I have many problems with Charlotte Church’s performance of “The Phantom of the Opera”.
She is far too young: she was 12 years old when she sang this. (Would you want a 30-year old woman singing the role of young Cosette in “Les Miserables” in the song “Castle on a Cloud!? Of course not!) Christine is supposed to be twenty years old. (Emmy Rossum was fifteen when she starred in the 2004 film with Gerard Butler.)
Then, technique: she starts off singing it much too high. Christine’s first notes are meant to be below middle C, and she’s at least an octave above that.
Emotion: Church’s face reflects none of the emotions appropriate to the character in the song: no mesmerism, seduction, apprehension or fear – just a wide, silly-looking grin.
She has no business performing this song whatsoever!
