Boy soprano

A male soprano (British[1][2] and especially North American English)[3] or boy treble (only British English)[4] is a young male singer with a voice in the soprano range, a range that is often still called the treble voice range (in North America too) no matter how old.

Origins

In the Anglican and English Catholic liturgical traditions (in which girls and women did not sing in church choirs), young male choristers were normally referred to as "trebles" rather than as male sopranos,[5] but today the term "boy trebles" is increasingly common (girls with high voices are trebles too). The term "treble" derives from the Latin triplum, used in 13th and 14th century motets to indicate the third and highest range, which was sung above the tenor part (which carried the tune) and the alto part. Another term for that range is superius. The term "treble" itself was first used in the 15th century.[6][7] Trebles have an average range of A3 to F5 (220–700 Hz).[8]

The term boy soprano originated with Dr Henry Stephen Cutler (1825–1902), choirmaster of the Cecilian Choir, New York, who used the term for both the choir members and soloists, who were church choristers, when giving concerts in public halls. The earliest use found can be traced to a choral festival at Irving Hall, New York, in May 1866.[9]

Short-lived range

The general vocal range of an adult female soprano is C4–C6 (highlighted), with notes unreachable by an average Treble marked in red (B5–C6).

Most trebles have a comfortable range from the A below "middle C" (A3, 220 Hz) to the F one and a half octaves above "middle C" (F5, 698 Hz),[10] roughly corresponding to an adult male baritone range, up one octave. Some writing demands higher notes; the Anglican church repertory, which many trained trebles to sing, frequently demands G5 (784 Hz) and A5 (880 Hz).[11] Some trebles, however, can extend their voices higher in the modal register to "high C" (C6, 1046 Hz). The high C is considered the defining note of the soprano voice type. For high notes see, for example, the treble solo at the beginning of Stanford's Magnificat in G, David Willcocks' descant to Mendelssohn's tune for the carol Hark, the Herald Angels Sing, the even higher treble solo from Gregorio Allegri's Miserere, and the treble part in the Nunc Dimittis from Tippett's Evening Canticles written for St John's College, Cambridge. Many trebles are also able to reach higher notes by use of the whistle register but this practice is rarely called for[12] and writing above high C is very rare in choral music of any kind.

As a boy approaches and begins to undergo puberty, the quality of his voice increasingly distinguishes itself from that typical of girls.[8] The voice takes on a resonant masculine quality before its pitch drops, resulting in a liminal stage wherein the boy may sing in a high register with a unique timbre. This brief period of high vocal range and unique color forms much of the ground for the use of the boy soprano in both liturgical and secular music in the Western world and elsewhere. Occasionally boys whose voices have changed can continue to sing in the soprano range for a period of time. This stage ends as the boy's larynx continues to grow and, with the breaking of his voice, he becomes unable to sing the highest notes required by the pieces of music involved.[13]

It has been observed that boy sopranos in earlier times were, on average, somewhat older than in modern times.[14] For example, Franz Joseph Haydn was considered to be an excellent boy soprano well into his teens[15] and Ernest Lough was 15 when he first recorded his famous "Hear My Prayer" (on 5 April 1927), with his voice not getting deeper until sometime in 1929, when he was either 17 or 18 years old.[16] However, for a male to sing soprano with an unchanged voice in his mid-to-late teens is currently fairly uncommon.[17] In the developed world, puberty tends to begin at younger ages (most likely due to differences in diet, including greater availability of proteins and vitamins).[18] It is also becoming more widely known that the style of singing and voice training within cathedrals has changed significantly in the past century, making it more difficult for boys to continue singing soprano much beyond the age of 13 or 14,[19] with the raising of concert pitch being one factor.

Early breaking of boys' voices due to puberty becoming earlier in recent times is causing a serious problem for choirmasters.[20]

On the other hand, some musicologists dispute that earlier onset of puberty occurs. They contend that there is no reliable evidence of any significant change in the age of boys' maturity over the past 500 years or even beyond that.[21][22] A counterargument to this viewpoint is the paucity of bearded fourteen-year-olds from the historical record, the increased incidence of precocious puberty diagnoses, and availability of testosterone replacement therapy that many parents of boys experiencing delayed adolescence or intersex conditions opt to undergo.

Notable boy sopranos

References

  1. "Male soprano definition and meaning - Collins English Dictionary". www.collinsdictionary.com. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  2. "BBC Bitesize - GCSE Music - Music for voices". Archived from the original on 7 June 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
  3. Harvard Dictionary of Music, p.796 and 904
  4. Due to the tradition of not using girls in church choirs, boy sopranos are often still simply called "trebles" even when the gender of the singers is not mentioned, but girls with high voices are trebles too. Even the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music makes this mistake on p. 689 (A boy soprano is known as a treble.) though it points out on p. 746 that all children wth high voices are known as trebles.
  5. Taylor, Eric (1991). The AB guide to music theory (Reprinted 2011 ed.). London: Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. p. 106. ISBN 978-1-85472-447-2.
  6. Westrup, Jack; Wilson, F. Ll. Harrison ; revised by Conrad (1985). Collins encyclopaedia of music (Completely revised [ed.] ed.). London: Chancellor. p. 556. ISBN 0-907486-50-9.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. Skeat, Walter W. (2005). An Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. Mineola, N.Y.: Dover Publications. p. 662. ISBN 0-486-44052-4.
  8. "Children Singing Voice – Youthful Voices! | Your Personal Singing Guide". 12 May 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  9. "The Boy Choir & Soloist Directory – Featured Boy Sopranos and Trebles". Archived from the original on 30 May 2012. Retrieved 7 March 2008.
  10. Willis, Elizabeth C.; Kenny, Dianna T. (2008). "Effect of Voice Change on Singing Pitch Accuracy in Young Male Singers" (PDF). Journal of Interdisciplinary Music Studies. 2 (1&2): 111–119. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  11. "Developing Voice presentation" (PDF). vocalprocess.co.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 September 2008.
  12. McKinney, James (1994). The Diagnosis and Correction of Vocal Faults. Genovex Music Group. ISBN 978-1-56593-940-0.
  13. Professor Martin Ashley. "Trebles Archived 3 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine", Martin-Ashley.com.
  14. "Boys Now Hitting Puberty Earlier, Reshuffling Boys' Choirs". Popular Science. 12 November 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  15. Weil, Elizabeth (8 November 2013). "Where Have All the Sopranos Gone?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  16. "Ernest Lough (b. November 17, 1911)". The Boy Choir & Soloist Directory. https://www.boysoloist.com/artist.asp?VID=360
  17. "Boy Sopranos and Early Onset of Puberty". the world in words. 24 December 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  18. "Why is puberty starting younger?". the Guardian. 4 November 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  19. "Trebles". Professor Martin Ashley. http://www.martin-ashley.com/sound-archive/boys-keep-singing Archived 3 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  20. Copping, Jasper; Mole, Graham (9 October 2010). "Choirs in deep trouble over voices breaking early". The Daily Telegraph.
  21. Beet, Stephen R. (2005). The Better Land – Great Boy Sopranos of the 20th Century. Rectory Press. ISBN 1903698146. OCLC 654588629.
  22. Ashley, Martin (2010). How High Should Boys Sing? Gender, Authenticity and Credibility in the Young Male Voice. Ashgate Publishing. ISBN 9781409493914.
  23. Childers, Chad (19 July 2015). "Hear 5-Year-Old Billie Joe Armstrong Singing 'Look for Love'". Loudwire.
  24. Kreps, Daniel (19 May 2009). "Green Day Rip into "Breakdown," Fan Favorites at NYC Club Show". Rolling Stone.
  25. Gnerre, Sam (29 November 2013). "Billie Joe Armstrong and Norah Jones work magic on Everly Brothers tribute". Daily Breeze.
  26. Graham, George (27 November 2013). "George Graham Reviews Billy Joe Armstrong and Norah Jones' "Foreverly"". Graham Weekly Album Review #1751.
  27. Carpenter, Julie (26 December 2007). "Aled: Not such a choirboy". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  28. Ashley, Martin (29 April 2016). How High Should Boys Sing?: Gender, Authenticity and Credibility in the Young Male Voice. Routledge. ISBN 9781317120858. Retrieved 4 February 2019 via Google Books.
  29. "Justin Bieber and Other Famous Boy Sopranos". Itchy Fish. 17 August 2010. https://itchyfish.com/justin-bieber-and-other-famous-boy-sopranos/ Archived 7 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine
  30. Roberts, Soraya (9 February 2011). "Justin Bieber voice drop OK with record label, IDJ, thanks to Usher puberty crisis in 1994". New York Daily News. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  31. Elaina R. (23 July 2021). "20 Baritone Pop Songs". TakeLessons.
  32. Barnes, Mike (22 September 2016). "Bobby Breen…Dies at 88". The Hollywood Reporter.
  33. Bergan, Ronald (27 September 2016). "Bobby Breen Obituary". The Guardian.
  34. "Max Emanuel Cencic: Biography". Decca. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  35. Max Emanuel Cencic (18 March 2016), MAX EMANUEL CENCIC boy soprano - Frühlingsstimmen, archived from the original on 12 December 2021, retrieved 6 June 2019
  36. Roddy, Michael (22 April 2015). "Countertenor Cencic on 'Genderisation' in Society". Reuters.
  37. O'Connor, Anne Marie (22 March 2011). "County Wexford's Daniel Furlong…Show". Gorey Guardian.
  38. Furlong, Daniel. "Voice of an Angel CD Hand-signed by Daniel". Celtic Thunder. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  39. Pound, Jeremy. "The Best Recordings of Allegri's Miserere". Classical-Music.com. 18 February 2015. http://m.classical-music.com/article/bbc-music-best-recordings-allegri-miserere
  40. Bridcut, John (5 June 2006). "The End of Innocence". The Independent. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  41. "Voices of Angels: Child Stars". The Telegraph. 17 November 2010. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  42. Hennessey, Lauri (14 July 2009). "Remembering Michael Jackson at his best, as a young soprano". Beachcomber.
  43. Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Fireside. ISBN 978-0-7432-0169-8.
  44. Besel, Peter (2 December 2018). "Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers (1954-57)". BlackPast.
  45. Johnson, Gary (21 December 2020). "Frankie Lymon's Tombstone Blues 2: The Downside". Michigan Rock and Roll Legends.
  46. Hinckley, David (30 August 1998). "'Fool' Short on Facts…Not Being Truthful". New York Daily News. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  47. Ward, Brian (6 July 1998). Just My Soul Responding: Rhythm and Blues, Black Consciousness, and Race Relations. University of California Press. p. 83. Retrieved 4 February 2019 via Internet Archive. frankie lymon deep tenor.
  48. Hiatt, Brian (10 May 2013). "Bruno Mars: The Golden Child". Rolling Stone.
  49. Moniz, Melissa (14 April 2010). "Starring Bruno Mars | MidWeek Cover Story". MidWeek. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  50. "Little 'Bruno' rocked the Aloha Bowl in 1990". Hawaii News Now. 4 February 2014.
  51. Hyman, Dan (12 December 2012). "Bruno Mars, 'Unorthodox Jukebox' (Atlantic)". Spin.
  52. Billboard Staff (8 January 2005). "Les ChoristesLes Petits Chanteurs de Saint-Marc; Nicolas Porte, director; Jean-Baptiste Maunier, soloist". Billboard. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  53. "'Chorus' Strikes A Personal Chord (washingtonpost.com)". www.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  54. "Joseph McManners In Dreams Sony/BMG 82876726092 [WK]: Classical CD Reviews- July 2006 MusicWeb-International". www.musicweb-international.com. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  55. "Why Liam McNally is Looking Forward to his Big Break". Manchester Evening News. 22 April 2011. Updated 11 January 2013. https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/film-and-tv/why-liam-mcnally-is-looking-forward-to-his-big-859086
  56. Kehoe, Michael (16 March 2015). "Liam McNally - soprano sings Danny Boy". Ireland Calling. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  57. Shales, Tom (5 April 1985). "Respectful 'Requim'". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  58. Snelson, John (2004). Andrew Lloyd Webber. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-15113-8.
  59. "Paul Phoenix is MC's 2016 Artist-in-Residence". Maryville College: MC News. 16 December 2015. https://www.maryvillecollege.edu/news/2015/2391/paul-phoenix-is-mc-s-2016-artist-in-residence/
  60. Dandailey (8 April 2011). "andrew swait: looking back". Wandervogel Diary. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  61. Lewis, Sean (26 April 2018). "Aksel Rykkvin - from Boy to Man". Fjord Classics (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 6 June 2019.
  62. Irving, Cathy (2 June 2017). "Baritone James Westman hosts This Is My Music". CBC Music. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  63. Mazey, Steven (15 April 2014). "'Canadian baritone [James Westman] has made the opera his own after many performances". bowmanmedia.ca. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  64. "【HD】周深 - 大魚 [歌詞字幕][動畫電影《大魚海棠》印象曲][完整高清音質] Big Fish & Begonia Theme Song (Zhou Shen - Big Fish)". YouTube.
  65. "《明星大侦探》之前的《恐怖童谣》系列都是"周深"唱的?! Nznd新一季主题演唱会周深《天堂岛之歌》代入感爆棚【综艺风向标】". YouTube.
  66. "Nicholas Jonas CD Reviews". Nicholas Jonas Broadway Fansite.
  67. Jacob Collier Masterclass en NEMPLA - Parte 3 de 5, retrieved 25 August 2023
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.