Organization: Plainview-Rover Public Schools
To: vocalist
Date sent: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 14:05:07 -600
Subject: Re: Castrati
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

Castration does not alter the voice itself. What occurs in a nutshell
is that it would keep the boy from maturing naturally. This enabled
them to keep the boy soprano and combine it with the physical
attributes of a man after physically maturing giving the voice more
power and brilliance. It is really interesting to read up on the
practice of castrati. Another interesting piece of fiction to read on
castrati is a Anne Rice novel....I forget the name of the novel sorry.

Date sent: Mon, 17 Jan 2000 23:56:01 +0200
From: vocalist (WebMonitor mail)
To: vocalist
Subject: Castrati
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

> (next-url) /submitted.html
> (message)
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Can someone please tell me how castration alters the voice?
> I read that about 4 thousand boys were castrated in the 17th
> century every year to enable them to have the most beautiful voices to sing in the churches.
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>


John Peoples
Music
Plainview-Rover School
Plainview, AR
jpeoples-at-prhs.afsc.k12.ar.us