Dear Steve and List:
--- In vocalist-temporary@yahoogroups.com, "Steve Fraser
<Steve.Fraser@j...>" <Steve.Fraser@j...> wrote:
> You want to hear countertenors in the South?
> They are already accepted and doing quite well, thank you, singing
> two types of music with great success and respect of other
> musicians, and audience enjoyment: Barbershop (as the 'tenor'
part, above
> the 'lead') and Gospel music, especially in male quartets.
As one who used to attempt barbershop tenor, I find the barbershop
tenor as countertenor to be an interesting topic.
The SPEBSQSA web-site has a document
http://www.spebsqsa.org/web/groups/public/documents/pages/pub_cb_00228
.hcsp
that actually refers to the barbershop tenor as a countertenor
voice. Others in barbershop will vehemently deny that the barbershop
tenor is any kind of countertenor. Older arrangements generally
restrict the "tenor" to tenor range (high C and below), although the
tessitura is high.
There is an interesting trend these days to have quartets with higher
voices - so the "baritone" is sometimes a tenor, the lead is a tenor,
and the tenor is a high tenor/countertenor. I found a tag the other
day of "Platinum" and realized their baritone (he's really good -
Tony DeRosa) was singing a high Bb on one tag, and presumably
the "tenor" was somewhere around high Eb or so.
I have posted a sound clip in the files section (Pretty little
horses) featuring a short tag/solo by Drew Kirkman of Michigan Jake
(taken from their web-site) - it's very pretty and illustrates the
singing of one highly regarded barbershop tenor. It's not very high
in absolute terms, but it's a high tessitura.
In general, as Steve mentioned, the barbershop tenor sings a harmony
part about a third above the melody and needs to sing softly much of
the time. But it's great to have a true full-voice tenor who can
wail when needed!
Cheers,
Michael Gordon
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