Dear Lloyd & Listers:
I became aware of the "yawn-sigh" thru the teaching of Weldon Whitlock.
Whitlock was on the bel canto side of voice teaching and William Vennard was on
the scientific side. From what Whitlock informed me, they remained friends
until Vennard's death. Whitlock died in 1983, and as far as I know, he was
promoting the business of "singing thru a yawn" right up until his death. Of
course, Vennard's greatest pupil, Marilyn Horne, produces to this day a lovely
tone that is anything BUT swallowed, although I'm certain within an inch of my
life that many will find fault with her voice. I heard her in 1974, 1985 and
again in 2001! She was very consistent and I hope I'll be doing that well in
my 70s!! I only hope her critics will sing as beautifully as Ms. Horne does
in her 70s when they're in THEIR 70s!
In the late 80s I sang under a choral clinician who knew Horne at the time she
was studying with Vennard. He was STILL using the "yawn-sigh" that recently!
I don't like a "swallowed" tone and don't allow my singers to use it, if I have
any control in the matter.
I say "If it works, don't "fix" it!!"!!
Ed
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