Les Choristes, Jean-Baptist Maunier

There is a really good movie that I like called “Les Choristes”, a French film about a school for troubled boys, a very unhappy place until a new teacher arrives and forms the boys into a choir.
It was directed by Christophe Barratier and introduces us to Jean-Baptiste Maunier, a boy with a suspiciously angelic face and a great voice.

The soundtrack was recorded by Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint Marc and they later made a concert appearance as Les Choristes which led to a concert CD and a DVD. This group is not a boy’s choir but a mixed choir with several talented girls. The main attraction though is Jean-Baptiste Maunier. It’s a delight to watch him sing, especially when he goes for the high notes, but he doesn’t do all of the solos. Emmanuel Lize earns a big share of the applause as well as a couple of the girls who also sang solos.

They perform some great songs like Open Thou Mine Eyes, Pueri Concinite and Caresse Sur L’Ocean. Most of the songs, unsurprisingly, are in French so I don’t know what they are saying but it doesn’t matter. They are a treat. Most of the French songs I have never heard before and that‘s always nice. Also, when they sing in English they have the most charming accents.

It seemed odd to me that, on stage, their pants legs stop at mid-calf. I guess it's a French style.