OlderSat, 19 April 2008 at 10:35 pm
Kelly Clarkson Sings “Ave Maria” For the Pope
Kelly Clarkson, the first season’s winner of American Idol, sings a rousing rendition of the hymn “Ave Maria” for Pope Benedict XVI at Saint Joseph Seminary in Yonkers, New York on Saturday.
About 25,000 young worshippers rallied for the Popemobile (and Kelly).
“I was so excited to be asked to sing for the Pope,” Kelly. “I grew up singing church music, and it’s always been a dream of mine to perform ‘Ave Maria.’ To have that dream come true on such a special occasion is truly a blessing.”
Watch the video below of Kelly belting out “Ave Maria”!
Kelly Clarkson Sings “Ave Maria” For the Pope
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121 Comments
I love kelly.
she’s sure getting bigger and bigger.
OMG that was so amazing. I never knew she could sing like that. especially the last part. I was like can this girl really go on forever like this. Kelly I love you lots.
that’s cool
the dress makes her look much older now..
oh and thanks jared b/c we really haven’t seen a lot of kelly now a days
peace
from
nyc
Wow! Very good performance, especially the last part was sung with such feeling…
What a beautiful and appropriate looking dress for the occassion as well. She does not look big at all. Just healthy and pretty.
Awesome. I especially LOVED the ending.
Its a shame that she doesnt live up to societys toothpick standards when it comes to shape and size. <>
You go girl…. rock on with that voice and breaking the stereotypical standards of the supposed ideal shape for women !
sound good!
but i preffer see katharine mcphee!
I loved this!!! Kelly is the best singer ever!!
Now that girl can sing!!
I’d like to see this years contestants just try and belt out a tune like that!
Interesting that she made the song a bit pop.
if only she wasnt such a *****
what a horror!!! why didn’t they get someone with a real voice. clarkson’s voice is a pop voice - no depth, no character. they should have chosen the best singer in the country - i’m sure there are opera divas who would have been much better for the Pope. I’m horrified at the last of discrimination.
As a professional opera singer, I think Schubert’s Ave Maria should not be sung in a chest voice. I really like Kelly Clarkson as a pop singer, but the classical tone of this song and her belting clashes, while sounding slightly choppy.
she sounded amazing and looked fantastic doing it!
I think Kelly is extremely talented and I love her voice. However, I have to agree with a previous poster in that her voice is not suited for this song. This song needed a clear, powerful voice without the raspiness and the trills. Like Whitney Houston.
kelly did an amazing job! She is amazing!! That might be one of her best performances so far.
Where is Michael Buble when you need him! LOL.
I thought it what a stagerring performance. I am so glad she’s still singing these days. I like her :D
That is the first time I ever heard her sing. WOW.
Beautiful, fresh, modern - yet reverent and sincere - rendition of a masterpiece.
I am genuinely impressed. That was lovely, lovely, lovely.
Kelly is a good singer, but like some of you said, her voice is not appropriate for this particular song.
In her Christmas CD, Celine Dion performs this song, and I must say is AMAZING!!! Much better than Kelly’s rendition.
She did a great job i was there i actually just got home. She sang three songs before the pope arrived. She was amazing
Kelly did a wonderful job, but she should have dresses more modestly. The front of her dress was a little low cut…thank God the cameras did not show that and only pictured the side of her.
Kelly….modesty always ..and especially if the presence of Men of God is a no brainer. maybe you should have picked a different dress or a shawl to covert you???
Celine Dion would have done a much better job. And why was she wearing such a low cut dress in front of the Pope?
Wow, what a terrible job. I guess she was the only catholic singer they could find to perform on short notice. And who cares why she was wearing a short dress. We all know the pope and all those other bishops, cardinals and priests are more interested in playing with little boys than looking at a busty blond chick.
Horrible!
You do NOT sing Ave Maria this way! Fast and like a damn pop song!
She have a good voice but not for this kid of music.
Emmy Rossum was going to be 10 times better.
oh stop criticizing her dress. it was conservative just because it had a little form to it rather than being completely covered up and looking like an old lady doesnt mean she doesn’t respect the pope or what not. it wasnt spaghetti strap, wasn’t too short, wasn’t strapless just had a cut in the front. whats the big deal? He’s the pope for crying out loud, i highly doubt that that was all he was thinking about while she was singing.
i love kelly but this was awful. why would you take such a beautiful song & make it pop, especailly when singing for the pope. i have been going to church ever since i can remember & have never heard a version of ave maria i didn’t like until now. it is sad that people who volunteer to sing in a church group can sing the song better than the individual chosen to sing it for the pope. i couldn’t understand anything but the ave maria. also, she was not dressed properly. the length of her dress was fine but her shoulders should have been covered & she should not have displayed cleavage. it is just proper & respectful. i love kelly & was so excited to hear her sing. i think she could have pulled it off if she chose to sing it differently - but we all know she doesn’t take advice well. too bad as she has an amazing voice & this could have been much better.
love her!
To Whatever: No the Pope probably wasn’t thinking about her dress when she was singing . For virutally any other occasion that dress would be totally appropriate. It was sexy w/o being sleezy & was below the knee. However, you are supposed to be covered up when meeting the pope - no bare shoulders. It is just proper etiquette - regardless if you are Catholic. She had to know that & if she didn’t want to follow what is respectful she shouldn’t have accepted the honor to sing for him. With every head of state or member of royalty there are just certain things you do/rules to follow out of respect - plain & simple.
i bet she was just nervous! I think she did a great job considering..
I was curious after someone mentioned the celine dion version. here’s a link to it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ8vKzF6rhw
Oh, man- I have multiple problems with this:
1) Ave Maria should not be “belted”. But that was what she was doing.
2) Ave Maria loses its charm in translation. The English bits souded horrible.
3) She can’t pronounce Latin. Has she not heard any other version of this song? How do you not get it right?!
4) It is not a pop song. It has beauty in simplicity. Much prefer Andrea Bocelli’s version
But I must say that I usually love Kelly Clarkson. Moral of the story- stick to mainstream music and English.
Wow, I love her dress . . . gorgeous. Love the vintage look. As for modesty, I think the dress is fine - it’s 2008, and I’m sure the Pope can stand the sight of cleavage and bare shoulders. As other have said, she doesn’t have the kind of voice that is really suited to that song, but I actually thought she did really well with it . . . especially
Why show so much cleavage when you’re singing for the Pope??
Where’s the modesty??
GREAT job Kelly !!!!!!
Thankfully the naysayers are few…this was a beautiful performance, and clearly the Pope and audience agreed. The choice of Kelly was appropriate for a youthful rally. Her rendition was fresh and modern but still respectful. A stuffy, operatic rendition of this song would not have worked. Emily Rossum’s voice, while pretty, is too thin. Celine’s version is too slow and sounds nasally. Whitney Houston? Please. When’s the last time she sang in public. Her voice is shot from her crack habit. Kelly gave a special performance for a special occasion.
Everything was good until she did that high tone in the end. That was completely unnecessary.
Hee Hee. #34, let me clarify - pre-Bobby Brown/crack/kiss-my-@ss Whitney. Someone like that.
she outta be singin to weight watchers to lose that booty of hers, damn girl you used to be sorta cute, stop eating
well I think the young people that were there and miliion of them around the world liked this version like the pope did, cause if you dont know this version kelly chose because the pope likes it, and kelly was asked to sing for the pope and she said yes of course.
the dress, what about it, she was dressed and not naked.
For her shape, I think catholic people dont do discrimination about anything.
her style is the most versatil in the industry and the world.
people said that they didnt know about her nowdays, well she was in a world tour and came back in april 17th to USA for this event and more news, cause if you dont know kelly has a career out of USA. not just in it.
and if she sings in front of the pope is becasue when the pope visits a country, the country does several event for him and one of those events is to ask and invite reconized artist of the country to perfom in front of him, and that was what kelly was asked.
And about her voice: I think she is the one to be perfoming Ave Maria and this version most of all because the pope liked this version and because young preople was involved here more than ever. kelly was the right choice and her voice AMAZING, clear, fresh and youth
kelly clarkson is amazing
good job
sing very nice
I hope people who are angry with this perfomance dont be because they are fans of other singer, I hope.
because even in television, in my local channel( I am from southamercia) say that this was an amazing perfomance, from a young artist to a million young people.
by the way, she was amazing, her voice is there!!! clear and fresh.
The Holy Father likes her song.
Whitney can still sing circles around anyone. By the way Whitney’s new cd drops in November. She is performing at the Jazz festival in Tobago, Charity concert in London in May, and is in the studio right now. Don’t sleep on my girl. Kelly is fabulous and that is all. Smooches to the LEGENDARY MS. HOUSTON.
She did a great job, you would be hard pressed to find another pop singer to pull this off. Don’t give me any names of old geezers or a has beens. Simpson girls, Mandy, H. duff, H. Montana, Underwood(snooze), Fergie, Nelly F. This was a youth rally, to attract young people not bore them with the same old traditional rendition.
mar: I agree with you on everything. I’m from southamerica too and i’m a BIG KELLY FAN. I loved this performance, she was absolutly amazing. She was asked a couple of days ago to sing this version of the song because it’s the one that the pope likes. She didn’t sing it her way, she was really nervous about doing this version, but in my opinion this was one of the best performances of her career.
sorry if I have to clarify some things and sorry for my english that is not good.
I thinik people dont know what KELLY DOES OUT OF USA, cause like I said she has a profesional career out of it, with concerts and interviews and her shape what about it, her voice is what is important she is a singer not a model, she sells her music not her body, she is reconized around the world for her music, even other contestants use her music to perform in their countries, in their versions of american idol for her music not her body and she can lose weight but brain cells cant be bought.
everyone always criticizes her for one reason or another
this is DEFF not pop
and she most certainly lost weight
i loved it!
her voice is absolutely amazing
and watevssss, her dress is fine
God counts every tear rolling down your face.
no matter where you are, remember always, you’re not alone.
reading other comments, i forgot yeah this was for a YOUTH RALLY maybe they would’ve had some opera singer if it were for senior citizens
the audience and pope seemed to LOVE it, so that’s greeeeeeat
yeah, maria, she was nervoucs because she was going to sing the old version but when people told her that the favourite version of the pope was this new version that was sung before, she canged it to this. and was the right choice I liked it, really really like this version and that final note, I was really nervous for her hehe, but she impressed me again, she is a pandora box.
She was amazing!
That rendition of Ave Maria puts any of her fellow contemporary pop stars to shame. Bravo Kelly!
To all the haters and the nitpickers - find me another singer today would would have sung this better.
I’m not a Kelly Clarkson fan by any means but that was chillingly beautiful. She did a great job. Stop picking it apart.
Actually Kelly is a classically trained singer, so contrary to some people’s beliefs, she does and did know how to sing it properly. The quality of her voice is really a subjective matter depending on if you like the raspiness of it. I like it and think it’s very soulful. This was a youth event set in America and I think singing it in a slightly more modern way and in English was fitting for the occassion and location. The dress….well lets face it, I’m obsessed with kelly, but her stylist has GOT TO GO…i liked how she looked…but it was cut a little low. But, that is mainly the stylists fault. And in conclusion, if the pope stood and welcomed her over, and the fans roared in amazement…then who is anyone to criticize kelly. And especially in this event, the singing of any artists isn’t for the general public…it’s a song being sung to God, so let him be the judge.
yes desyner21, the song was for God, not for you or for me or for the numbers above, by the way, pope likes this version and that was the main reason why kelly changed it to this, and I may say was the right choice, for young people who was there and million around the world and liked it, was the right choice.
Some of you are so stupid. YOUTH RALLY…..KELLY CLARKSON makes perfect sense here. Watch the interviews on Fox and CNN….those kids were really excited to see her sing ans she did a great job. Who cares what she’s wearing and what she looks like. She made a boring song sound interesting. I don’t care if you’re a classically trained opera singer or what. Ave Maria is boring and Kelly did a great job with it. Learned Latin just to sing it and didn’t miss one single note. BTW dumbbutts….looks like the Pope was pleased with her version. Why don’t some of you go get lives? PATHETIC.
Over the years, I have heard quite a few singers attempt this classic song. Sometimes a song should be left alone with regards to tempo, pitch, etc. KC did okay with it — It could have been worse…
What if another another “poptart” [exception: Christina Aguilara may have done a great job, who knows] had been tagged to do it?
People are creatures of habit and have our own tastes when it comes to who we like as actors; what books we love reading; what foods we love to eat and so on.
My favorite performances of “Ave Maria” are –
Female: Celine Dion
Male: Aaron Neville
He did a live performance of it in the 80’s that was televised on CBS for the “Prince’s Trust” {I think} with Charles and Diana in attendance — MY GOD! IT WAS BEAUTIFUL! His was a long version and got cut off for a commercial. Angry phone calls to the studio went on a night long and was picked up by news agencies. It caused quite a kafuffle with the network, to say the least. I am still waiting for it to turn up in some DVD collection somewhere…
That’s just my taste, and most importantly, my choice.
Goodnight
the weight comments are really uncalled for…if she were to be really skinny, some of you would have called her anorexic already. to me she looks healthy, and i agree with #46 everyone always criticizes her for one reason or another, she never wins. same goes for other artists too.
I thought her rendition of the song was very moving and very beautiful. Kelly has always been open about her religious side, so I’m sure this was an amazing experience for her. What an honor to be asked to do this.
Her ave Maria was fantastic if you ask me.
Who cares about her stylist, or who else can sing this song well. Fact is she was asked, and she did a really great job! That voice of hers is one beautiful thing…
she sounded soooo amazing!!! SO proud of her :)
i don’t think particularly the rendition of this arrangement, the whole thing just sounds rushed and loses its sacredness (possibly due to time constraint). but BOY OH BOY, this is definitely what kelly is born for. her performance reminds me of celine dion and lara fabian. she should really ditch the sugary pop crap. she’s too good for it. i’m so glad she got to do this performance. to “yikes”, each artist has his/her own rendition and interpretation. unfortunately, some has less charm than others. but i definitely this route is a very viable possibility that kelly should consider.
bob - kelly isn’t catholic, she’s baptist.
she did amazing and the pope gave her a standing ovation at the end!
im christian so i dont get the pope…to me he it just another guy…which is true thats who he is…just another guy so i dont get why people treat him like royalty…but i do think kelly did a great job!!
again, this version of Ave Maria is the version that pope had heard before and liked it and people told kelly that, so she changed it because she was going to perfomance the OLD VERSION, by the way she did an amazing job with it, young people like it is fresh and new is right for young people, and kelly sung there because she was asked, she was the first artist in mind when they took the responsability to book the artist in USA, becasue her sucess, without scandals and being a role model as a person. just read the news.
What are all these idiots talking about ‘pop’ rendition. It was as operatic and reverent it could sound without being forced. It was a beautiful hybrid of the two, which worked as wonderful compromised that did what was asked of her.
People are just posturing, it’s repulsive snobbery of the highest degree. Clarkson blew this one out of the park, and I don’t even usually like her.
All these would-be-opera critics need to step off because nothing say is of any interest, nor has any baring on how fantastic this performance was.
grace a true christian walks the walk and respects a true man of god…
i cannot understand how people who profess to be so called christians bash catholics and the pope and only stick to their fundamentalist beliefs and disregard other faith and tradition…
i am a proud catholic and for one thig we never judge people of other faiths and it made me very proud to see how they (from the presdent) have warmly welcomed the pope and acknowledged is important presence as a world spiritual leader….am sure all the pope’s naysayers are screaming in envy and anger…
She did a great job with the song. And this is coming from someone who’s not big Kelly fan.
WOW, that last note, just WOW.
Kelly was ama-za-zing & made her fans proud!!
Excellent. Thank you so much Jared for sharing this. I was watching the live coverage with the Pope but I missed this part. Kelly did an amazing job as that is a difficult song to sing. But, what a major honor for her to be asked to perform for the Pope.
I thought she did really great. I dont know why people are bashing her for so many different reasons. I bet your just jealous cause your favorite singer didnt get to sing it. That last note was amazing. I thought she was going to start cracking or lose it. She did a good job.
Come on, people. She was chosen specifically and did a great job. Keep in mind that she’s not a professional opera singer, so she wouldn’t have done a perfect job since it’s not her thing. If they’d wanted a professional, they should’ve asked for one. In my opinion, she sang amazing.
And another thing, the pope liked it, he blessed her, so stop dissing it and just move on.
she did absolutely phenomenal!
she looked great too.
and i wished that the Pope saw her rally concert in the beginning too lol.
It seems that some people never miss an opportunity to bash kelly Clarkson.
She sang that song amazingly well. Pop version? what pop music are you guys listening to?
Kelly’s voice is probably the most versatile of any contemproary female singer around right now. There doesn’t seem to be anything she can’t sing and make it sound authentic.
The dress? I thought it was lovely. she had her hair pulled back tastefully and she looked very appropriate.
“The Holy Father likes her song.”
That needs to be said again.
Also with that said, I’m not a huge fan of Kelly’s, but I do respect her as a person very much. I think she did terrific. I believe she was ‘the’ perfect choice to sing for the Pope.
Kelly Clarkson was not good. The song must be sung in bel canto in some parts and Kelly could not pull it off. Her rendition is crap in comparison to Maria Callas, Leontyne Price, and Renata Tebaldi’s and for her to sing in front of him, I don’t know if he wanted to cringe or what. Was she the only Catholic singer in the USA that would sing in front of him? She’s good as a pop rock singer, but stay away from opera arias. She also looked big and although she isn’t the best looking person in the world, she could have wore something with sleeves. Her arms look dwarf. I give this performance a 4.5 at best.
Even her pronounciation of the lyric was choppy and terrible. The end note is something that any coloratura and even mezzo (because it wasn’t that fluid and high) can hit. That means nothing. She didn’t even extend it because she’s just not that good of a singer. She should only stick to pop rock and stay away from opera arias.
Kelly did amazing. And you can’t compare her to opera singers cause she’s not an opera singer. It was a YOUTH rally and having a profesional opera singer to sing it the classical way wouldn’t have been the best choice. Like someone said earlier, if they wanted an opera singer they would have asked one, but they thought kelly would fit perfectly given the fact that it was for young people. She’s the best vocalist of her generation, can you think of any other young singer that could have done it better? I can’t. And the pope loved it.
At least she didn’t sicken with “Moment Like This”
Kelly Clarkson is not the best singer. There are plenty of American people with better voices. She’s good for pop, but she is not the best overall. She was the only Catholic they could find and this performance states the obvious.
That whole posted called you out because she’s not even Catholic. :)
LOL. Even if the Pope didn’t like it, do you think he’d say it? He’s a Pope, not Simon Cowell.
Even though I didn’t like her pop version, the one who said that the performance was for a youth rally made a good point. She probably was a good choice, then.
the Pope had to listen to that brat screaming! look how she talked to clive davis. it’s a wonder she didn’t blame everyone at the event for her career tanking.
J - come on. Listen to it again. It’s not operatic. It’s pop.
she didn’t scream it…idk what you were watching….
Maria Callas,
It was a YOUTH RALLY. Calm down, you sound like a fool.
It’s funny that people are crticizing Kelly and saying she sang it wrong… How could she sing it wrong? It’s a prayer. There is no one way the song is “supposed” to be done. It wasn’t always even a song, music was added later. Did those composers ruin the prayer with the music? No. In my opinion, Kelly did a great job. it was nice to hear parts of it in English and I was impressed with how dynamic her voice is considering she was singing in a very different style than she has in a long time.
“Kelly Clarkson is not the best singer. There are plenty of American people with better voices. She’s good for pop, but she is not the best overall. She was the only Catholic they could find and this performance states the obvious.” -> ha! she is not catholic!! she was chosen because they were searching for an artist with TALENT and not involved with SCANDLS! A true role model!! And they found it! I thought she did AMAZING!
It always makes me laugh when people say Kelly has no right to be singing this, like they know her. Trust me you have NO IDEA who Kelly Clarkson is, and out of anyone, she is the one that deserves it! So stop thinking you know everything about music and about Kelly, CAUSE YOU DON’T! Just because you are losers, and no one knows who you are, and because Kelly is the one singing for him, and not all your other little fantasies, doesn’t mean you need to hate! Apreciate, dont hate!
Kelly did a really good job. She is the representation of American Youth. She didn’t make the song pop. She just made a modern version of it. That was part of the idea. The Pope listens old opera singers all the time at The Vatican, this event was about being with the youth and I think Kelly did a great job. Plus, the performance was for The Pope, and he liked it. That is the most important thing!
I just heard it on youtube.
it was BEAUTIFUL and flawless. What a lucky lady, Kelly is. Singing for the Pope. I hope she makes “Ave Maria” a single. I’ll definitely download it.
well if people didnt know, this is the version that the pope likes that is the main reason why kelly changed the OLd version, and this is not her version, this version was sung before, the pope herad it and liked it.
if you want to blame someone for this new version then blame the pope because this is the version he likes.
kelly did it great, I hope these posts aren coming from fans of other american idols or singers becasue feel envy for a well done job dont say the good in you.
An #85 this is corect: “she is not catholic!! she was chosen because they were searching for an artist with TALENT and not involved with SCANDLS! A true role model!! And they found it! I thought she did AMAZING! and a successful career, I
I think kelly has fans into the Vaticano too hehehehe
bah, the video’s gone!
Will i ever get to see it?
She is a bee yotchh.Ever since she opened her big mouth about her album oh, I dont want it to be poppy blah,blah,blah and she contradicts herself by releasing another more ” radio friendly” one later on this year and she ignores fans after concerts. She should be thankful she has fans.You know Avril signs for everyone after the show.Kelly could care less.
Kelly is an amazing singer. She has such a beautiful voice that shines on songs like this one especially.
WWWWOOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW!!
Geez, quite a few Kelly haters here…you know why they picked her? Because she can SING and she’s not BORING and all you people who thought whiney Celine or some opera singer should have done it….it would have sounded the way it ALWAYS sounds….NOT INTERESTING. If there’s anything the church needs, it’s something fresh to attract younger people and make them interested in religion again. She made it different and for the first time I actually enjoyed listening to it, and she looked great…I’ve never heard a better voice.
#91 you obviously know nothing about kelly. she has meet and greets after all of her shows. her fans are some of the best and loyal fans out there. it is obvious you are not a fan of kelly yourself but you should get your information correct before speaking. as for the performance, i think it’s pretty cool that a baptist girl from texas was asked to sing for the pope. what an honor. i have only heard ave maria performed a couple of times and i think kelly really added emotion to the song. i believe she made it a song young people would enjoy listening to and also kept it traditional at the same time. i really enjoyed it. highly inspirational.
All I know is that the (operatic) version of this song that I have brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it. Kelly’s did not move me in that way.
It was for THE POPE. Why on earth was it a PROTESTANT singing??? There are tons of talented CATHOLICS out there-that are you heck of a lot better than garbly voiced Kelly-Why didn’t they get one of them to perform??? As a Catholic, I’m horrified by this!
When in Italy, visitors to places of worship are not permitted entry if they have on a sleeveless dress or shirt. In Italy, with her upper arms bare, Clarkson would have had to wear a sweater or shawl over that dress or be turned away at the door. I cannot believe no one told her how to dress appropriately for this occasion.
Being a performance for the POPE, my guess is that someone told her how to dress. With the magnitude of the event do you really think that no one told her how to dress?? And it wasn’t even a mass, it was just a speech for young people. God! there was a mini concert before he arrived.
Drew- haha then being a Catholic, you’re an idiot. Maybe they shoulda made the rule that only CATHOLICS could travel to Yonkers to see him then? Guys…THIS GUY is the EXACT reason why some people can’t stand Catholics and their religion. Stuck up and stuffy. I’m a Methodist…and watched hours of coverage of the Pope’s journey through D.C. and N.Y. There are others out there who care when the Pope comes to America. People like Drew give you all a bad name.
BEAUTIFUL!!
WHAT AN HONOR!
CAN’T PEOPLE
FOR ONCE??? BE NICE
AND APPRECIATE
THE MOMENT
AND BEAUTIFUL KELLY
THE WOMAN WITH THE BEAUTIFUL VOICE
THIS IS NO PLACE FOR MILEY CYRUS OR
BRITNEY
BEAUTIFUL KELLY!
Kelly must have thought this was going to be one of her “gigs” Ave Maria Is not a pop song and it will never be a pop song. She made the song an embarrassment. She dressed wrong. She Knows Nothing about respect to the Pope, the song, the Catholic Church and most of all God. I am sad about how she stuck out one hand to the Pope and she totally knew nothing about going up to the Pope to greet him, she was totally in the dark about what she was supposed to do. I am shocked someone got this job for her and she thought it was a regular “gig” No way Kelly . YOU MESSED UP. BIGTIME.
Why Kelly Clarkson? How on earth did someone approve this disrespectul version of Ave Maria. I am in disbelief that she actually did what she did, down to the mini dress, and to not even walking up to the Pope to speak to him, What a shame.
Like I said before, and after the video again, I must say: her interpretation is not the best.
Some of you say that her version is better for younger audiences, that it was a Youth Rally. The Catholic Church has been founded, among other things, by the respect to tradition. This song is a classic, is not just about the music, is the message the song has about the Virgin Mary and what she represents for the Catholics. So IT IS IMPORTANT to HONOR the song, and to not try to distort it by making some “NEW” version. Does the Catholic Church has now to redefine all their traditions just to appeal to younger audiences? I don’t think so.
Someone said before that for him (her) the Pope was just another guy, and it was very sad to read that. It is an honor and a priviledge that not all of us had to be able to perform in front of the Pope, as it would be to perform in front of the leader of another religion in the world. And because of that, he deserves to be treated with certain respect, no matter if you are catholic, baptist, methodist, or atheist.
Also, as there is a dress code when you go to a palace to meet a Queen or a King or any other Royalty, there is a code that you must follow when meeting someone like the Pope. It doesn’t matter who you are, when you are going to meet someone as important as him, you should follow the rules and dress properly for the ocassion.
Before finishing, I’d like to say that I really like Kelly Clarkson. I think she is a great performer, she has a really good voice, but she was not the best choice for this performance. Her interpretation and her version of the song were not the best, and someone should have told her that you DO NOT wear a low-cut dress when you are going to sing for the Pope.
Kelly is a very talented lady, and I’m sure all artists, at some point in their careers, have made decisions or performances that are not precisely their best ones.
^^The interpretation is not the best to you, but your opinion is like your *******, irrelevant.
Can you even sing?
All I can say is that I found Kelly’s version to be moving. I thought she was fantastic and I didn’t even know it was her till the announcer mentioned her name at the end. As I listened again I found myself moved to tears because this time, for the first time, I understood the true meaning of the song. Before that, I would’ve never listened to the song. The nay sayers can criticize her version all you want but then you truly miss the point of the rally and his visit. She, not an operatic star speaks to the youth today. His visit was about bridging the gap. Bringing people from all sides together for the purpose of one objective- worship. Making slide comments about her weight show how much the pope’s visit and words were lost upon you.
It concerns me that some of you seem to be worshipping the man and not God himself. The Pope is just a man who has been called to do God’s work. My husband is a preacher. He does God’s work as well. We should never lose sight of the higher power. As for Kelly’s version of “Ave Maria” I thought it was beautiful. I am not as familiar with the song as some of you but I thought she was very sincere in the delivery of the song. I was definitely moved by it. I agree with many of you that this was a youth rally. I don’t think Kelly’s dress was inappropriate at all. She looked beautiful. This should be about bringing the youth closer to God. Kelly is a good role model for young people. She is not seen in the tabloids. She presents herself in a positive light. As a parent, I would have been relieved to see Kelly on that stage as opposed to Britney Spears or Lindsey Lohan. I heard some of you say Whitney Houston could have done a better job with the song but do you really think Whitney is the person you want up there rallying your young people? Think. We have got to get our youth excited about God again. I think someone said this earlier - we must bridge the gap. Do we want to try to do this with someone who is in trouble all the time or do we want to try to show the young people that it can be cool to be a Christian? It is a different time. I know. I am not only the preacher’s wife but a high school teacher. I see how children have changed throughout the years. If Kelly touched one person in that audience by singing her rendition of that song, then her job was done well.
rhonda: love your post. Kelly is a great role model, even though she doesn’t want to be, but you never see her in the tabloids, she never gets in trouble, she’s famous for being the nicest person in hollywood, every person that meets her falls in love with her. And she’s so humble. She’s amazing with her fans, that’s why her fanbase is so loyal to her. And most of all, she truly connects with the songs she sings, she makes us feel what she’s singing, and she sings with so much emotion. You don’t hear that nowadays. That’s why i think she was the perfect choice for this song and this time.
Who are any of you to criticize her? Could you have gotten up there in front of 25,000+ people including the Pope and done better than that?
Right, I didn’t think so. This was a Youth Rally…do you really believe that the youth would rather hear someone they have never heard of before/someone they can’t relate to? Kelly Clarkson is a perfectly normal girl with an extraordinary talent. Her voice is stunning and there was absolutely nothing wrong with her performance.
Hated it. Ave Maria is supposed to be sung with meaning and reverence. Kelly totally sang it like she was at one of her concerts. Loud. As a Catholic, not sure how she was chosen for this event anyway. I can think of plenty of singers who could have done much better.
As a Roman Catholic I was so proud to have the Holy Father in our country.
The song was beautifuly sung by a truly talented artist Kelly Clarkson.
I think she was chosen by the Vatican due to her obvious talent and her wholesome reputation in the music industry.
While she is not a Catholic she is a fellow Christian with an obvious respect for the Pope.
I look forward to listening to the song many times, it draws me closer to Ave Maria’s son - our Lord Jesus Christ.
An article from http://www.vintagepostcard.blogspot.com
Kelly Clarkson
Category: Blogging
There have been constant debates on youtube, myspace, facebook, etc. all weekend about Miss Clarkson. She sang the Ave Maria for the Pope at the Youth Rally on Saturday. Any trained musician could hear that she didn’t know the song, her Latin was poorly pronounced, her breath control was pathetic for a professional singer and the ending three notes were weak and out of tune. Not to mention the fact that she was unable to hold a note very long, and for Schubert’s Ave Maria, you have to.
So what? I guess we should all pretend that it was fantastic? Well that is what all of Kelly’s supporters say, along with death threats and some crude language, to the classically trained ear.
One of the reasons I was a little annoyed was there are thousands of people who could have done a better job. Why didn’t they get someone who is studying opera at Julliard, someone who could have benefited from the exposure, someone who is actually CATHOLIC? Do you know how many young and older Catholics out there pay hard earned money each week for their voice lessons in New York City? Classical singers fight tooth and nail for jobs, for any kind of “break”, so I take this as an ignorant snub to the real musicians out there. And most of them can sing the Ave Maria properly!
OK, Kelly is famous, she has power in the music industry, she has a very large “tween” network of supporters, but after she sang her three pop songs, someone else should have come out to sing the Ave Maria to the Pope. Why was Kelly singing at a Catholic conference anyway? She is a non-practicing Baptist. Was she just a pawn in a game of, “Let’s draw as much attention to the Youth Rally we can get”? Well, Cardinals, you already had the Pope there. If you really think you needed more publicity you are doing it for all of the wrong reasons.
One end note to all of the people out there threatening us Classical Musicians who didn’t like the performance, what ever happened to freedom of speech?
This had to be the most distinguished honor of Kelly Clarkson’s career. Although I am not a fan of Kelly Clarkson’s voice I believe she did a credible job in singing the Ave Maria. She has a lovely voice when she sings “straight” without the trills, screaming or gravelly R&B styled vocals, however, the Ave Maria is a Catholic classic. It has been sung by the world’s greatest operatic and pop vocalists over the years: Artists like Mario Lanza, Lucianno Pavarotti, Bing Crosby, Perry Como , Jerry Vale, Andrea Bocelli and Charlotte Church, just to name a few, have brilliantly performed the classic composition but it must be performed in the style and form that gives honor to the subject matter, the Blessed Virgin Mary. I believe Kelly did give honor and form to the piece although it was too fast in tempo and her Latin was abysmal. That being said it was probably the best “pure” vocal I have ever heard Clarkson perform. Her only other error was she forgot to kiss the Pope’s ring. However, if she is not Catholic that formality is not required.
People who are criticizing the performance are missing the point. The Catholic church is in a state of crisis with more and more people choosing not to follow. This was a youth rally…an opera singer wouldn’t have been the right choice. You take a hugely successful international star with major youth appeal, Kelly Clarkson, and have them sing for the Pope and you garner the interest of 10-25 yr olds. Those are the people the church needs in order to survive. Kelly did a great job! This was a youth rally. Celine Dion would have been appropriate if it was a benefit for adults in their 40s-60s.
A sublimely beautiful performance. She sang this song as Kelly Clarkson, and did not take a rigid approach to a song that should be heartfeld. Her voice was exquisitely suited to this song.
I loved it!!
What a beautiful and emotional performance.
Kelly thank you for the beautiful song.
I am sure that Jesus is so pleased as well as His Mother Mary.
Thank you for being so respectful to the Pope, he, as well as the audience were blessed by your singing.
the problem you guys.. you annoying music experts/critics is that.. you guys would always want to compare a performance to another.
Just stop it.
The performance was unique in it’s own way. So is celine’s rendition and josh grobin’s etc…
it’s like you guys are saying that the holy bible should only be in latin or in english.. but no.. the holy bible is also in arabic, afrikaan, malay, tagalog just like my Quran.
she sang from her heart.. that is what should counts.. i loved the performance… and i have always loved this song.. no matter who is singing it.
a muslim.
p/s - sorry if my english is bad…..
What’s with all the haters in here?
For one thing, Kelly isn’t Catholic… so she wasn’t a “last resort”. Secondly, the Pope likes this version of the song, so she sang it. Also, she is familiar with the song, because before the performance she talked about past experiences singing that TRADITIONAL version of the song. So what if you don’t like her pronunciation of latin? I can’t speak latin either! You know why? BECAUSE I’M FROM AMERICA AND I’M NOT CATHOLIC… just like she’s not. Why the heck would i speak a dead language? lol
And I’d also like to set the record straight for the bashers claiming they don’t like her because she stood up to Clive Davis. She did stand up to Clive, yes, but she wasn’t disrespectful to him at all. She apologized for anything that could have sounded harsh, so what’s the problem? She wanted to make an album she could call her own, and she did. I commend her for that. She isn’t a hypocrite for making a pop album right now, she’s smart. She finally has a compromise with her label, because obviously if she weren’t to do a pop album, she could end up in danger of losing her record deal… and where would that get her? Nowhere. Stop bashing and use logic. Kelly’s not as dimwitted as so many people think she is.
Who cares about being polished or whatever. You “professional opera singers” are lame. I love classical music and understand how it “should” sound. But this is Kelly Clarkson. She was there for a YOUTH GATHERING. I don’t think the catholic youth wanted to hear from an Opera singer. And Kelly by far has the best voice of any YOUNG popular singer. Think about it.
I thought it was one of the worst renditions of the hymn I’ve ever heard. Her voice is not right for the song, and her style was terrible. the composer is rolling in his grave.
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