I suppose if we are going to spend so much time delving into of all the different aspects of what makes a beautiful tone we should spend a column discussing vowel integrity and vowel modification. This is another one of those tricky topics that can make for a lively discussion at a choral directors convention!
I my studio I talk about the position of the tongue, lips, and jaw for vowel production.
I am not a fan of what I’ve nicknamed the ‘uni-vowel’ production, (singing all vowels through an [o] or [u] lip and mouth shape. I think this approach strips away the brilliance and integrity of the language that is being communicated. When I’ve asked my colleagues who prefer this technique why they prefer it I get two pretty consistent answers back. First, that’s what I was taught so it’s what I’ve always done. Second, I like the way it warms up the tone and gives my singer’s a more mature tone quality. Mind you, I’m not opposed to a round, warm tone. I don’t ask for a spread [i] or [e] vowel, for instance, but I do ask that it is an actual [i] or [e] vowel, not a [o] or [u] vowel in disguise. With no exception (here come the angry responses to this column), at every concert I’ve attended where the singers are singing all of the vowels through a fairly closed [o] or [u] vowel shape, all of the brighter vowels are under pitch. As Richard Miller says, “ Tone is subjective, intonation is not.”
I require that my students learn the IPA so that we can more easily communicate vowel sounds and we do a lot of work on legato line singing just the vowel line, minus the consonant work. We do articulation exercises to achieve free movements of the jaw, tongue, lips, and soft palate. My goal is for the student to sing clear vowels and to realize how even the smallest movement of the vocal tract has a major effect on the resonating tone.
There is no disputing the fact that the modification of vowels inspires much controversy. My two cents worth is pretty straight forward, good singers, whether consciously or not, depend on finding an easy vowel adjustment for the pitch. In the individual singer I don’t fuss with modification unless their instinct heads them in the wrong direction, then I’ll step in and offer suggestions. In the choral setting I am a bit more proactive about it. I make vowel modification part of my initial score study and will have the singers write in my modification preference during the initial learning phase of the piece. There are several vowel modification charts online.
Kathleen Shannon says