The Cambridge Companion to Singing (Cambridge Companions to Music)

Rating:
Summary: Best for students
Review: John Potter, one of the tenors in the Hilliard Ensemble and a lecturer at my university music department in York, is one of the most eclectic and dynamic singers of our time. This collection of essays on the art of vocal music, including two pieces of his own work, is designed to provide students of singing with a useful set of reference points.

If you are a singer, you would certainly do well to consider getting hold of this. Some chapters deal with the mechanics of the voice and the acoustical properties thereof; this can become very technical and indeed is not a pre-requiste for singing, but some of it makes for interesting reading. More interesting are the various chapters on various singing traditions of the world: German lieder, jazz vocals, opera, church and cathedral choirs, singing amongst indiginous cultures of Africa, America and the Far East, singing as part of primary school education. Potter's own contributions include a useful one on ensemble singing that draws heavily on his experience with the Hillard Ensemble; there is also a chapter (translated into English) about choir warm-ups, particular those that are useful for children's choirs. These chapters in particular should be considered invaluable to choir directors as well as to chamber choirs and vocal ensembles seeking to achieve the kind of excellence achieved by the Hilliards. Other contributors to the book include well-known singers and academics such as Stephen Varcoe.

This book is not recommended to the casual reader, however. The overall tone is very academic and it is far better if you are studying singing academically; I have never had a proper singing lesson in my life, but as someone who sings regularly and has an interest in the direction of singing ensembles, I find this book useful to open up from time to time.