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From:  Edward Norton <belcantist2003@y...>
Date:  Thu Feb 27, 2003  3:02 pm
Subject:  Church Choir Alto Issue: i.e. Short-Ranged Sopranos Aren't Altos...


Dear Listers:

A colleague called me the other evening. 2.5 hours later, I'd advised him about
a potential solution to his church choir alto issue.

This issue has been and still is an issue for me as well. My "fix" was cheaper
than his had been. He called in a mezzo voice teacher who worked with the
singers. I hastily add here that I've not worked with his singers, nor have I
heard these singers personally. I also greatly respect the level of dedication
these singers have to their church choir. They simply aren't altos.

In this "tell-all" age in which we are living and working, some of us, myself
included, have difficulties with not getting our full dollar value. A
"short-ranged soprano" will never be an alto (mezzo-soprano or contralto).
Period. Thru the many years I've worked with church choirs only one trick has
emerged. Even this "trick" is no wonder bra for an anemic volunteer alto
section.

I vocalise these singers on a simple vocalise given me by a wonderful
internationally known and respected mezzo-soprano. Again, it helps, but it's no
"wonder bra"! Here goes: Beginning in the key of D Major have the singers
sing like they'd imagine an opera singer singing the syllables: ee, ee, ee, ee,
AW (on 5,4,3,2,1).

Having "Madame" come in and work with them can provide them with a mental
picture of what they should sound like. As voice teachers, we're concerned
about letting singers imitate "other singers" on a full-time basis, although
choirmasters who participate in the Royal School of Church Music regularly
require their sopranos to imitate the white tone (the directors imagine) that
boy sopranos have. At best, one can detect some improvement in the tone of the
volunteer "altos". (Note: my colleague spent the big bucks and had little or
no "return" on his music budjet money!) This is the "best case scenario". I'm
afraid that in the real world, they continue to sing as they always have.

A dearly departed colleague gave me a sign for my choir room in 1982. It never
has been displayed there, nor will it ever be. It simply reads "Never try to
teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig."! Again, these
ladies are doing their best. We can't expect apples to become oranges on
Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings! Also in the early 80s a colleague
bragged to me about his "glorious alto soloist". I was singing the bass solo in
the Bach cantata we were singing at the time. I invited a mezzo-soprano friend
to attend the performance because both of us hadn't heard a contralto perform
this cantata. The time for the aria arrived, the soloist stood and the sound
that issued forth was...you've got it...a short-ranged soprano (under pitch,
breathy, poor tone quality)!!

I feel I handled the inquiry proactively. Does anyone else on this list know
any "secret recipes" I've yet to find?

Thanks!

Ed



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  Replies Name/Email Yahoo! ID Date  
22930 Re: Church Choir Alto Issue: i.e. Short-Ranged Sopranos Aren't AltosMargaret L. Harrisonpeggyliebman Thu  2/27/2003  
22934 Re: Church Choir Alto Issue: i.e. Short-Ranged Sopranos Aren't AltosLeslie Christopherleskayc Thu  2/27/2003  
22959 Re: Church Choir Alto Issue: i.e. Short-Ranged Sopranos Aren't AltosEdward Nortonbelcantist2003 Fri  2/28/2003  
22938 Re: Church Choir Alto Issue: i.e. Short-Ranged Sopranos Aren't AltosEdgewoodVoiceStudioedgewoodvoicestudio Thu  2/27/2003  
22955 Re: Church Choir Alto Issue: i.e. Short-Ranged Sopranos Aren't AltosEdward Nortonbelcantist2003 Fri  2/28/2003  
22963 Re: Church Choir Alto Issue: i.e. Short-Ranged Sopranos Aren't AltosEdward Nortonbelcantist2003 Fri  2/28/2003  
22965 Re: Church Choir Alto Issue: i.e. Short-Ranged Sopranos Aren't AltosEdgewoodVoiceStudioedgewoodvoicestudio Fri  2/28/2003  
22968 Re: Church Choir Alto Issue: i.e. Short-Ranged Sopranos Aren't AltosEdward Nortonbelcantist2003 Fri  2/28/2003  
22986 Re: Church Choir Alto Issue: i.e. Short-Ranged Sopranos Aren't AltosSteve Fraser <Steve.Fraser@j...>dstevenfraser Fri  2/28/2003  
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