Cambridge Companion To Singing, The

Description: Ranging from medieval music to Madonna and beyond, this book covers in detail the many aspects of the voice. The volume is divided into four broad areas. Popular Traditions begins with an overview of singing traditions in world music and continues with aspects of rock, rap and jazz. The Voice in the Theatre includes both opera singing from the beginnings to the present day and twentieth-century stage and screen entertainers. Choral Music and Song features a history of the art song, essential hints on singing in a larger choir, the English cathedral tradition and a history of the choral movement in the United States. The final substantial section on performance practices ranges from the voice in the Middle Ages and the interpretation of early singing treatises to contemporary vocal techniques, ensemble singing, the teaching of singing, childrena -- s choirs, and a comprehensive exposition of vocal acoustics.

Review: '... the volume is full of valuable knowledge, transmitted with warmth and enthusiasm, by theorists and practitioners alike.' Times Literary Supplement 'Those for whom singing is a joyous activity will treasure the book and learn much about the vocal arts that might otherwise take years of personal research.' Booklist 'Potter writes beautifully, communicating a feeling, if not of the maverick, then certainly of a man with few regrets for the passing of time and styles ... a fine addition to the canon of singing.' Robert Tear, Gramophone '... well worth reading and as a whole I found it stimulating.' Early Music Review 'The Cambridge Companion to Singing will interest singers, students of music, concert goers and the general public who will find it a good 'travel book' in the sense that it provides a good overview of singing traditions found worldwide. This series is one of the most interesting ideas to have come out into the market in recent years.' Journal of Popular Music '... the Companion should encourage anyone remotely interested in singing to venture beyond the Western mainstream and investigate Buddhist chant, qawwali or the challenges of Berio and John Cage.' Richard Wigmore, BBC Music Magazine

Contents: List of illustrations; Notes on contributors; Acknowledgements; 1. Introduction: singing at the turn of the century John Potter; Part I. Popular Traditions: 2. a --E Songlinesa -- : vocal traditions in world music John Schaefer; 3. Rock singing Richard Middleton; 4. The evolving language of rap David Toop; 5. Jazz singing: the first hundred years John Potter; Part II. The Voice in the Theatre: 6. Stage and screen entertainers in the twentieth century Stephen Banfield; 7. Song into theatre: the beginnings of opera John Rosselli; 8. Grand opera: nineteenth-century revolution and twentieth-century tradition John Rosselli; Part III. Choral Music and Song: 9. European art song Stephen Varcoe; 10. English cathedral choirs in the twentieth century Timothy Day; 11. Sacred choral music in the United States: an overview Neely Bruce; Part IV. Performance Practices: 12. Some notes on choral singing Heikki Liimola; 13. Ensemble singing John Potter; 14. The voice in the Middle Ages Joseph Dyer; 15. Reconstructing pre-Romantic singing technique Richard Wistreich; 16. Alternative voices: contemporary vocal techniques Linda Hirst and David Wright; 17. The teaching (and learning) of singing David Mason; 18. Childrena -- s singing Felicity Laurence; 19. Where does the sound come from? Johan Sundberg; Notes; Select bibliography; Index.