Page 24 - CJFeb24

Choral Vibrato: The Hundred Years’ War

The 2023 ACDA National Conference featured an and the extent is about a quarter tone above and below
interest session titled “Let Vibrate! On Liberating the the average fundamental frequency. Parts of the vocal
Fullness of the Feminine Voice,” presented by Jennaya tract, like the velum, laryngeal depressor muscles, lat-
Robison, Sarah Brailey, Karen Brunssen, and Mari Es- eral pharyngeal wall, base of the tongue, and epiglottis
abel Valverde. The core message of the session reflect- synchronize with the oscillations of the produced vi-
ed a centuries-long debate about the use of vibrato in brato.
the choral situation. Debates about vibrato and choral According to Seashore, one of the first researchers
singing date at least as far back as the Late Renaissance. of vibrato, human ears encounter difficulties with per-
7
A 2007 Choral Journal author incorporated historical ceiving vibrato in four ways. Firstly, our ears under-
treatises discussing this issue as part of their explora- estimate the extent and rate by about 1/4 or 1/2 of
3
tion of vibrato. Choral Journal published its first article the actual values. Secondly, many listeners misclassify
on the subject in 1962, though the author noted that the oscillations of pitch as oscillations of intensity or
the debate, in the United States of America, had begun fail to recognize either. Thirdly, gross vibrato, or the
at least forty years prior. Forty years prior would have vibrato from more than one source, elicits the phenom-
4
been 1922, or just over a hundred years ago, hence the enon of “sonance,” where successive periodicities fuse
title of this article. Brailey’s post-conference Facebook into one perceived tone. Fourth and finally, our ears
post received numerous likes, comments, and shares, confuse changes in pitch, intensity, and timbre with the
demonstrating the pervasive and persistent interest and oscillation of a semi-tone typical of a natural vibrato.
5
controversy surrounding choral singing and vibrato. Bringing multiple singers together, such as a choir, only
As the panel of presenters reflected both vocal peda- magnifies these complexities. Management of individ-
gogues and choral directors, I chose to investigate the ual vibratos presents many problems during the quest
vibrato debate through a comparative analysis of arti- for synchronization.
cles from Journal of Singing and Choral Journal. A synthesis For these reasons and others, singers get called upon
of thirty-seven publications from both journals helped to produce “straight-tone” singing. This kind of singing,
chronicle the debate, illustrated tactics from either side, according to some, reduces harmonic intensity within
revealed sources of common ground, and pointed to- upper formants, thereby enhancing the perception of
ward a potential pathway forward. First, however, is a the fundamental tone. Through the suppression of
8
brief overview of vibrato and its complications. timbrel variations between singers, unification of pitch
helps achieve a blended tone within a section. No tone,
9
however, is without vibration. Achieving a “straight
Defining Vibrato and tone,” or one with a decreased rate, may occur through
Perceptual Battles firmer adduction of the vocal folds or increased airflow
10
Vibrato is a naturally occurring, vocal phenomenon. through less adducted vocal folds. This hyper- or hy-
Singers produce vibrato by modulating the fundamen- pophonation may result in vocal fatigue and even vocal
11
tal frequency of a tone through either change in sub- pathologies. Historically and contemporarily, singers
glottal air pressure via use of the abdominal muscles have and do sing “straight tone” without apparent in-
6
or changes in the activity of the cricothyroid muscle. jury or fatigue, fueling the debate between proponents
Our ears perceive the oscillation of pitch, volume, and of either using or eliminating vibrato within the choral
timbre produced in a vibrating tone. These perceptions setting.
relate to the intensity of harmonics present within the
tone, the vowel used and its related formants, the sub- Not All Is Lost
glottic pressure, and the closed quotient of the vocal A third possibility exists. Trained singers have dem-
12
folds. Researchers characterized vibrato in two mea- onstrated the ability to synchronize their vibratos, al-
surable quantities: extent and rate. The rate of a typi- though no definitive, empirical evidence explains how
cal vocal vibrato is between 5 and 7 cycles per second, this scenario occurs or may be achieved. Considering

22 CHORAL JOURNAL February 2024 Volume 64 Number 6