Amateur Choirs Research Articles

NADDNIPRYANSKA UKRAINE EMIGRANTS MUSICAL ACTIVITIES IN VOLYN VOIVODESHIP

The purpose of the research is to analyse the role and place of Ukrainian political emigrants , Naddnipryanska Ukraine ( Dnieper Ukraine ) natives , in the musical culture development on Volyn Voivodeship territory based on the archival sources and the interwar periodicals (1921 – 1939) . The methodology of the research is based on the science, historicism, verification principles. In the course of study the historical science methods have been used such as search, identification and systematization of the historical material, obtained from the archival documents and the press sources and with the further criticism of the other methods have been applied the historical-comparative, the historical-typological, the historical-chronological, the historical-geographical and other research methods. The scientific novelty of the article is based on the introduction into the scientific circulation the Sectoral State Archives of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine deciphered archival documents, archival-criminal cases from the Sectoral State Archives of the Security Service of Ukraine, Rivne region State Archive, other archival materials, the interwar periodical, which helped to depict Naddnipryanskykh political emigrants influences on the musical culture development of the interwar Volyn, in some places to trace their fate. It is proved that, despite the everyday difficulties, the emigrants stood out from the rest in social and socio-cultural activities, their musical activity was not only a way of earning money, but also an opportunity for creative self-realization, which helped them in adaptation to the new conditions. Conclusions . The Ukrainian Revolution figures of the 1917 – 1921, who were forced to emigrate to Poland and settled down in Volyn Voivodeship, intensified the musical life in the region. They were the folk choirs founders, moreover, they organized tours, worked as church choirs conductors, founded artistic societies, joined the search campaign for the musical and ethnographic materials for the purpose of their artistic elaboration by amateur choirs and theaters, scientific publications. At this time, the following musicians developed their talent: Mykhailo Telezhinskyi, Oleksa Kolisnichenko, Sozont Kalmutskyi, Serhiy Kozytskyi, Anna Bilohub. The Polish authorities control was manifested in censoring the repertoire, interfering with the conductors and singers, trying to use the artistic sphere in order to spread the pro-government policy. The choral art development, the concerts and competitions organizations, the ethnographic song material collection, enriched the cultural life of the region.

Finding meaningful occupation in refugees' resettlement: A study of amateur choir singing in Norway

ABSTRACTRefugee populations are particularly vulnerable to marginalization and have reduced social networks. In the present study we explored whether, how, and why participation in choir singing, as an example of an everyday occupation, could be of significance for refugees in their transition to a new daily life in a Norwegian municipality. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 5 participants with refugee backgrounds recruited from a multicultural amateur choir. Our findings show that refugees experienced challenges in meeting with ‘the state’ of Norway, and that while they were grateful for the country’s social welfare system, they nonetheless struggled to find their place in society. Staying occupied and meeting with people were found to be two key strategies to develop a sense of belonging. The choir was found to provide a form of collective occupation where they felt included not only with members of their own ethnic groups, but importantly, also with members of the host community. Their choir participation was thus a part of their experience of searching for identity within their new context. In having to ‘start from zero’, the choir provided a space to share their skills, and to develop new ones.

The Place of Izmir Turkish Art Music Amateur Choirs in Human Life

Izmir’de Turk Sanat Muzigi dinleyicisinin muzik dinleme ihtiyacini karsilamada, muzik begenisine hitap etmede ezici cogunlugu Turk Sanat Muzigi amator muzik topluluklari olusturur. Izmir’in muzik yasaminda ve insanlarin yasaminda onemli bir yere sahip olan, her gecen gun sayica artis gosteren soz konusu topluluklarin sayisi 2018 yili itibariyle yuz elli tanedir. Bu makalenin amaci, Turk Sanat Muzigi amator topluluklarinin varlik sebebini, insanlarin ve Izmir’in muzik yasantisindaki yerini/onemini anlamaya yoneliktir. Bu calisma icin elli adet koro referans alindi. Referans alinan elli adet koronun konser oncesi provalarina ve konserlerine katilarak, gozlem, gorusme ve anket yontemiyle elde edilen veriler, sosyalleseme, kentlesme, modernlesme, yalnizlik gibi iliskili kavramlarla analiz edildi. Aralarinda yapi, nitelik ve islev acisindan herhangi bir fark bulunmamasina ragmen amator muzik topluluklari kendilerini koro, dernek, cemiyet, topluluk olarak tanimladigi icin metin icinde koro, dernek, cemiyet, topluluk sozcukleri es anlamli kullanildi. Arastirma isim belirtmeme sartiyla yurutuldugu icin, calismada hicbir koro sefinin, koronun, koristin ismi belirtilmedi.

МИСТЕЦЬКА РЕФЛЕКСІЯ КОНЦЕРТНОЇ ДІЯЛЬНОСТІ КИЇВСЬКОГО КАМЕРНОГО ХОРУ ІМ. Б. ЛЯТОШИНСЬКОГО ЯК СКЛАДОВОЇ СТАНОВЛЕННЯ ХОРОВОГО ВИКОНАВСТВА УКРАЇНИ ДРУГОЇ ПОЛОВИНИ ХХ СТОЛІТТЯ

An academic choral performance after the Great Patriotic War was regenerated extremely slowly, but we consider the second half of the twentieth century as the time of national-cultural revival of Ukraine. The development of the choral genre in Ukraine was facilitated during the Soviet era by the appearence of numerous amateur choirs in the schools, clubs, houses of culture, ensembles of songs and dances, amateur chapels of various casts. The musical life of the capital was always famous for the active work of numerous choir groups which created the artistic “face” of Kyiv, contributed to the spiritual elevation of its inhabitants. Among a number of choral ensembles in Kyiv, a chamber choir under the direction of V. Ikonnik is distinguished by its activities and creative achievements. This team was the successor of the choral school traditions, renewed the acapella techniques and assisted the revival of academic choral performance of the second half of the twentieth century. Kyiv Chamber Choir named after. B. Lyatoshynskiy during his lifetime existence has achieved significant success and enriched the artistic life of the capital. The team toured to the cities of Ukraine, as well as Poland, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, to the republics of the Soviet Union: Belarus, Moldova, Kazakhstan and to Moscow. The choir often performed the works of those composers whose homeland its concerts passed on, that was pleasantly surprising to the public. The peculiarity of all concert programs was the performing of Ukrainian song arrangements, in particular M. Kolesi, K. Stetsenko, M. Leontovych and V. Ikonnik himself. The choirmaster Viktor Ikonnik was a brilliant interpreter of the Ukrainian folk song and a propagandist of the works of Ukrainian composers. The main place in the choir creative activity was the concerts devoted to the memory of outstanding figures: T. Shevchenko, M. Hogol; K. Stetsenko, G. Verovka, M. D. Leontovych, B. M. Lyatoshynskiy, D. Bortnyanskiy, S. Koday, G. Shyutz, J. Bach, G. Handel, D. Scarlatti. The first reading of the partsong concert of M. Diletskiy “Resurrection canon” (the decryption by N. Herasymova-Persidskaya) belongs to the choir. The recordings of many works are made, among them there is the whole inheritance of K. Stetsenko, B. Lyatoshynskiy, choral concerts by M. Diletskiy, D. Bortnyanskiy, A. Vedel. A total amount is 25 discs. In perspective, we plan to explore the concert activity of the Ensemble of Classical Music named by B. Lyatoshynskiy, which was reorganized into the Kyiv Lyatoshynskiy Chamber Choir.

Amateur choral singing and its implications for the emotional sphere of adult life – a case study

ABSTRACTThis research note aims to address the lack of research that focuses on the significance of amateur choral singing in the emotional sphere of adult life from an individual’s perspective and over a longer period. The majority of the published research results concerning amateur choral singing refer to choristers as a community; there is a lack of in-depth studies focused on the individual involved in this type of activity. The objective of the study was to identify the ways in which the amateur performance of art may influence the emotional sphere of an individual’s life over many years. The research problem was formulated as the following question: What possible consequences for the emotional sphere of life result from an individual’s practising choral singing? The single case study was chosen as the most appropriate method for answering this question. The respondent was a member of an amateur choir in Cracow, Poland. The data were gathered by means of a semi-structured, in-depth interview. The study conducted provides important insights into the significance of amateur group singing in the emotional sphere of an adult. It leads to the conclusion that amateur choral singing can significantly improve the quality of life of an adult.

Специфіка організації самодіяльних хорів у сучасній Австрії

Специфіка організації самодіяльних хорів у сучасній Австрії

The Effectiveness of the EASE Scale in the Development of a Vocal Warm-up Program for an Amateur Choir

This study aims to assess the effectiveness of the EASE-BR (Evaluation of the Ability to Sing Easily for Brazil) protocol in the development of a vocal warm-up program for members of an amateur choir. This is a prospective cross-sectional study measuring pre- and postintervention results at two moments. Forty-four subjects filled out a questionnaire to characterize the sample and underwent two major applications of the EASE-BR scale-the first to determine the group's vocal requirements and the second to assess the performance after the application of a customized vocal warm-up routine. Overall reduction of the scores in the postintervention moment has been determined. The score of 16 of the questions (72.7%) showed a statistically relevant reduction after the intervention. The EASE-BR scale proved a valuable assessment tool and its use may help develop customized vocal warm-up programs for different types of singers.

Choir singing as an activity to manage anxiety and temporomandibular disorders: Reports from a Brazilian sample

The aim of this study was to evaluate anxiety, stress and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) among a sample of participants that practice choir singing as a recreational activity. As the literature shows the positive effects of choir singing on mental and physical health, we hypothesized that anxiety, stress and TMD symptoms would be less frequent in the choir group when compared to participants from the general population. The choir group included 33 adults who participated weekly in a choral singing group as a recreational activity and the comparison group included 40 participants from the general population. Choir singers had significantly lower levels of anxiety and TMD. A significant positive correlation was observed between anxiety and TMD scores. The groups did not differ regarding the presence of stress symptoms. It seems that choir singing was associated with better mental and physical outcomes. This study reinforces the promising benefits of choir singing as a recreational activity. Although we only included amateur singers in our sample, the literature shows that singing as a professional may be an etiologic factor for developing TMD. Future studies should explore differences between professional and amateur choir singers regarding TMD symptoms.

The Lamentações para a Semana Santa by José Joaquim dos Santos and Luciano Xavier dos Santos and the music for two violas, voices concertate and low instruments

Name: Enrico Ruggieri Main Subject: Choral Conducting Research Supervisors: Charles Toet, Ricardo Bernardes Title of Research: The Lamentações para a Semana Santa by José Joaquim dos Santos and Luciano Xavier dos Santos and the music for two violas, voices concertate and low instruments Research Question: What are the main features of the viola in this specific repertoire and consequently, what becomes its main function? Summary of Results: In 18th-century Portugal, a particular instrumental setting was used in the music composed for a specific Roman Catholic rite called the officium tenebrarum, performed during the Holy Week. This particular instrumentation consists of a standard vocal ensemble, 4 voices concertate, accompanied by a group of string instruments: 2 violas, a cello (or 2 celli) and a double bass. José Joquim dos Santos and Luciano Xavier dos Santos are the composers who exploited this instrumentation best, covering all the needs for music in the Officium tenebrarum. An analysis of two Lamentations by José Joaquim dos Santos and Luciano Xavier dos Santos explores the relation between music and rhetorical tools and how the viola relates to them. Besides being a precious rhetorical tool itself, the analysis discloses that the violas and the low string instruments become a practical replacement for the harmonic instruments. In a liturgy where the organ was officially forbidden there is a need for an instrument or several instruments that could absolve that crucial function. Thanks to his ability in blending with and supporting the voices and, at the same time, respecting the solemnity and the sobriety of the liturgy, the viola became the best organ replacement. Biography: Enrico Ruggieri was born in 1982, graduated in piano, studying with Paolo Russo and Rachele Marchegiani. After a Bachelor in Architecture, there followed a Bachelor degree in Choir Conducting from Pescara Conservatory, a Master degree in Choral Music and Choir Conducting in Bologna Conservatory and a Bachelor degree in Choral Conducting from the Royal Conservatoire, The Hague. He has attended masterclasses with many different musicians specialising in choral conducting and Early Music, such as: Tonu Kalijuste, Peter Phillips, David Lawrence, Julian Wilkins, Walter Marzilli, Marco Berrini, Annibale Cetrangolo, Maurizio Less, and vocal technique with: Ghislaine Morgan, Sandro Naglia, Elisa Turlà (Voicecraft), Federica Fedele (Alexander Technique). He has conducted many amateur choirs with varied repertoire: church music, folk music, early music, mixed choral repertoire. Presently, he is conducting “Lassus Consort” an Early Music vocal ensemble in Amsterdam and the “Quod Libet Kamerkoor” in The Hague.

Investigation of the relationship between electroglottogram waveform, fundamental frequency, and sound pressure level using clustering

Although it has been shown in previous research (Orlikoff, 1991; Henrich etal, 2005; Kuang etal, 2014; Awan, 2015) that there exists a relationship between the electroglottogram (EGG) waveform and the acoustic signal, this relationship is still not fully understood. To investigate this relationship, the EGG and acoustic signals were measured for four male amateur choir singers who each produced eight consecutive tones of increasing and decreasing vocal intensity. The EGG signals were processed cycle-synchronously to obtain the discrete Fourier transform, and the data were used as an input to a clustering algorithm. The acoustic signal was analyzed in terms of sound pressure level (dB SPL) and fundamental frequency (fo) of vibration, and the results of both EGG and acoustic analysis were depicted on a two-dimensional plane with fo on the x-axis and SPL on the y-axis. All the subjects were seen to have a weak, near-sinusoidal EGG waveform in their lowest SPL range, whereas increase in SPL coincided with progressive enrichment in harmonic content of the EGG waveforms. The results of the clustering were additionally used to classify waveforms across subjects to enable inter-subject comparisons and assessment of individual strategies of exploring the fo-SPL dimensions. In these male subjects, the EGG waveform shape appeared to vary with SPL and to remain essentially constant with fo over one octave.

Confidence and choral configuration: The affective impact of situational and acoustic factors in amateur choirs

This article reports a qualitative study investigating the factors affecting confidence levels amongst adult amateur choral singers. Three focus groups (involving a total of 18 participants) and 16 individual interviews were carried out with experienced choral singers, and over 40 hours of recorded verbal data were collected. The research aims were to explore the lived experience of choral singers; to examine the main influences on choral singers’ perceptions of their voices and performance ability; to identify factors affecting their confidence as choral singers; to extrapolate confidence-building strategies for amateur choral singers. One of the major emergent themes was choir configuration, which encompassed the spacing between singers, the layout of the choir, the position of the individual singer within the choir, and the position of the choir within the venue. All of these elements reportedly had effects upon the confidence of choral singers during rehearsal and performance. These findings have practical implications for leaders of amateur choral ensembles, as choir configuration may be used as one of the tools for building collective and individual choral confidence.

MUSIC ART AT FOLK HOLIDAYS: ETHOGRAPHIC AND EDUCATIONAL DEMENSION

The article investigates ethnographic and educational dimension of functioning of music at folk holiday. The author considers national holiday as an integrated concept that, firstly, integrates a variety of types of art (music, fine arts, performing arts, dance, literature), secondly, is a combination of two cultures – the pagan and Christian. It is noted that folk holiday is a model of highly aestheticized everyday life of Ukrainian people. The author states that music art at folk holiday is represented in the form of choral music, dance songs, music for dancing, marching music, song and instrumental music for listening in the form of ensemble.It has been proved that functioning of professional, amateur choirs or just group singing is common for music content of folk holidays; Ukrainian folk song has always been the basis of that functioning.It has been emphasized that the music art at folk holidays is represented by national folk-songs in the form of dance songs. They consisted of three components: words, music and dance movements.Special attention has been given to the marching music, represented by greeting marches, procession marches, performed in appropriate situations of meetings, farewell, congratulations, and glorification.The article states that the folk holidays that are prevalent in Ukraine have an important pedagogical potential, since they give a child a coherent picture of the artistic view of the world, establish connection between art and life.The recognition of the leading role of folk music in the process of musical and aesthetic education of children is considered by the author as a key to the formation of a highly spiritual personality.The requirements for the organization and conducting of folk holiday have been presented in the article; the teacher’s basic tasks have been defined.

Mapping of Vocal Risk in Amateur Choir

The study aimed to investigate and map the existence of vocal risk in amateur singers, analyzing the contribution of general voice signs and symptoms, specific singing handicap, and generalized anxiety. This is a cross-sectional study. The sample comprised 526 volunteer amateur choristers-186 male and 340 female-(mean age of 42.07 years) from different choirs in the region of São Paulo. Three questionnaires were used: the Voice Symptom Scale (VoiSS), the Modern Singing Handicap Index (MSHI), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale. The mean total score obtained on the VoiSS was 17.57, which is almost two points higher than the protocol's passing score (16). The choristers who scored higher or equal to 16 points (51.5%, n = 271)-considered at vocal risk-and the group who scored less than 16 points (48.5%, n = 255)-healthy group-were analyzed separately. The risk group presented a mean total score of 26.34 on the VoiSS and 20.97 on the MSHI, with higher deviation on the impairment subscale, followed by the disability and handicap subscales, along with mild anxiety. The healthy group presented a mean total score of 8.27 on the VoiSS and 6.11 on the MSHI, also with higher deviation in the impairment subscale, followed by disability and handicap, and a minimum level of anxiety. Even in leisure activities, vocal care is necessary for the correct use of the singing voice, which demands individual adaptations. The use of protocols for voice symptoms and singing handicap has revealed the possibility of amateur choristers to present vocal risk.

The role of choral singing in the lives of amateur choral singers in Iceland

The purpose of this study was to investigate what motivates people to sing in choirs as a leisure activity. Subjects were retrieved from members of 10 amateur choirs of various types in Iceland through a paper-based survey. Results indicated that participants gain both personal and social benefits from singing in a choir. Findings revealed differences between participants in terms of their perceptions regarding social and personal aspects of choral singing according to gender, age, level of education and music education. Personal enjoyment of singing and a positive social atmosphere seem to be the strongest motivating factors for voluntary participation in choirs.

Pieces of the Pirot cultural mosaic between the two World Wars

The paper deals with cultural trends in Pirot between the two World Wars from the aspect of amateur choirs and music societies, atmosphere in famous inns as stages of the Pirot civic life and the multiconfessional structure of the quotidienne. In its essence and content, the text aims to shed light on the corners of historical realities of Pirot in between the two World Wars, reserved for cultural workers often anonymous and sometimes quite forgotten. The paper is based on yet unpublished original material deposited at the Historic Archives of Pirot, and based on the facts found in monograph publications dedicated to certain periods in the history of Pirot and its surrounding area. It can also be treated as a contribution to the history of culture in Pirot between the two World Wars.

Coralistas amadores: auto-imagem, dificuldades e sintomas na voz cantada

OBJETIVO: conhecer a auto-imagem, dificuldades e presença de sintomas negativos após o canto em coralistas amadores com diferentes classificações vocais, idades e experiência. MÉTODO: cento e vinte e cinco cantores responderam a um questionário que abordou dados de identificação, informações sobre a auto-imagem da voz cantada, dificuldades apresentadas no canto e ocorrência ou não de sintomas vocais após o canto. RESULTADOS: a comparação por naipes evidenciou maior dificuldade na emissão de sons agudos para os contraltos e baixos, maior dificuldade na emissão graves para os sopranos, maior dificuldade na transição de registro grave para agudo para os baixos, e maior cansaço vocal para os contraltos. Na divisão por idade, tanto adultos jovens e adultos referiram maior soprosidade do que os idosos. Os adultos referiram melhor intensidade vocal do que adultos jovens. Os adultos jovens consideraram seu timbre de voz adequado mais frequentemente do que adultos. Em relação à experiência, os cantores menos experientes referiram percepção de voz rouca em maior número do que os cantores mais experientes, que referiram apresentar intensidade adequada durante o canto em maior número do que os demais. Cantores menos experientes referiram maior ocorrência de rouquidão após o canto do que cantores mais experientes. CONCLUSÃO: as dificuldades encontradas no canto estão atreladas ao naipe, e não dependem da idade e nem da experiência. Sintomas estão relacionados ao naipe e ao grau de experiência com o canto. A auto-imagem vocal negativa também está relacionada ao naipe e ao nível de experiência, sendo que a auto-imagem positiva é mais comum em cantores experientes.

Choral singing, health and quality of life: The story of Diana

Objective: To explore through a detailed individual case study the contributions of choir membership and choral singing to health and well-being. Methods: An individual case study of Diana, one member of a Norwegian mixed amateur choir. Data gathered by means of participant observation and interviews and analysed drawing on a theoretical framework developed by Ruud on the links between music-making and well-being. Results: Findings from the analysis illustrate ways in which singing can be a means for developing competency and empowerment, producing vitality, and as a resource for building social networks as well as a way to provide meaning and coherence in life. Conclusions: An understanding of how singing can promote health and wellbeing can be developed through the careful study of individuals.

Musikalische und soziale Bedingungen des Singens: Eine Studie unter deutschsprachigen Chorsängern

Choral singing is a common leisure activity in many countries. Amateur choirs are characterized by a high degree of social coherence. Obviously, common musical motivations and goals lead to long-term commitments between choirs and their individual members. In this study, amateur singers ( N = 3145) filled out a questionnaire (online or on paper) which included demographic and musical background information. The results reveal a long-term musical socialization of choral singers, about half of whom had experienced choral singing at school and have been members of one or more choral societies for 19.5 years on average. High levels of both general and musical education were observed. About 40 % of respondents had received formal vocal training at some point. Catalysts of later choral activities appeared to be other family members, especially parents, in addition to choral singing in school. Thus choral singing activates strong forces of social coherence, which foster long-term commitments. At the same time, the landscape of choral societies is subject to dynamic changes in response to individual musical needs and lifestyles. To what extent so-called project choirs, which often exist only for a few months for the purpose of specific productions or concerts, and choirs dedicated to particular musical genres (e.g. Popular/Jazz or Gospel) or lifestyles (e.g. sexual orientation) complement or instead replace traditional choral societies could be the subject of future research.

Review of Lee Rothfarb,August Halm: A Critical and Creative Life in Music(University of Rochester Press, 2009)

[1] A strange sense of melancholia kept coming over me as I was reading Lee Rothfarb's absorbing study of August Halm. Perhaps it had something to do with the repeated vexations of life, such as his perpetual frustration in finding stable and satisfying employment. Maybe it was that he never seemed to have settled the question of his vocation: was he a music educator or a theologian? A theorist or a critic? A composer or a conductor? He made efforts in all those areas, yet each seemed only a piece of some greater ambition, some greater project that never quite materialized in his life. Then again, there was the obvious discontent he felt-and expressed in his writings-about the sorry state of musical culture as he scanned the landscape of Europe in the first decades of the 20th century. Like Schenker, with whom he enjoyed an avid correspondence, his theory, if we may call it that, was conservative in its pedigree yet almost utopic in its aspiration. Of course, Halm never attained the fame of Schenker (and it is not hard to detect an obvious intimidation in the tone of many of his letters to his Viennese counterpart). One is not surprised to learn that at the end of his life he lamented that no one would be reading his writings in another twenty years (173).[2] Fortunately, this prophecy has proven not quite accurate. Thanks to Lee Rothfarb's book, we can learn a great deal about writings today, and many of us will hopefully be inspired by this biography to start reading some of them ourselves.(1) They are well worth the effort. I found it somewhat gratuitous for Rothfarb to justify at the end of his book the significance of words (Chapter 7, Halm's Oeuvre: Wisdom and Prophecy) on account of the surprising intimations they hold for much of the new critical analysis that we have witnessed in recent decades or the return to tonality by many composers. Still, there is no doubt that Halm could be a bracing voice for so many of us who are trying to incorporate perspectives within our music analyses. If writings were not the future of music criticism avant la lettre, they might still provide an invigorating tonic to our ongoing disciplinary conversations.* * *[3] The life of August Halm was comparatively uneventful, although Rothfarb has industriously dug up just about every piece of evidence one could hope to find in piecing together his biography. (Rothfarb has not only exhausted the archives for his book, he evidently interviewed and befriended descendants of Halm still alive in Germany for additional information and documentary material; tellingly, the end notes of the book come to some 77 pages, over a third as long as the text itself!) The basic facts of life are easy to recount from Rothfarb's first chapter (An Intellectual and Creative Life in Music, 1-47). He was born in 1869 in Schwabisch Hall in Baden Wurttemberg and rarely ventured far beyond this southwest corner of Germany. His initial training at Tubingen for the Protestant clergy was soon derailed by his passion for music, and he left his first church appointment in 1893 to pursue advanced compositional studies in Munich with the composer Joseph Rheinberger, then one of the leading doyens of music education in Bavaria. While Halm ended up deeply disappointed by his studies with Rheinberger, whom he considered to be hopelessly pedantic, the experience obviously had the effect of cementing his determination to pursue a career in music (13). More importantly, it was in Munich that Halm began to recognize the need for a new kind of music education that would break through the academicism and elitism he found pervading the Munich conservatory.[4] In 1895 Halm passed his final exams in Munich and accepted an appointment in the city of Heilbronn as director of the Verein fur klassiche Kirchenmusik. This would be only the first of some half-dozen minor appointments over the following years, in which Halm was called variously to teach piano and violin to children, to conduct amateur choirs or youth orchestras, and to give lectures on the appreciation of music to a generally untutored audience. …

Voice characteristics of amateur female tenors are comparable with those of male tenors

In order to explore the suitability of adding female voices to the tenor sections of amateur choirs, six male and six female tenors were screened for voice characteristics. Audio signals and signals from an electroglottograph were analyzed by means of VoceVista computer software. All subjects produced closed quotients of 60% or higher in singing with a loud chest voice. There was more variance between the individuals than between groups of male and female singers. Long-time average spectra showed a general trend in the presence of a high-intensity peak between 4 and 5 kHz. The results revealed no significant differences in the most important voice characteristics between female and male tenor voices.