Monday Motivation: Even Bach Needed More Tenors

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1. Ronald Richard Duquette says

   April 22, 2013 at 10:02 am

   Of course, the general view in choirs (by those other than tenors) is, that in a choir with 8 tenors, there are at least 7 too many, and possibly eight.  (And I’m one of those tenors!)

    

   A funny story about tenors (do you other voice ranges wonder, sometimes (okay, lots of times!) why tenors are the way they are – here’s an example that may help you to understand a bit):

    

   Some years ago, my wife and I and a number of our choir friends “fled” a church music circumstance that was toxic, to say the least, and went to another church whose director I’d known for some time.  She was a bit challenged in her people skills, and we would occasionally have reasons to have to bite our tongues (hard to sing then).  At any rate, her usual approach in rehearsal was to say, “Okay, ladies, let’s go through your part” – and we understood that meant sopranos and altos.  Then it would be followed by, “Tenors, let’s do yours” – okay, so far unobjectionable, right?  THAT would be followed by her looking at the basses and saying, “Alright men, now let’s do yours.”  Uh-huh.  Finally, one night I just couldn’t help myself, and after she had said “Men…” to the basses, I piped up with, “Ah, yes; tenors; that indeterminate gender between male and female.”  The rest of the choir snickered; she looked confused.  Sigh.

    

   Oh, yes, and if you think that tenors have no idea who they are, we’re very aware that in many people’s opinions, tenors have resonance where their brains ought to be…!!!!  Clearly, we may have a slight dearth of brain cells, because who ELSE would attempt to sing that high?  (No comment on sopranos.)  I recall an interview with Placido Domingo, who was being asked about his career, etc., and I hope I remember the comment he made correctly, but at one point, with a twinkle in his eye, he said to the interviewer, “You know, what tenors do really is unnatural.  But imagine, people pay me thousands of dollars to come and watch me do something unnatural!”  Uh-huh.  ‘Nuff said.

    

   Chantez bien!

    

   Ron (a proud, if somewhat brain cell shy, tenor!)

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