The Economy of Choir Size by Ingo R. Titze
This is a short article addressing the issue of choral dynamic range in relation to size of the choir.Titze points out, initially, that smaller ensembles are generally better suited for achieving special blend, precise tuning of harmonics, and particular intonation affects. My personal favorite- that an SATB choir must have at least four singers.
The main points of this article deal with larger choral ensembles and how their size affects the intensity of their sound. Titze first asserts that, "Choir size is driven by dynamic range and overall loudness." At first this was a little confusing to me but I think he means that, as directors, we decide how big we want our choirs to be based on our desired level of intensity for the group. Titze then provides three fundamental ways to increase choral dynamic range:
1. INCREASE DYNAMIC RANGE OF EACH SINGER'S VOICE
2. INCREASE THE SIZE OF THE CHOIR
3. DECREASE THE NOISE AND ABSORPTION OF SOUND IN PERFORMANCE ENVIRONMENT.
To imagine the interaction of these three factors, Titze asks his readers to imagine an experiment in an auditorium with decent acoustics. One person is there to listen and determine the perceptibility of dynamics. One singer sings at a true pp. That listener will not be able to hear it. Only when 18 singers are singing a true pp, will the sound become perceptible. For quiet dynamics, size of singers must be increased until the sound can be perceived by an audience. For loud dynamics, it doesn't take as many singers for a ff to be heard (surprise, surprise). Most interestingly, through a study involving math and science, Titze indicates that after 60 singers are singing, the addition of any more really doesn't add a dramatic amount of intensity of the sound. (see graph in video)
To summarize the article, choir size is optimized by testing performance environments for sound perceptibility and training each singer to improve their dynamic range. Little is gained by increasing size of choirs past 60 members because after 60, intensity of sound does not increase much.
Nice! This does seem like a fairly straight-forward article providing somewhat information. I love that he asks you to find better acoustics and to minimize environmental sound to make your choir sound louder.
ReplyDeleteI did find it very interesting that the dynamic range hits a bit of a ceiling at 60 members. It seems hard to believe!
This is pretty interesting. I really enjoyed the part about singing true PP. Singing in a small ensemble is way more fun to me than the larger ensembles. It simply feels more intimate.
ReplyDeleteAll of it is very logical and things that we've all encountered as vocalists.
ReplyDeleteThough the fact that adding more vocalists after 60 doesn't make a difference is hard to believe. But it could just be the idea that the more people you add to a task the less each individual feels they have to do.
Oh, I really liked the graph that you showed! It is interesting to think that the intensity of sound doesn't vary much if you have 60 singers or 100 singers... or 200 singers (Like tonight at the choral festival... that festival chorus will be huge, but the intensity of sound won't be THAT much different than if the group was only about 60 singers) Fun things to think about here!
ReplyDeleteI liked how Titze's article was so straight forward and that the reader easily understands his point. I was also surprised by the choir dynamic leveling off at 60 singers! However, I find it pleasing to listen to a choir of even less members, maybe with about 30 to 40 singers because (if the choir is more advanced) each singer's dynamic range IS better, the audience can decipher between dynamics within the piece with more ease, and the blend is usually a great deal more apparent. This is especially true in a good acoustical space, which gets more and more important as the group gets smaller.
ReplyDeleteI think the idea of dynamics is one that often is misinterpreted. If I were to sing the alto line of a given piece that was marked as 'forte,' all of the altos need to sing, as a section, at the given dynamic. It is not necessarily about personal dynamic level. Singing outside the dynamics of your given section can be more harmful than helpful.
ReplyDeleteI definitely enjoy singing in small ensembles much more than large ones. The precision derived from one or two singers on a part cannot be matched, and as this article points out, the dynamics are not significantly altered by adding more singers. More often than not, adding more singers simply muddles purity and clarity of sound. However, to make a small group work, all of the singers must be completely confident on their parts and able to perform either alone or with minimal support from other singers. This can be difficult, especially in a public school situation, making small ensembles a rarity for most educators. Still, however, they make blending (through vowel unification) much easier.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely interesting how volume is so relative. Doubling the number of voices doesn't always mean doubling the amount of sound. Did he talk about the ideal size for different styles of music?
ReplyDeleteI think the reason that he said that the Choir sound levels off at 60 people is that beyond that the extra people add so small an amount of sound as to make it unnoticable. Not sure though.
ReplyDeleteComing from the Salem school district, I was in one of the smaller choirs of the area, there were about 40 of us, and I always found it so crazy that some schools had 100+ singers. Why is that necessary?! Well, it's not. You can achieve the same effect, if not more, if you have higher QUALITY in fewer individuals than a large QUANTITY of mediocrity. I think some directors get so carried away with trying to have a certain number of singers/bodies or having a huge choir when in reality, less is more. If you have fewer individuals who are highly qualified, your sound would be much better than a bigger choir with singers who shouldn't be there. Quality over quantity has been a long standing motto of mine and it is something I will always stick too.
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