Author Topic: Sir Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber slam 'bonkers politically correct teachers' for changing the lyrics in Joseph song  (Read 305 times)

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Wingnut

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......from 'Children of Israel' to 'Children of Kindness'


Sir Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber slammed 'moronic' teachers for changing the lyrics in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat from 'Children of Israel' to 'Children of Kindness'.

Lyricist Sir Tim Rice- who worked on the musical alongside Mr Webber - criticised the edit as a 'bonkers' attempt to be 'politically correct'.

Close Every Door is sung by Joseph in prison and includes the words: 'Children of Israel are never alone [...] for we have been promised a land of our own.'

But the lyrics were changed in a production sponsored by Wellington city council at the children's festival Artsplash, in New Zealand, something for which Sir Tim, 72, said permission had not been given.

The change was first noticed by Twitter user, Kate Dowling, who wrote to Wellington city council and to Sir Tim, to ask for clarification.

According to the Daily Telegraph, he told the Chalke Valley History Festival: 'It was quite a big thing, it was for all schools in the Wellington area in New Zealand.

'We came down on them like a tonne of bricks and they said "we wanted to make it easier for the children".

'I thought the point of teaching was to teach children to cope with hard things in life.

'I mean Joseph is an innocent story straight from the Bible and these people in New Zealand thought we were making statements about Israel and Palestine - bonkers.'

Lloyd Webber later waded into to the dispute to back Sir Tim.

He told The Observer: 'Tim is quite right. You cannot reinvent a Bible story. That song is a serious moment and a key point in the show.

'It is about the connection Joseph suddenly makes with Israel. Tim was paraphrasing the Bible and it should be kept that way.'

The local council in the area later apologised saying a 'community coordinator made an error in judgment', and the songs would be performed in their original versions in the show.

The coordinator of the New Zealand arts festival where the song will be performed in September said: 'Action has been taken over the weekend to ensure that the original song words are all reinstated, with immediate effect.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4660796/Sir-Tim-Rice-Andrew-Lloyd-Webber-slam-change-lyrics.html#ixzz4mSioadqG