Sitting in the almost packed Rice Auditorium listening to the soothing, soulful tunes of the Chamber Singers as they belted out good ole' gospel music, I began thinking about a choir and its parts as one big happy family. As a body, they sound amazing, whole, unified. But give me one moment to share the members of this talented family.
Altos and basses: they're the heart and soul of the family, otherwise known as mom and dad. They show maturity in their deep voices and stable notes. We all know altos have full reign of the middle E and stay on it like a cat on the windowsill, (or like stubborn moms who repeat, verbatim, "because I said so"). Basses bellow a bit more, much like our fathers in their intimidating gravely voices. But no matter how they holler, we gotta admit they keep the rest of the family firmly on task.
Sopranos: ah yes, they're the flighty females in the family. Age is of no consequence, they can be twelve or twenty-two, but these ladies sure have one thing in common: they know how to soar. Reaching the high notes sends these girls into high-pitched giggles (no pun intended). They are also given to flights of fancy and often go from zero to sixty -- or in musical terms, A to high B flat -- in the span of a quarter note. Ah, what fickle creatures these sopranos are.
Tenors: the typical teenage boy. Not just any teenage boy; however, he is the popular kid at school that the women vie for, and his buddies stay close to just to get a whiff of his popularity. Their jubilant notes encourage everybody to cheer up and reach for the stars. Solid and jolly when in the presence of his pals, and smooth and soothing when trying to woo the ladies. Tenors also show their young age through their voice range: right on the verge of manliness but still able to crack on the middle C. Oh to be young again.
There are a couple other members in this family that help round out the sound, but main members are what count, and that's all there is for tonight.
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