seleniumgirl's Full Review: Voice of an Angel by Charlotte Church
It seems lately that more and more, "stars" in the singing world-solo or ensemble-are debuting at younger and younger ages. First there was Monica, then Brandy. LeAnn Rimes made a huge splash at age 13 with her mature vocals not only in the country scene, but all over music news for a while. Soon thereafter came Lila McCann, an often-contested rival of Ms. Rimes. There are the bubble gum lyrics of purported 17-year-old Britney Spears (not enhanced by her dancing, mind you), and the Floridian "boy groups" LFO, 98 Degrees and N Sync (who are a bit older). Cristina Aguilera has also hedged her way into the teenage solo crowd. The marketing angle for these million-dollar money machines comes not in their talent, but in their age (or lack thereof). The latest fad comes not in the pop or country music categories. Rather, this proclaimed "prodigy" hails from outside the United States, singing her way across the Atlantic from her native Wales.
Welsh born Charlotte Church has certainly been making the talk show rounds. I don't think there is a television watcher in North America who has not seen and heard her perform. Kudos is extended to her obviously excellent agent for booking her in interview after interview. The pity in her fame lies not in the fact that she is singing, but in her age. Is she 14, yet?
Unlike other musical genres, classical art song and opera are two forms of artistic expression that require years of training and performance in order to achieve true mastery, plus personal appreciation. The biggest challenge facing so-called "classical" singers as the 21st Century approaches is apathy to comprehend why music was written as it was during the 16th, 17th 18th and 19th Centuries. Furthermore, the desire to "hurry up to fame" costs one solid performance technique.
Yes, Charlotte Church performs well in public. Many attention-hungry teens do. However, having begun her training at such an early age is not prudent vocal pedagogy. Just as little girls who are hammered into pliable, gymnastic automatons often suffer degenerative muscular and pre-or post-pubescent side effects, so do singers suffer who have chosen or been pressured into vocal training at too early an age.
The human vocal folds are the last muscular organ in the human body to mature. In women, this process is completed around age 24-26; in men, between the ages of 28-32. Vocal development in boys has always been a much more obvious evolution than in girls-evidenced by the "cracking" sounds produced by the vocalis. In girls, the change in terms of vocal sound is just as dramatic, only this transformation occurs at the top of the register. And because people do not speak at the top of their registers, this maturation process is not heard.
Beginning vocal training at the inception of puberty-in boys or girls-results in poor form after puberty. Because "technique" is based upon a singer's relationship with a stable voice, relying upon a 12-year-old's grasp of his or her ever-changing vocal folds is not possible. Whatever is "taught" during this time must constantly be modified to compensate for the day-to-day disparity of a hormonally charged voice. Such continual adjustment does not result in smooth, synchronous singing. Once the voice stops changing, whatever technique has been retained is no longer applicable, and it is very difficult to change what has been learned. The result: tension in the neck and tongue, forced vibrato and a breathy tone quality. All of these are readily apparent in the youthful Ms. Church and can be heard in each selection on the album Voice of an Angel (as well as those other albums she has recorded).
For technical and comprehensive comparison, consider albums recorded by sopranos Natalie Dessay, Dawn Upshaw and Sylvia McNair. Tone and resonance are consistent up and down the scale, tension cannot be heard in the recordings, nor audible breathing. Musicality and inflection, as well as expression are all aspects of performance that are captured in recordings by these women, and are lacking in Voice of an Angel.
Any person can sing the notes, the language and the words on the page, but nothing can make up for age, maturity and life experience, which all contribute to a more well rounded character and believable performance. Would that Ms. Church was 23 rather than 13, then she would be a musical marvel. As it is now, what she has already learned will be to her detriment in ten years. May the ethereal powers of vocal talent preserve her youthful sound while she has it.
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