Choral Vibrato: The Hundred Years’ War

The February 2024 issue of Choral Journal is online and features an article titled “Choral Vibrato: The Hundred Years’ War” by Andrew P. Schmidt. Following is a portion from the article.
_________________

According to recent scholarship, singers may experience cardiac, respiratory, and even brain-rhythm synchronization while performing together. For the field of choral singing, synchronization sits at the heart of the art. Conductors and singers work to wed gesture to sound, breathe together, unify vowel shapes, match tonal, rhythmic, and articulative execution, and, in some cases, move together. Terms like “blend” and “balance” typify the choral language that seeks out perfect synchronization. Perhaps the trickiest of these elements to unify, and therefore most controversial, is vibrato.

The 2023 ACDA National Conference featured an interest session titled “Let Vibrate! On Liberating the Fullness of the Feminine Voice,” presented by Jennaya Robison, Sarah Brailey, Karen Brunssen, and Mari Esabel Valverde. The core message of the session reflected a centuries-long debate about the use of vibrato in the choral situation. Debates about vibrato and choral singing date at least as far back as the Late Renaissance. A 2007 Choral Journal author incorporated historical treatises discussing this issue as part of their exploration of vibrato.3 Choral Journal published its first article on the subject in 1962, though the author noted that the debate, in the United States of America, had begun at least forty years prior.4 Forty years prior would have been 1922, or just over a hundred years ago, hence the title of this article. Brailey’s post-conference Facebook post received numerous likes, comments, and shares, demonstrating the pervasive and persistent interest and controversy surrounding choral singing and vibrato.5 As the panel of presenters reflected both vocal pedagogues and choral directors, I chose to investigate the vibrato debate through a comparative analysis of articles from Journal of Singing and Choral Journal. A synthesis of thirty-seven publications from both journals helped chronicle the debate, illustrated tactics from either side, revealed sources of common ground, and pointed toward a potential pathway forward. First, however, is a brief overview of vibrato and its complications.

___

Read the full article in the February 2024 issue of Choral Journal. acda.org/choraljournal