And that rule is…outshine your partner and they will hate you for it.
This duo appeared on Britain’s Got Talent last night and to be honest before we start praising either of them, they were really quite ordinary.
Two young ladies with obvious classical music training playing their own composition (always a bad move in a talent contest…) on electronic instruments which neither complimented their ability or the piece of music, and in a style which made them sound and look awkward.
So they got buzzed. For some reason – to add some drama I assume – Simon decided to call the violinist back and invite her to audition again…but without her partner. So at the urging of the crowd she returns and plays (again on one of those horrible electronic violins) an excerpt from The Four Seasons by Vivaldi.
This is where I can speak with some knowledge; I am always enthusiastic about young talent but honestly this girl did herself no favours using that awful instrument. She played to a very impressive backing tape – too fast, she hit too many wrong notes and was very unsettled. But then she was young, pretty and in a very short dress. I reckon Simon, who obvously has no idea of how to judge a classical musician, just likes Vanessa Mae…
Sue Son is going through to the next round but has learned a lesson; don’t expect a pat on the back from the partner who was overlooked. Sue’s mate ( who actually was the better musician – she should stick to the ordinary piano rather than those electronic clavinova’s) has now apparently called it quits to their friendship. Sad, but that’s the way it is.
The music industry is dog-eat-dog and both girls, if they expect to make a living in it, have learned their first lesson the hard way in a very public manner. When you get an opportunity you take it; I am sure her friend would have done the same thing.
One word of advice to Sue for next time; don’t pick a backing tape that outplays you 
Related posts:
“Sue’s mate ( who actually was the better musician”
Did I miss several minutes from the video? Janine didn’t play long enough for anyone to hear who was the better musician. Are you making your judgment from all the articles on the internet? Only asking because I couldn’t tell from the video, they never played together long enough.
Apart from two media articles I have not read any other reports about this act; I saw them perform and have viewed re-runs of them – I record each episode of the series.
My judgement is purely a personal one. In the short time they played together I thought Janine played her instrument better as accompanist than Sue played hers as a soloist. That piece Sue played – as soloist – is a piece any competent student can play. Even allowing for nerves, she was unsettled (played too fast as many violinists do with that piece) and her intonation was dodgy. The backing track was loud enough to mask her mistakes – had she played with no accompaniment at all she would have sounded less impressive. I would like to hear Janine play on a piano rather than an electronic instrument – she is obviously an accomplished pianist otherwise.
Sue had the ‘Vanessa Mae’ effect on the audience – her intention – though the differences between the two are too many to count here. Once again though, this is a purely personal opinion. I have seen other amateur (non-professional) players do the same act and pull it off more successfully.