James Kearney contributes:

>This thread reminds me how much I am enjoying Donald Clarke's life of Frank
>Sinatra, "All or Nothing at All" - one passage is apposite:
>
>   "Listening to a lot of different kinds of music, the question arises:
>   why haven't legit singers ever been able to learn from pop singers, and
>   vice versa? ...

Classical singers could also learn tons about declamation and phrasing from
pop singers.  The singer who revealed this to me - I blush to admit this -
was Streisand doing Debussy's "Beau Soir" from the Classical Barbra album.
Breathtaking phrasing, and rhythmically spot on.  Since that time, I've
listened to both classical and pop singers more carefully.

Steve Schwartz