Vibrato

[Fred Blumenthal <xd2fabl...>]

I was interested to read Adrianne Greenbaum's comments on flute vibrato,
and would like to provoke discussion of vibrato in singing.  I trust this
will be sufficiently "on-topic" to "world music from a Jewish point of
view."  I won't be one of the "senior" singers in a ListServ that includes
hazanim, but I've done a LOT of choral singing, I've taken some voice
lessons, and I've frequently furrowed my brow in a convincingly
intellectual manner over the topic.  My understanding is that when singing,
one should do nothing to create, encourage, discourage, or affect vibrato -
that if the voice is produced correctly the vibrato will be correct, and
that if the vibrato is too fast or otherwise "funny" there's something
wrong with vocal production.  So discussion of vibrato from the diaphragm,
throat, etc. would be moot.  Weigh against this that I was taught to sing
choral, folk and early music without vibrato.  Any dissent?

Shabbat Shalom,

Fred Blumenthal
xd2fabl (at) us(dot)ibm(dot)com

---------------------- jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org ---------------------+