Tuesday, January 10, 2006

falsetto

I have written a lot about music in my blog/diary; favourite opera arias, favourite pieces of classical music, popular and alternative music etc

One style of singing which is very interesting are the male countertenors (although strictly speaking, or rather writing, is a term used in classical music) singing in a high voice which is much higher than their usual range.

These men sing in falsetto and if they do it well, it sounds amazing.

Famous singers who can do falsetto well include Barry Gibb from Bee Gees (especially in Stayin' Alive), Darren Hayes from Savage Garden, Prince, Jimmy Somerville from Bronski Beat, then Communards, Frankie Vallie from The Four Seasons... the list is long.

The lead singer of one of my favourite groups, Jón Þór Birgisson (or Jónsi) from Sigur Rós sings almost exclusively in falsetto.


Members of Sigur Rós (Jónsi is the 'shy' one)

Even James Blunt gets to the falsetto range in his song High from his Back to Bedlam album.


James Blunt

The amazing songs from Scissor Sisters would not sound as great if they weren't in Jake Shears' falsetto.


Scissor Sisters in Barcelona 2003

Once upon a time, boys would be castrated before puberty so that their high 'soprano' voices didn't break, and they were known as castrati.

Today's modern singers must be thankful they still have their balls.

*As always, please check out Cooper and Camilla who always have interesting things to say.

........ooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooo........

Today was another very warm day. Nina's human Deb came over to see me for about 10 minutes after my human came home from work, so I hopped straight on to her lap. Of course I meowed and asked her how Nina was (I heard that Nina got put into a cattery for a week and she was not very happy about it).

keisercat@wildmail.com

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