Kevin Sutton responds to me about Charlotte Church:

>Since I am a professional singer and voice teacher, I will chime
>in here for a bit. Ms. Church, was indeed, in my humble opinion exploited
>and forced to sing beyond her physical maturity. Nonetheless, the young
>lady was/is possessed of a very fine and unique instrument. With the
>proper education and training, she could very easily contribute a great
>deal to classical music.

No singer I, I certainly defer to your experience.  However, it never
appeared that she was doing anything except exactly what she wanted most
to do.  When she took over her career and handling of her assets (legally)
from her mother at 18?  earlier?  it was not to get the lessons she so
sorely needed but to be able to handle her own money and to further her
career as a pop singer.

>She certainly has more raw talent and musicality than Andrea Bocelli,
>for example.

No way could I argue that point.

>I say give her a break and some time to mature and then let's determine
>whether or not she can contribute to the art.  To dismiss her completely
>does her a disservice, and makes us dismissers look pretty petty and
>snobish, don't you think?

No, I think that by now whatever instrument she might have had is pretty
thoroughly gone, at least as a singer of classical music, and that her
interest is in a pop career.  I further have always thought that her
presentations were tasteless in the extreme and that opinion does not
make me feel snobbish or petty.  If you see it that way, fine, but I
don't feel that way.

Jane Erb