Tried to send this yesterday, but apparently it didn't go through. One more try! :-)
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--- In vocalist-temporary@yahoogroups.com, Michael <chosdad@y...& >As has been mentioned, there are plenty of contralto voices >singing "bass" in the Sweet Adelines, so it's not a shortage from >biology. I suspect too that there might be a certain prejudice >against contraltos and so voice teachers might tend to steer wide- >ranging contralto voices towards higher keys - I recall Leslie Jones >(list member and contralto) writing about originally being trained as >a soprano. Sorry if I'm off base here.
No, Michael, you do remember correctly! I've had no time of late to join in the discussions, but I have been following them, and Michael makes some good points. Yes, I think there is a certain prejudice, or maybe a better term is "disbelief", toward the contralto voice. I've heard low mezzos who might legitimately call themselves contraltos say that they *choose* to bill themselves as mezzos rather than contraltos simply so they will be hired. That's not a choice I can really make, since having dabbled with various teachers in every conceivable female fach (except dramatic soprano) before finding this one that immediately felt like home, there's no sense in me trying to disguise myself as anything else -- some can do that, but for me, it just doesn't work.
By the way, there was discussion a few messages back about the types of roles that these low female voices sing -- the topic for my lecture-recital portion of my doctoral work was: "Hags, Harlots, Hellions, and Hexes: Vocal Roles for Low Women." :-)
Leslie Jones
Leslie Jones, D.M.A.; contralto Asst. Professor, Dept. of Music Southeast Missouri State Univ. LJones@s... - (573) 651-2339
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