Bridging the Gap

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The Vienna Boys' Choir, arguably the most famous boys' choir, and one of the oldest boy music group in the world, is a cultural phenomenon. The boys are immensely popular worldwide and sing to sell-out crowds wherever they perform. Curt Faudon's film explores the Choir's universal appeal. In Bridging the Gap the boys discuss on camera why people sing, why they sing. 'Singing makes you grin, you cannot help it,' says one of them, while another volunteers, 'Singing consoles me.' Lukas has to think a bit before he admits to liking wild applause best of all, because that way he knows the choir has done a good job. Ivan cannot think of anything but becoming an opera singer, and Thomas explains how singing makes him feel connected with himself and others. They agree you need to connect with your audience. If you do, you can pretty much bridge any gap. They put the theory to the test, singing to (and with) other children and adults, in New Zealand, in India, in the United States. They demonstrate that singing overcomes differences between people, but also space, and ultimately time. The camera follows the boys at home and on their international tours, discovering new songs en route. The boys are seen rehearsing and performing with musicians from around the world. Bridging the gap between religions, the boys sing Hindu, Apache, Ringatu, and Christian spiritual music. We witness auditions in Japan, and Singapore, we see the boys rehearse alone and in groups, we see and hear their voices and their personalities develop, we watch them perform. We get a good idea of how difficult it is to get ready for a performance, and how much work the boys and their tutors and coaches have to put in. Bridging the Gap affords the viewer a privileged look backstage; we experience how music is made: by making music visible, the film bridges the gap between the performers and their audience.