Welcome to Choir Banter
The most obvious thing about a male voice choir is, of course, its members are all men. There's nothing sexist about this but reflects the sound produced and whether ladies, men's or mixed choirs each has it's own distinctive style and ardent supporters. Men's singing voices range from high to low pitch and by convention divide into four groups which are, in descending order - first tenor (the Pavarotti's of the choir), second tenor, baritone and finally bass (whose contribution can best be described as sounding like bathwater gurgling down a plughole). This is perhaps illustrated more clearly in the following “chuckle time” verse:-
We start with a choir's top tenors, who resemble an over-ripe peach,
When straining for the higher notes that others find out of reach.
But the florid face and bulging eyes as they warble up on high,
Could be symptoms of very tight Y-Fronts or a hastily zipped-up fly.
Second tenors and the baritones inhabit the middle ground,
Where sensible notes and the tuneful bits are generally to be found.
They try to keep the time and pitch but are often led astray,
By top tenors and the basses who will always have their way.
The bass line has the easiest job that beats the rest by a mile,
As it grunts in lower regions in a smooth and effortless style.
But a double forte on top E wreaks havoc with chords that jar,
By silencing most of the bass-men for at least the next four bar.
A conductor and a pianist complement the male voice team,
Though unaccompanied singing has supporters it would seem.
Yet whilst he often looks in pain - or panic - or even sick,
We’ll always need a conductor in the middle with his stick.
So within most male voice choral pieces there are four or more tunes being sung, all at the same time, yet the combined sound is generally pleasing to the ear because they complement each other and are said to be in harmony. Backworth Choir is dedicated to maintaining a high standard of harmony as “Ambassador of Song”