To: "VOCALIST" <vocalist>
Subject: Re: Castrati
Date sent: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 23:39:18 -0700
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2000 17:59:40 EST
From: Axwell-at-aol.com
Subject: Re: Castrati

In a message dated 1/18/00 12:00:47 PM Pacific Standard Time,
vocalist writes:

<< 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. >>

When a boy is castrated (it must be before puberty) they then lack
testosterone and the voice stays feminine.


James here....

It is important to remember that castration in no way guarantees a good
singing voice and from what I have read many were mutilated because of a
families high hopes (and the churches need) only to end up with an
unpleasant singing voice. There should be quite a lot of info on this in
the archives and I remember an intrusting thread about this a year or more
ago.


Peace and love from the high desert of northern New Mexico,

Saint James
mailto:stjames-at-la-tierra.com
http://www.la-tierra.com/stjames

"J'ai seul la clef de cette parade sauvage."
(I alone have the key to this savage parade)
Les Illuminations, Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891)

http://www.la-tierra.com/stjames/parade.htm

Quidquid latine dictum sit, alutum vidiur.