[Magdalen] Counter-tenors

[Marion Thompson]

Yep.  And  Soooooooooound the trumpet!  Soooooooooound the trumpet!  Sound
the trumpet!  Sound the trumpet!  Soooound  Sooound  etc.,

Marion, a pilgrim

On Mon, Nov 23, 2020 at 6:53 PM Mahoney, W. Michael <wmmah at stoneledge.net>
wrote:

> I have that recording, too.
>
> "See nature rejoicing has shown us the way,
> With innocent revels, to welcome the day."
>
> Loved it then, love it still.
>
>
> Mike Mahoney
> Stoneledge
> 446 Long Mountain Road
> Washington, VA 22747
>
>
>
> On Mon, Nov 23, 2020 at 6:35 PM Marion Thompson <marionwhitevale at gmail.com
> >
> wrote:
>
> > I cut my teeth on Alfred Deller and still have the Oiseau Lyre recording
> of
> > Come, ye Sons of Art' that I bought around the mid 50s.   I noted his
> > plaque at Southwark Cathedral.
> >
> > Marion, a pilgrim
> >
> > On Mon, Nov 23, 2020 at 6:08 PM Jay Weigel <jay.weigel at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > I met the American countertenor Russell Oberlin when I was quite young,
> > > thanks to an odd set of circumstances involving a childhood friend of
> my
> > > father's who was, at the time, playing with the New York Pro Musica. I
> > sat
> > > quietly and listened to the conversation, but all I remember from it
> was
> > > the wee nugget that there were pretty much two types of
> > > countertenors--those who were baritones singing falsetto, and those who
> > > just never stopped singing in that range. Mr. Oberlin said that he had
> > just
> > > never lost his upper register. I remember thinking it was kind of odd,
> > > because when he spoke he sounded like any other adult male. I think I
> was
> > > about 12 or 13 at the time.
> > >
> > > On Mon, Nov 23, 2020 at 2:16 PM Romain Kang <romain at kzsu.stanford.edu>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > > There used to be an ongoing dispute about what "counter-tenor" is
> > > > supposed to mean.  Historically, the term came from having 3-part
> > > > polyphony with the cantus firmus roughly corresponding to modern
> tenor
> > > > range, with "contratenor bassus" below and "contratenor altus" above.
> > > > Hence, the modern "bass" and "alto."
> > > >
> > > > I'm not sure where the lines are currently drawn, but one school used
> > > > "countertenor" to refer to any adult male singing in the alto range
> or
> > > > higher.  Within that category are "falsettists" who can also
> > comfortably
> > > > sing in the bass to baritone range, though vocal production is
> clearly
> > > > different between high and low ranges.  Then there are "haut-contres"
> > > > (term borrowed from French) whose vocal compass extends into the
> higher
> > > > ranges without obvious difference in tone/production.
> > > >
> > > > I have the film, "Countertenors" on a DVD I've been meaning to watch
> > > > for several years now, but it's still gathering dust in its original
> > > > shrinkwrap...
> > > >
> > > > Romain
> > > >
> > > > On Fri, Nov 20, 2020 at 10:18:30PM +0000, Roger Stokes via Magdalen
> > > wrote:
> > > > > I have long thought that traditional men and boys choirs have
> > suffered
> > > > from
> > > > > a lack of depth in the Alto part. This evening I have been
> listening
> > to
> > > > the
> > > > > transmission of a concert version of Handel's opera "Ariodante".
> > While
> > > > the
> > > > > title role (which was originally sung by a castrato) was sung by a
> > > > > mezzo-soprano another major male roile was sung by a counter-tenor.
> > > This
> > > > is
> > > > > in the vocal range of an Alto but has far more depth of timbre than
> > can
> > > > be
> > > > > offered by men singing falsetto.
> > > > >
> > > > > Roger
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
>