What generates the beauty [of a male chorus]? The space above it. The overtones produced by the fundamental (if the chord is sung in tune) are given a chance to ring and reinforce the sound below. That special sound is not possible to achieve with mixed choirs because the SA parts are literally in the way of the overtones. While I consistently try to match SATB chords to the overtone series, at an absolute level of intonation, the male chorus’ inherently can achieve a higher standard of intonation.
Creating and maintaining “the sound” is continuously a challenge for male choir singers. The composite range of the male choir places compositional outer limits at approximately two octaves and a fifth. Because male-voice literature offers less room for variance in range than that available in SATB pieces, changes in texture (diverse as they may be) are placed within comparatively narrow confines. Therefore, clarifying the texture, allowing each voice to be heard in the context of the whole, requires very careful attention to balance.
Francisco Ortiz says
donald patriquin says