Dear Mary Beth and Vocalisters
As a former choir director I am well aware of the kind of problem you
are facing. It has always been a source of surprise to me that so
many choir directors have so little understanding or appreciation for
the healthy, natural tone quality of high school voices that are
properly trained. The primary cause of their error is a desire to
create a "choral tone" that does not give proper consideration to the
quality of tone of the members in their groups. The emphasis on a
perceived choral sound requires that all members of the group must
meet that tonal ideal.
The finest high school choirs I have heard are those that build their
choral tone out of the natural raw material of the voices in the
group. Choral blend is necessary but it is best achieved by
combining the various tones available and creating an "orchestration"
of choral tone much as a symphony writer orchestrates with the tones
available in the instrumental ensemble. Perhaps you could meet with
this choral director and share ideas about such concepts. It will
become more difficult for him to create problems for you if you
maintain a contact with him that is at least an attempt to discuss
differences.
As an addendum. Raising the soft palate has the simultaneous counter
action of lowering the larynx. Raising the larynx has the
simultaneous counter action of lowering the soft palate. Also, it is
not really possible to raise the soft palate on command. What
happens instead is that the soft palate becomes excessively tense but
it does not raise. And the tension so created, makes the tone harsh
and metallic in quality. The soft palate is raise by indirect means
as I mentioned in another note i made today.
--
Lloyd W. Hanson, DMA
Professor of Voice, Pedagogy
School of Performing Arts
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ 86011
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