well-sung,
but the treacly arrangement and text detract much from the
performance.
Treacly is also
a good term for the arrangement of the slow movement of the
Pathétique Sonata. This was definitely the low point of the
album and Joseph’s singling could not make up for its demerits.
Joseph gives a straightforward reading of the modern-classic
Candlelight Carol of John Rutter and this is quite refreshing
after the two previous tracks. Joseph applies equal sincerity
to the Cat Stevens arrangement and this struck me as the
most moving version of this song that I had heard. The Lionel
Bart track is passable. This brings us to the “bonus” track
of the The Little Prince Song, which seems to have been added
as an afterthought to an already-planned Joseph McManners
album perhaps to profit from the success of the Rachel Portman
opera. It is easy to see why Joseph was chosen to star in
this opera. The role of the Little Prince is one that musically
combines his slightly distant innocence and unadorned delivery.
It remains to be seen what he would do with a more dramatic
role.
One hopes that
Joseph McManners will go on to bigger things in the musical
world. Until then I heartily recommend the DVD or CD of The
Little Prince - a wonderful experience.
William Kreindler
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Joseph McManners
(boy soprano), Jo Appleby (soprano), Mairead Carlin (soprano) 
