The Cambridge Companion to Singing (Cambridge Companions to Music) [Hardcover]

John Potter (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 22, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0521622255 | ISBN-13: 978-0521622257

This is the only book to cover in detail so many aspects of the voice, ranging from medieval music to Madonna and beyond. Almost anything one wants to know about singing practices and singing styles can be found here in chapters that cover world music, rock, rap and jazz; European art song, ensemble singing, the English cathedral tradition and the choral movement in the United States; Renaissance, Baroque and Classical singing treatises, contemporary vocal techniques, children's choirs and the teaching of singing today. The contributors are leading international performers and specialists.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This excellent, single-volume resource aspires to be a comprehensive study of singing throughout history. That it succeeds as well as it does is a remarkable accomplishment. Potter (music, Univ. of York, U.K.) has gathered essays from a wide variety of (mostly British) performers, teachers, and musicologists. Rather than attempting a chronological arrangement, the chapters have been grouped into four loosely connected areas. Popular Traditions looks at vocal styles seldom covered in books on vocal history: an essay by David Troop on the origins and development of rap, chapters on singing in jazz and rock music, and an intriguing look at vocal traditions in world music. The Voice in the Theater and Choral Music and Song cover more familiar territory but do it succinctly and thoroughly. The final section, Performance Practice, again broadens the scope, with chapters on vocal pedagogy; the training and use of children!s voices; vocal acoustics; Alternative Voices: Contemporary Vocal Techniques, which reveals the new demands placed on singers by 20th-century composers; and the use of electronic enhancement as an expressive device. This unique volume is highly recommended for its depth of coverage, uniformly accessible writing, and very reasonable price."Kate McCaffrey, Onondaga Cty. P.L., NY
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"This unique volume is highly recommended for its depth of coverage, uniformly accessible writing, and very reasonable price." Library Journal, August 2000

"With such distinguished authorities as Stephen Banfield, John Rosselli, Stephen Varcoe, and David Mason contributing, the guide covers its wide range of topics accessibly as well as thoroughly for a one-volume work. Those for whom singing is a joyous activity will treasure the book and learn much about the vocal arts that might otherwise take years of personal research." Alan Hirsch, Booklist

"The volume is full of valuable knowledge, transmitted with warmth and enthusiasm..." Annabella Bankhouse, The Times Literary Supplement

"...this book appeals to a wide audience with one thing in common: a love of singing." Chamber Music

"This companion constitutes a general summary of 'where we have come from' at the turn of the century/millennium and suggests that future generations will have to take popular and world culture much more seriously...will interest singers, voice teachers, music theater teachers and practitioners, musicologists, and those who pursue studies in popular culture and interdisciplinary studies involving music." Choice

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 296 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (May 22, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521622255
• ISBN-13: 978-0521622257
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,318,593 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Best for students, July 20, 2001

By 

Mark Swinton - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cambridge Companion to Singing (Cambridge Companions to Music) (Paperback)

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.