A rarely talked about facet of inclusiveness in choir is: blend.
In the European/British classical choral tradition, conductors work hard to ensure that there is a perfect blend, to smooth out all the voices and make it sound as though they are one. But at what cost? By implying that everyone needs to sound the same, what do we lose?
If we want to be truly inclusive in choir, we should be asking for our singers to sing with their full, true voice.
This is a bit of a radical idea to me, because “of course choir is an inclusive place!” But how can it be if, even after we do all the right things to welcome someone as they are, we still ask them to modify an integral part of themselves - their voice - to fit an outdated aesthetic.
Now, I’m not suggesting that we don’t strive for a unified sound. But I believe there are ways to achieve this and still honour every unique voice.
Voice matching. This is going to have to be a whole entry on its own, but the magic of voice matching within a choir cannot be understated. Sonically, some voices fit well together, and some fight with each other. By taking the time to find the right combination and order of voices in a seating plan, we are making the choir fit the singers instead of the other way around. Voice matching allows us to find a place for every voice, based on each person’s unique sound. Once they are in the right place, they can sing more freely, and the choir sounds better - it hasn’t failed me yet!
Repertoire. Just like voice matching, choose pieces that fit the singers instead of the other way around. Listen to the voices that are in the choir, and make the music work for them.
Vowels. A unified sound is as much about vowel shape (and diction, generally) as it is anything else. There is an important distinction between asking someone to modify their vowel (i.e. articulators and resonance), and asking someone to modify their voice (i.e. “sing with straight tone”). A choir with unified vowels will have a more unified sound.
Listening. One of my favourite phrases about listening in choir is: “Sing into each other’s sound.” In other words, listen to the people beside and around, and hear how your voices can fit together. Importantly, this isn’t about merging. It is about singing with awareness towards a common goal.
Once we banish the word “blend” from rehearsals, and choir members see, feel, and hear that their unique and authentic voice is welcome and encouraged in choir, only then can we say that the choir is truly inclusive.
I am grateful to Knox Sutterfield, a New York City-based conductor and singer with the Inspire: A Choir for Unity organization, for bringing this idea to me and giving me something to think about.