| From: Karen H=E9bert To: VOCALIST <vocalist> Subject: Re: Choral singing Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>
--On 28 January 2000, 11:59 -0800 "Craig Tompkins" t> wrote:
> I hope that I'm not opening a huge can of worms with this, but I must agree that too many choral directors are responsible for promoting poor vocal technique. In the Vancouver Chamber Choir, we do not try to blend with each other, that is to say we do not try to homogenize the sound so that for example, all five tenors sound alike. Rather we try to sing the identical vowel at the same dynamic as the singers around us with clear, n= on breathy sound. We call this balancing. > There, I had to get that off my chest! I'm glad you did, do you feel better for it!? But seriously Craig, I've sung with the City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus for 16years and encountered this "blending" idea. Its Sooo Wrong! as you said. I'm sure a voice problem I developed was exacerbated by my (misplace= d) enthusiasm to become part of the required homogenous sound. However, recently the chorus master has arranged a seating plan where you never sit next to a voice that is simular to your own, quite complicated to organise but possible. It took a bit of getting used to but this acknowledgement of our individuality has been important in the development of the choir. I li= ke your term "balancing" when used in this context. By the way I think the CBSC is visiting Vancouver in August. Karen ------------------------------------------ Karen H=E9bert Senior Research Technician, Media Unit Cambridge Institute for Medical Research Box 139 Addenbrooke's Hospital Cambs CB2 2XY E.Mail kah33-at-cam.ac.uk
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