Vocal Advice

I am a high-mezzo (I’ve been told), with an aging voice (I am almost 60). It is still clear and good, but I have lost some of my upper range (my middle range is great!) I have a fair amount of choral experience, but have often had trouble figuring out which vocal part to sing. Usually, I could “switch around” from 1st alto to 2nd soprano somewhat, but am currently in a choir which doesn’t allow this; the current music is way too low, in the alto section (but the 2nd soprano part is too high, as I’ve lost my high notes). I can sing usually the alto easier than the soprano in an SATB choir, but this time around, it’s like a straight second alto (a bit too low), and I don’t want to sing too low for an entire performance, either. I am afraid of ruining what voice I have, either by singing too high or too low. I don’t want to stop singing, and cannot afford voice lessons.

I was thinking that perhaps a women’s choir would be the answer (in which I could sing straight 2nd Soprano). Suggestions?

ANSWER: Sometimes it’s good just to be able to “think out loud” isn’t it?!

Your thinking is sensible, and I think you’ve worked out the best solution yourself.  The best scenario - as you suggest - is to find an all-ladies ensemble and choose what is most comfortable for your voice - either soprano 2 or, alto 1.  Don’t remain in a situation in which you have to STAY too high or STAY too low for prolonged periods of time.  You are right to protect your voice.  Most choral literature does not require the situation you describe, but since you find yourself there, I would advise seeking the solution you propose.

If, on the other hand, you really like the choir in which you’re currently singing, you may request and choose to sit out this performance and rejoin when literature for the next performance, that does not place the same demands on your voice, is being learned.  (Now I’m thinking “out loud.”) Not all choirs allow this kind of membership-flexibility, but if yours does, this could be an alternate solution.

Best wishes.

…particularly for an a capella group of 4-5 voices?  Whose voice should we mainly listen to, to tune to?

ANSWER: You ask good questions.

Good vocal blend is achieved by a combination of factors. Each singer should be comfortable producing about the same amount of sound. The converse is to say that blend will be difficult to achieve if you have some very big heavy voices and some very light weak voices. Each and all voices should be comparatively the same in strength and intensity. If there is ever one particular voice that needs to be heard more than others, it’s the one that carries the tune, melody or theme. However, this often changes with the arrangement of the piece or even within the same piece.

Each singer needs to be able to sing perfectly in tune. When you all sing the very same pitch (not an octave apart) it should sound like a perfect unison - one unit, rather than 4 or 5 people producing something on the same pitch but sounding different. This requires that each singer listens carefully to his/her neighbor and to the entire ensemble’s sound.

Another factor is that everyone in the ensemble must pronounce every syllable - every vowel and consonant - identically. Vowels should agree. No one should “stick out” because their vowel production and pronunciation is markedly different from everyone else’s.

When harmony is tight - that is, close together, it’s often a good idea for all singers to sing “straight tone” (without vibrato) so that tuning can be exact and exciting. By the same token a quartet from the Romantic Period, say by Brahms, needs a lot of warmth and energy (vibrato).  Straight-tone singing ought not to be a habit.

The last thing that will help an a cappella group sound exciting is for them to sing in absolute precision rhythmically.
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