Music, music, music

I like odd things, odd information, odd pictures, quirkiness of all sorts, so when it comes to music I was charmed the first time I heard a counter tenor. Actually I'm still charmed. Something about not being able to pick whether I'm listening to a male or a female voice intrigues me. I have learnt being in the same room with a counter tenor is far less fun. Standing next to one, as Ditz unreliably informs me, is even less fun.

One of our treble singers also has a pretty good baritone & last night we got a demonstration of his ability to slide between his baritone range & his treble range. Then we got the lecture on why good posture is so important & how the voice actually works & why boys' voices don't actually *break*. I just have to share. This is fascinating stuff people! I sorta got to learn how they do that!

Inside the oesophagus (about where the Adam's apple is) there are 4 *vocal folds* ~ don't ask. I don't understand biology so this bit I take on faith. The back ones are where you sing from in the lower registers, the front ones for the higher but regardless of where you sing you need good posture or the muscles develop lopsidedly. I can only imagine what that does to one's singing! Ditz, who is something of a sloucher soaked it all up & perceptibly straightened in her chair.

All this because at present the ensemble is working on Benjamin Britten's carols for the Qpac stuff at the end of the year singing firsts, seconds & thirds so lots of work is still needed. Ditz is singing seconds, right next to our treble singer. She comes home with her ears absolutely ringing. The sopranos actually make my ears ache & the acoustics in the music room seem to double the sound so with two strong male trebles & 10 high girl sopranos it becomes a little overwhelming at times. One drowns in sound.

I'm rather pleased Ditz is singing seconds because she tends to rehearse in the car. We have a very small car! Ouch! The seconds & thirds groups are rather small & I admit to generally having a preference for the deeper sounds but I must confess I really like the unearthly ethereal sound Alison gets from her ensemble for this music. Ditz doesn't like it much but I adore it. Yep, it's not your usual run of the mill music!

Ditz is also starting to compose her own music & I really wish I knew more about the process because I can't help her with this. I am hoping Sian, her piano teacher, can help her with the notation so she can copyright it & we can keep a record for her school work. I do like learning new things about stuff that truly interests me.