Home » Discussion Forums » Blog Post Discussion » Howling at the Moon
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| Re: Howling at the Moon [message #44743 is a reply to message #44735 ] |
Wed, 07 September 2011 23:41   |
 Joseph-ine
Messages: 53
Registered: April 2011 |
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| Catlady wrote on Thu, 08 September 2011 10:09 |
Maybe Catlady and I are odd.
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Maybe, but I am pretty sure at least two of the ladies also in the choir may have their break in similar spot to you both. However since they are not here to chime in, I'd say our stats are probably lacking a bit of spread.
My other fond ambition—the first one being that I become both good and confident enough to survive an audition to a slightly better quality choir—is to regain three octaves. I’m nearly there now very late at night after a couple of glasses of champagne on a really good free open flexible day, which would not be recently, but I want three RELIABLE octaves.
Ahh champagne. funnily enough reminds me of an old school choir event (okay so no alcohol then after all), but that year we had to sing "lift thine eyes" acapella (girls school so with two soprano groups and the altos). We always had a tendency to start on the right note, but slid down somewhat through the song and tended on the flat side on the end. One day near the end of a term, the entire choir is just lolling around sitting on the choir stands, consuming copious amounts of chocolate, and the choir mistress decided we should have another go at it as we were - still eating chocolate. Sucess! Perfect note at the end - the moral of this story - sometimes chocolate can be good for the singing voice! One wonders what chocolate AND champagne might produce?
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| Re: Howling at the Moon [message #44746 is a reply to message #44734 ] |
Thu, 08 September 2011 05:17 |
harpergray
Messages: 87
Registered: March 2011
Location: Sweden |
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I am also happy to hear that the hellhounds have been a bit more cooperative today. While I'm not entirely sure how to properly well-wish without invoking the Wrath of Jinx...once I figure out, it shall be done.
Harpergray: In my experience, it doesn’t seem so much that singing alto is unfeminine, it’s that we do so well as a harmonious base line.
Yes. BOOOORING.
Hehe. Well, yes. I won't deny that. Proof that femininity can still be boring, I suppose?
Well, Nadia, who is a soprano, says that part of the diva-ness is that sopranos’ voices are so much more exposed, which is the other side, I think, of what you’re saying. But that means that soprano confidence problems are going to be more exposed too, I guess.
It was indeed - I was coming at it from the alto side, where we just sort of watch it happen. That's not to say that it doesn't happen among us as well, but if you have confidence problems as an alto it doesn't stand out nearly as much.
Yes, and if I’m singing alto principal I’m old, ugly, pathetic, and the butt of bad jokes. I love G&S but I don’t love Gilbert for his broad-mindedness.
True. In some cases, though, the alto principal is actually one of the most interesting characters in the piece. Iolanthe, for an obvious one, but if she's played well then I've found Katisha to be a really excellent character. Old and the butt of jokes, yes, but she leaves quite a bit of room for creating the depth that many of his characters often lack. Then again, though, I grew up the child of Queen Victoria (my mother's appointment once she retired from the chorus) and thus was obliged to see the shows every year since I was old enough to sit quietly through them through to leaving for University. In short, I may have given this more thought than is particularly necessary...
It would be more fun if she were a better alto. It’s a great song and she performs it well, but she’s not a hearty resonant baritone.
Indeed, and I actually posted this particular version mostly for her delivery, as that's what makes it for me. There are certainly other ones out there sung by much better altos. 
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| Re: Howling at the Moon [message #44758 is a reply to message #44734 ] |
Thu, 08 September 2011 21:01 |
judith
Messages: 249
Registered: October 2008
Location: United States |
Senior Member |
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| Quote: |
Harpergray: In my experience, it doesn’t seem so much that singing alto is unfeminine, it’s that we do so well as a harmonious base line.
Yes. BOOOORING. Which is why despite my confidence problems and what is probably my natural range, I will probably stay among the sopranos till Ravenel positively turfs me out.
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Boring?!?! Oh, I beg to differ. I wouldn't sing soprano, and therefore in almost all cases melody, for the world. Occasionally the sopranos get something interesting, like a descant, but it's very rare. In mixed sex choirs the altos get to blend in the middle with fantastic harmonies that challenge you musically, and in single-sex choirs -- oh, then the second altos get to shine, holding up the bottom and still weaving in and out of an intricate harmonic line with the totality being a purity of sound unknown in a mixed sex group.
When I'm in groups of people who are just singing for fun I find myself automatically finding a harmonic line and singing it instead of the melody because it's just so much more interesting.
I will admit that true sopranos have a lovely, pure quality to their tone, but then so do true altos. A choir of sopranos singing their line alone is a beautiful thing to hear for its light, clear sound. A choir of altos singing their line alone is a beautiful thing to hear for its richness and depth. One is what one is and one is stuck with it.
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| Re: Howling at the Moon [message #44811 is a reply to message #44804 ] |
Mon, 12 September 2011 12:52 |
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Robyn Sue
Messages: 112
Registered: November 2010
Location: Texas |
Senior Member |
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| Stardancer wrote on Mon, 12 September 2011 07:50 |
| judith wrote on Thu, 08 September 2011 21:01 |
When I'm in groups of people who are just singing for fun I find myself automatically finding a harmonic line and singing it instead of the melody because it's just so much more interesting.
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One of my good friends, a lovely crystal soprano, sang 1st soprano when we were in high school. In college, her new director placed her in the 2nd sopranos. It was funny to see how excited she was when she realized that the harmonies she got to sing were often more challenging and interesting than the melodies.
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That's true. The second violin parts seem to be a bit more trickier than the first violins. I was happy to play second violin because I didn't have to play the high notes that I was bad at.
Am I crazy if listen to the voices in my little world? :D
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