How Alfie Boe is Changing Our Musical Tastes

Just over a week ago I posted about the music that Alfie Boe has introduced me to and how my musical tastes have changed.  I then asked you to tell me how Alfie has educated you musically and you have responded enthusiastically!  A wide range of musical tastes and choices were talked about and interestingly, it’s not just new music that we are spending our money on.  Alfie has changed our musical horizons so much that we are as likely to go to a concert by a new artist or a theatrical production as we are to buy a new album which costs a fraction of the price.  Most of us are also just as likely to go alone to these concerts and shows, having never thought of doing so before.

As we already know, most fans first came to be an Alfie fan through Les Mis and were already listening to music from musicals; some were even lucky enough to be at the O2 in 2010! Some however, were not into musicals at all and have since become immersed in that world as a result.  Alfie’s first two Decca albums in particular are rich with musical numbers and seem to have inspired a lot of fans to revisit those tunes and shows.  Blues and swing, following Alfie’s most recent albums, have also been re-introduced to many of your music collections.

Again, most fans had some affinity with light classical music before Alfie but have become much keener once they discovered Alfie’s rich back catalogue of classical music and opera.  I think that most of us can say that we know a whole lot more about opera than we did before we heard Alfie, whether that means re-learning what we once knew or coming to it from a blank canvas.  La Boheme was mentioned several times as a favourite opera, probably because Alfie has played Rodolfo a few times and we can watch him on DVD whenever we want – that also means that we know the words when we go to see that same production at the Coliseum with ENO!

In my original post, I mentioned the likes of Led Zeppelin, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, The Clint Boon Experience as artists who I had come to listen to through Alfie and who I would never have listened to before.  I think I can safely say that having looked at all your responses, I am not alone in that view – Led Zeppelin and The Who were the top two artists that are being discovered or revisited.  I’m sure that we’ll all be Who / Quadrophenia experts by the time 5th July has come around.

Lastly, Laura Wright, John Owen-Jones and Michael Boe were the top three new artists that you told me about; singers who it is unlikely that you would have heard about and become fans of, without Alfie.  Emilia Mitiku and Warren Zevon were other names mentioned – Alfie recorded Zevon’s Keep Me In Your Heart on Trust (it’s the one with the buttons on your blouse, so careful now!):

The comment that came over most often, however, was how much you are all enjoying Alfie’s musical journey – one reason being that we have no idea which way he’ll go next!  One thing’s for sure – it won’t be what we expect!

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3 thoughts on “How Alfie Boe is Changing Our Musical Tastes

  1. sylvia mcarthur

    I must have heard Che gelida manina a hundred or more times. I have this dvd. Today I had goosebumps though waiting for the high c’s.

  2. Cathy

    Like everyone who reads this, I am a huge fan and love most of what he does. I have always liked classical, opera, theatre, folk and rock music. However, I have never been a fan of Led Zeppelin or The Who although they are the music of my generation. I like Alfie best when he is singing classical or semi-classical songs-the other genres sound forced or unnatural to me. Don’t get me wrong, he certainly can sing anything but he’s just too good to be a rock singer. His soaring voice is best-suited to theatrical music and maybe he will return to that world again. I can’t really see the direction his career is headed -last year’s old-fashioned Serenata, with some beautiful song choices, to this year’s Quadrophenia. They are completely different; I understand the need to do new things and to try everything but he has not tapped into a niche market and that is too bad as the combination of his voice and good looks should make him a star like Andrea Bocelli or Josh Groban.

  3. peakhomeuk

    I have been following Alfie long before he performed in the Les Mis 25th. I saw him wirth the Lancashire Symphonetta at Manchester Uni when he had just finished with the ENO A wonderful evening of music Also he performed to a half empty theatre at uxton Opera House, singing without a mike on the night before Grace’s christening. he was joking and trying to show us his photos on his mobile/cell-phone! Unfortunately whe he returned to Buxton to a sell-out audience I was in Canada for my eldes grand-daughter’s High School Graduation.
    alfie is fatatic and what I like is he remains ‘grounde’ and can relate well to everyone <3

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