Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Choral voices
Some choirs are ALL about blend. Letting NO individual voice stick out and creating absolute unison. To a point sometimes it doesn't even sound human, it just floats. But, is this necessarily better than choirs that don't have blend as their main focus? I kind of like it when the voices sound much more like... voices. There are so many different styles out there, which one do you like and which one would you teach in a choral setting. Maybe what you like and what you would like to achieve with your choir are the same thing... maybe i'm thinking too much and this is a stupid question...
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3 comments:
I appriciate this thought because i often wonder the same thing. I came from a high school choir that was not allowed to use the word BLEND. It was considerd a four letter word which to our choir director was not allowed as well(i.e. can't)...But he's philosophy was that if we all sing out as soloist, no one will stick out. I truely believe that because it worked. NOW im at westminster and its all about BLEND. Im having a pretty hard time ajusting being that i have such a loud and heavy voice. Not that i cant switch into my head voice and sing like a "boy" tenor but i just am not use to it....
I think a choir is all about blending. A choir is a group voices with one sound. A choir strives for one sound.
There are multiple voice ensembles. but ENSEMBLE is the key word. I remember being in a singing ensemble in high school where we sang musical numbers from RENT. we all had our solos and it was neat when we all came together at the coda.
I agree with Dave. In choir, it is not about being an individual. It is about working, learning, and communicating with others to make one sound. This doesn't mean everyone has to sound same. it's almost like a puzzle, all the pieces are different shapes and sizes, but when you put them together they make a whole.
That's what I hated most about Chapel Choir during the first few rehearsals, it felt like everyone was competing to be heard instead of thinking about the music. Just as much beauty can be found in a choir singing in unison, feeling the music together, the sound, the rhythm, the emotion, all the while blending beautifully, as a solo singer singing their heart out in a tragic aria.
That doesn't mean you can't have individuality at all in choir singing. For example, in my high school where blending was SO important to my teacher, individuality came out in your faces and body language while you sang. You jsut have to find it in other places.
Save the sticky-outy solo for studio and performance class.
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