Why Does Choral Music Sound So Good?

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Choral music is currently going through a renaissance with hundreds of professional and amateur choirs singing all across the world. But what makes the sound, and in particular the sound of a professional group, so appealing? In this essay, I look at the science behind the notes to find out why choral music sounds so good.
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FURTHER READING
Choral Phonetics -
when vowels control the intonation [Wolfgang Saus]: www.oberton.org/wp-content/up...
CHOIRS FEATURED IN THIS VIDEO
Tenebrae Choir: www.tenebrae-choir.com/
Voces8: voces8.com/
Illuminare Choir: • Illuminare choir
The Choir of Westminster Abbey: www.westminster-abbey.org/wor...
The Kingdom Choir: kingdomchoir.com/
Stellenbosch University Choir: / @stellenboschuniversit...
#ChoralMusic

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5 ноя 2020

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Комментарии : 356

@ListeningIn 3 года назад

Hi everyone! So I can keep creating the best possible video essays, I've now set up a Patreon account: www.patreon.com/listeningin. Almost every essay of mine has a copyright claim, so any support you could offer would be amazing. By the way, what's your favourite piece of choral music?

@leoniedijxhoorn6239 3 года назад

of course Stellebosch university choir and for now it is " die donker"

@AdriaOliSal 3 года назад

Agnus Dei from Samuel Barber, in the Choir version, is one of the most intense pieces of music I've ever sung. It was so difficult to get right, so much concentration, but so wonderful in concert. Other than that, I also love Dona Nobis Pacem from Vaughan Williams, and the Funeral sentences from Purcell.

@averages64 3 года назад

Tallis’ Spem in Alium takes the human voice - and our entire beings through our ears - into outer space with its other-worldly feel.

@ccflute 3 года назад

faure, cantique de jean racine.

@tritionequeen 3 года назад

My current contemporary one is Sing me to Heaven.

@eduardovalentin9416 3 года назад

Pretty sure, 90% of the viewers all sang in church choirs (myself included) and are all crawling here lamenting not being able to do the thing we all really love to do.

@samanthakaspar8238 3 года назад

or competitive choirs :)

@fardareismai4495 3 года назад

Uni choir... I really miss it.

@chaplainmattsanders4884 3 года назад

Yes!!!!!

@Kobiwan_ 3 года назад

Never participated in a choir in my life, but I'd love to now.

@Skimeric 3 года назад

Pretty sure you are 100% right.

@louisdesjarlais4121 3 года назад

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1">0:01</a> The path of Miracle: 4 Santiago by Joby Talbot <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="100">1:40</a> Nunc Dimittis by Arvo Pärt (credits to Sebastian Amadeus Van Brahms, I had no idea!) <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="200">3:20</a> Hymn to St-Cecilia, by Britten (credits to John Swedberg, I also had no idea!) <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="330">5:30</a> Ubi Caritas by Ola Gjeilo <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="379">6:19</a> The Lamb by John Tavener <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="465">7:45</a> Vespers: 6 Bogoroditse Devo by Rachmaninov <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="530">8:50</a> The Path of Miracle again (4th movement) by Joby Talbot

@kennichdendenn 3 года назад

1:40, sorry, its Pärt 😁. Avo Pärt, Nunc Dimittis, If I'm not completeley mistaken it is the incredible Voces8 version.

@angelicamartacahyaningtyas9083 3 года назад

@@kennichdendenn That's it. It sounds familiar to me. Turns out, I've heard The Sixteen's version.

@louisdesjarlais4121 3 года назад

Thanks to both of you, I've edited the post to help others, but I credited you!

@thefrayfann 3 года назад

Thanks for sharing this!

@omglolgiraffe 3 года назад

@@kennichdendenn you should add Richard to your name, youll get Wagner and Strauss. Two for the price of one!

@Joraultechy 3 года назад

This video is criminally underrated. As someone with an absolute passion for music, harmony, and particularly microtonality and just intonation, this is the most apt, most intuitive way I’ve ever seen harmonics and formants described. And indeed, choirs are a thing of complete beauty.

@ListeningIn 3 года назад

Thank you so much! This comment has made my day! I’m very pleased you enjoyed the video.

@Joraultechy 3 года назад

@@ListeningIn Glad that you enjoyed it! I do come from a piano classical background and have spent quite a few years doing music theory as well as taking an interest in different tuning systems and just intonation as a platonic ideal of music. But describing it, how it all works, without diving into the deep maths of doubling frequencies, pure reduced fractions sounding pleasant, and all of that... it takes a while. Somehow you managed to describe it concisely and without pulling out any graph paper, and that’s just impressive. Keep up the incredible work, and I can’t wait to see where this channel continues to go! 😊

@nadiamillones9979 3 года назад

absolutely agree!!

@narayana8249 3 года назад

Finding this channel was like finding a 10-pound diamond in a happy meal. I was getting used to the same old sub-par stuff before finding something amazing. Subscribed for sure.

@ListeningIn 3 года назад

Ha! Well I am very glad you've found me!

@33Jenesis 3 года назад

It is still hard to make digital human vocal sound real and emotional, unlike instrumental modules out on the market. It is like the magic of Jacob Collier is in his vocal harmony arrangement.

@ListeningIn 3 года назад

Completely agree

@simonfrasch3066 3 года назад

I don't think there are any instruments you can accuratly recreate digitaly

@33Jenesis 3 года назад

@@simonfrasch3066 you are not a working composer, are you? Digital instrumental module has been on the market for close to 20 years. What do you think the different sounds on digital keyboard are? They are sound modules.

@simonfrasch3066 3 года назад

Well I actually kind of am. I know there are digital instruments. But they are created by sampling. So basically they record different pitches played on an instrument and save them into a big library of pitches. I mean I could be wrong, but that is my undserstanding of how it works. Of course there are digitaly created instruments, but they usually sound way worse then the actuall instrument. Sorry if my comment seemed rude, I just wanted to clarify not attack your opinion :)

@anuel3780 3 года назад

As a hobbyist musician that is one of the challenges I want to attempt, completely synthetic digital choral music with the same effect as traditional human choral music. But that's probably a goal for myself in like, 15 years from now lmao

@blakemorgan6470 3 года назад

Well done on this!! Beautiful demonstrations and nice to see the VOCES8 cameo there at the end. We definitely love those pure intervals!

@ListeningIn 3 года назад

Thank you Blake! Also used your beautiful recording of Ubi Caritas.

@HickoryDickory86 3 года назад

And we choral fans love that you love them, Blake. 🤗

@romarinthym 3 года назад

Now I know why every time I listened choral, I feel I heard the the whole universe. What a fantastic video.

@Relflow 3 года назад

I've sang in choirs off and on for 5 years, and your ideas of darkening/brightening vowels to tune the singers to the chord to just intonation is incredibly revealing and makes perfect sense. Thanks for this insight.

@ListeningIn 3 года назад

My pleasure! I'm glad that resonanted with (no pun intended!).

@graciekirkland 3 года назад

Makes me miss proper singing with the church choir, especially for the upcoming Christmas Mass.

@Nienpet 3 года назад

I miss singing so much 💔🥺 What a privilege it is to sing in a brilliant choir. Best times of my life.

@Murrlin27 3 года назад

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="284">4:44</a> Mind blown. She sounds like a vocoder!!

@SimonClark 3 года назад

**video opens on the Path of Miracles** **dabs self into the shadow self**

@ListeningIn 3 года назад

Oh my God I LOVE Path of Miracles. I heard it live a few years ago and I became obsessed.

@SimonClark 3 года назад

@@ListeningIn easily my favourite choral piece. I was lucky enough to hear Tenebrae perform it in Exeter Cathedral a few years ago and it was the closest I've come to a true spiritual experience. Just incredible.

@ListeningIn 3 года назад

Completely agree. I heard them sing it in Tewkesbury Abbey. I cried so much.

@karendinkel9040 3 года назад

Listening in: *complex choral and musical details Me, with basic piano music reading skills, nodding along: definitely makes sense.

@brendandowse 3 года назад

"Choral music is currently going through a renaissance with hundreds of professional and amateur choirs singing all across the world" - in 2020 when singing in choirs is literally illegal

@biomuseum6645 3 года назад

Brendan Dowse sources for claiming it is illegal?

@franciscasilva8406 3 года назад

@@biomuseum6645 covid, can't have that many people together. Illegality depends on the country though

@kirigayakazuto2585 3 года назад

Just sing 6 feet apart lmao

@helenryan5217 3 года назад

Worse than illegal; it can be fatal.

@Nikioko 3 года назад

@@kirigayakazuto2585 Depending on where you live, this isn't allowed either. Because of the aerosols, Singing is only allowed in small groups up to 5 people and with space of at least 3m in each direction.

@ConstanzeWeber 3 года назад

That made this choral singer very happy!! Especially since I swear I saw my choral director at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="527">8:47</a> !!!!!

@ngershon 3 года назад

Mind completely blown. This explains so much about singing rounded when being voice trained. I knew increasing the overtones (sqillo) is what makes a voice literally bigger and makes it sail over a full sized orchestra, but didn't realize it wasn't just about loose singing and breathing control, but that the mouth actually has such a big role in shaping the tone.

@hlwatts9979 3 года назад

When they showed Jessye Norman, my heart melted... RIP Jessye

@AndyChamberlainMusic 3 года назад

This was really interesting and of course wonderfully produced! I had thought of singers naturally adjusting in real time to be more in tune but it never occurred to me to connect formant control! That's a really cool point. That brighter emphasis in the professional choir spectrogram was really interesting as well. I've always wondered about this question and I'm so happy you've addressed it!

@ListeningIn 3 года назад

Thank you so much Andy! This one was so much fun to put together.

@Eriblu 3 года назад

Well then i suppose i will sleep later

@angelicamartacahyaningtyas9083 3 года назад

well, i have a playlist containing choral songs about sleep or rest

@Hari-jb5hj 3 года назад

@@angelicamartacahyaningtyas9083 please share it

@angelicamartacahyaningtyas9083 3 года назад

@@Hari-jb5hj Here Only in sleep - Erik Esenvalds ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fvPynMI6Umc.html Grace before sleep - Susan LaBarr ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-B9mc7uCr9GI.html Music of Stillness - Elaine Hagenberg ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-kK48a0RsFHc.html

@scheeny 3 года назад

Astonishingly insightful. As a long time vocal student and choral singer, I’ve never seen these concepts presented so meaningfully. Helps me understand why participation has been transformative.

@adampayton4695 3 года назад

So excited whenever you upload! Nice insight into the impossible complexities of the human voice. Imo, since each voice is made different, it becomes so much harder to understand than any man made instrument out there. There is such a high skill ceiling!

@ListeningIn 3 года назад

Thank you! That's true, there is huge complexity in the voice.

@primtones 3 года назад

It can all be broken down into which overtones are present, so is it really as complex as it seems firsthand?

@adampayton4695 3 года назад

@@primtones Yes. How a voice sounds us not as simple as deconstrting the overtones present. The timbre of each and every person's voice cannot simply be replicated in singing. Sure, impressions of their voice can be rather convincing sometimes, but singing like another person would be incredibly difficult. Master the tool of the voice is nowhere near as easy as "master control of your overtones". I could go into dynamics, articulation, phrasing, breathing, diction and each would have their own art and craft worthy of years of practice and research.

@primtones 3 года назад

@@adampayton4695 Timbre is just the overtone signature. People sound different due to differences in our vocal chambers, which affect the overtones. The techniques you list are just ways to manipulate overtones. I'm not saying it's easy to master our voice, but the underlying principle is simple.

@matchboxmatt 3 года назад

This is a beautiful essay, and the perfect thing to watch at a time like this, where most of us can’t make choral music due to COVID. Looking towards that light at the end of the tunnel, whenever it comes.

@joyceolib 3 года назад

This video made me a little emotional. I miss singing in choir so much I can't wait to do it again in the future. I really resonated with the idea that it's easier to sing with a group of people than it is by yourself and I had no clue is was because of the harmonic series. Thank you for making this video!

@bandnvand 2 года назад

I was genuinely astonished by this. I knew that the voice was a surprisingly complicated instrument, but I never knew that it went quite this deep. Extremely entertaining and educational, like every one of your videos that I've seen. Thank you so much!

@lindsaycole4077 3 года назад

Fascinating - a joy to the eye and ear as with all your videos. Such a wide range of topics too. Can't wait for the next one.

@ListeningIn 3 года назад

Thank you Lindsay!

@benjaminstaniforth1277 3 года назад

Fantastic video. So well put together and explained. The part about the formants was fascinating, as I’ve dabbled with overtone singing and never quite understood it, but with this video it has really helped my understanding, so thank you.

@ListeningIn 3 года назад

Thank you Benjamin!

@CreativeIsolation 3 года назад

This was awesome. I’m sending this to my choir now! I’ve never heard this explained so well before. As always, nicely done.

@ListeningIn 3 года назад

Thank you!

@katherineedwards8057 3 года назад

I really love the observations you put together in the video! As a continuing choir student, I think it is important to recognize elements in the vocal tract to really get a feel for how we are able to produce the sounds we make. Thank you for reminding me why I love choir so much! :)

@kamila.4305 3 года назад

Omg, your channel is what I’ve been looking for a long time

@fernandaabud8491 3 года назад

I love your videos! So interesting to nurture our minds with your essays.

@micahsnow346 3 года назад

I subscribed after 10 sec of the video. Idk why but I just knew instantly that this channel was quality material. Thanks for sharing your passion for music with us!

@pjbdm1517 2 года назад

lmao the little smile at the end after the harmonics, im sure thats one hell of a party trick for the uninitiated.

@sergechorny9916 3 года назад

Thank you so much man, I've been looking for information about formants for a long time and you are the first one to make it so clear. And your personal example is very motivating:)

@ListeningIn 3 года назад

My pleasure!

@garaughty 3 года назад

Brilliant insights and analysis !!!

@josephaugustinerhodenhiser1353 3 года назад

Opening with Path of Miracles is a move. I was fortunate enough to see Tenebrae in person, and listening to recordings does the experience little justice.

@ironmonger100 3 года назад

A fascinating documentary, explained with clarity, thank you

@SoundsGoodChannel 3 года назад

so cool! i loved the formants explanation. it was quite elucidating to see it in that visual representation!

@ListeningIn 3 года назад

Thank you!

@guikentaro 3 года назад

This morning my teacher told me about intonation and now I'm studying it on the violin. Guys, it's weird, but also amazing to listen how an E must sound differently when played with an A and then with a G.

@MrGeorgeBaj Год назад

Man, what a great video! Thank you for the inside look.

@christianjeffress5312 3 года назад

Incredibly informative and entertaining as well, thank you very much

@sophiereiland7882 3 года назад

Thank you for this video. This spoke very much to me as a professional ensemble singer and singing teacher. Beautifully explained.

@gregoryawsmith 3 года назад

I am so completely overwhelmed by this, I never knew half of this was possible! How incredibly extraordinary our voices are! Now how do I learn to control it like this!?

@Jonathantuba 3 года назад

Fascinating, thank you for posting!

@tylercriss6435 3 года назад

Choral pieces are absolutely a connecting experience. We all meld together in the sound, ceasing to be an individual. It's a spectacular feeling.

@hervedavidh4117 3 года назад

Such a great video for us members of choir! Thank You!

@GeorgeAustria 3 года назад

Great visuals in this vid! Cool and effective.

@ListeningIn 3 года назад

Thank you George!

@infectedbanana591 Год назад

This video is done beautifully. I've never seen anyone explain this concept more clearly

@dzlfiqar 2 года назад

this channel is so greatly underrated, you deserves millions of subs and views

@michellec3871 3 года назад

Thank you for making this video! It is really fascinating!

@sanferrera 3 года назад

You deserve a ton more views. Great video!

@ListeningIn 3 года назад

Thank you!

@valaya.3 3 года назад

Wow!! Most of the science of this I already knew, but your application of it and especially with the formats is super interesting and eye opening. RU-vid really knows me haha. I think this may also help me to be a better singer, to remember and be more mindful of my vowel shapes. Ah, if only I could be back in my old choir under that wonderful director

@ukaszk.8305 3 года назад

Very insightful, thank you!

@johnfrobin 3 года назад

Excellent work! Thank you.

@kamila.4305 3 года назад

You’re doing great stuff

@ARC9652 3 года назад

I need a full list of every track used in this vid

@AndreFernandesMovies 3 года назад

same

@alejandropineiro2960 3 года назад

Same

@louisdesjarlais4121 3 года назад

I don't know them all, but surely someone will be able to fill the blanks! 0:01 The path of Miracle: 4 Santiago by Joby Talbot 1:40 I don't know, My guest would be some Whitacre 3:20 no idea, but it's nice! 5:30 Ubi Caritas by Ola Gjeilo 6:19 The Lamb by John Tavener 7:45 Vespers: 6 Bogoroditse Devo by Rachmaninov 8:50 The Path of Miracle again (4th movement) by Jody Talbot

@calebruziska5975 3 года назад

3:20 is part II of Hymn to St. Cecilia by Benjamin Britten

@bedrosbb 3 года назад

1:40 Pärt-Nunc Dimittis 2:40 Harris-Faire is the Heaven 9:40 Handel-Zadok The Priest

@sophelet 3 года назад

Thank you for your excellent, attractive, informative video. Really fascinating. I miss singing in ensembles desperately in this long struggle with the coronavirus; most weeks I have two rehearsals and one "performance" (a service in an Episcopal (Anglican) church), and choral singing and conducting have been central to my life. Now there is only a void until we can gather to sing and listen again. Thank you for this reminder. Well done with amplifying the harmonics at the end!

@wormswithteeth 3 года назад

I'd recommend listening to John Tavener. The choir really glows there. Mesmeric.

@mrbisse1 2 года назад

That was great! Thanks!

@RafaelRivasFLores 3 года назад

Wow wonderful explanation! I love it!

@jaakkomantyjarvi7515 3 года назад

Bravo! Insightful content, clarity of presentation and excellent production values all in one. Easily one of the best video essays I have seen. And I'm not just saying that because I am heavily biased towards this genre of music. :-)

@amandaweemes7187 Год назад

Love that you ended with Zadok the Priest. It makes me think of my senior year of high school! I sing in the choir and I was one of those kids that had vibrato at 10 years old. I’ve always been a classical singer and it makes me happy that there are other people that love classical music and love to sing classically as much as I do.

@jacobspeth6464 3 года назад

Please do us all a favor and never stop making these videos!

@ritchieasibal7280 3 года назад

Awesome! thanks for this very comprehensive information. more 😁❤️

@harry-heaven 3 года назад

So interesting!! Thank you!

@nunobaptista8243 3 года назад

I really like your essay, both in content and in format. The only thing I would point out is the lack of a counterargument or an opposing view.

@emilioguzmanalvarez420 3 года назад

amazing work as always dude! You deserve more exposure. This was one of my favorite vids of yours :) also nice work on that harmonic series! I still cant do it hahah

@ListeningIn 3 года назад

Thank you! (I secretly did a lot of practice runs before doing the recording!)

@aadityakiran_s 3 года назад

This content is great. Just keep at it. You'll make it.

@DevashishGuptaOfficial 3 года назад

So beautifully presented! ❤️

@ListeningIn 3 года назад

Thank you Devashish!

@marodrey 3 года назад

Fantastic video! Amazing powers! Thank you!

@marcalvarez4890 2 года назад

Great video on a subject i really want to learn about. Subbed!

@BLANCOYNEGROFILMS 3 года назад

Awesome video!!!

@mironosicesubotica6784 3 года назад

Beautiful story. Greetings from Serbia to all chorists around the World.

@flaconsius 3 года назад

Great Video. I discovered Choir singing quite late in my life, but it became a pasison.

@janellapalm1687 3 года назад

This is so freaking cool omg I'm singing the overtone stuff to myself now and my mind is exploding a little!

@amiezwag 3 года назад

So interesting, thank you!

@sumeputsre 3 года назад

Commenting for the engagement, love your work

@launchfromphobos 2 года назад

omg quite an insight. It's absolutely mindblowing for me

@AtulJataayu 3 года назад

Splendidly explained. Thank you.

@ListeningIn 3 года назад

My pleasure!

@sitrakaforler8696 2 года назад

Yes. GREAT VIDEO MAN !

@twanswagtencomposer 3 года назад

Wonderful video!

@christinejones9620 3 года назад

Great video - thank you.

@cormacdiamond3303 3 года назад

Fantastic video!

@ListeningIn 3 года назад

Thank you very much!

@giocroatto7307 3 года назад

Fantástico vídeo! Gracias!

@guitarandrums 2 года назад

I watch this video every few months. I love it.

@matthewhouston2376 3 года назад

Fantastic video! I came into the video a little apprehensive because I am an extremely picky musician and I take choral music very seriously. You chose great choirs and great pieces to play as examples, and even accurately identified many subtle nuances to choral technique. Many college educated musicians don't understand the cultivation behind good choral music, so bravo! However, I will say that "professional singers" are different than "professional choral singers". Actually most professional singers do not do great ensemble work... at least in America. Developing a voice for choir and developing a voice for solo work are two different roads, as you hinted at towards the end of the video. I am currently trying to navigate my way down both roads at the same time, wish me luck!

@alexchristodoulou 2 года назад

The best moment though was that victorious smile of yours in the end!

@henrymontgomery5196 3 года назад

Great Video!

@ListeningIn 3 года назад

Thank you Henry!

@stephshoremusic 9 месяцев назад

I love this channel 😊

@Koyaanissparris 3 года назад

I was almost completely distracted by the excellent singing in the background from choirs I know and love. ;) Great video though, never occured to me that we singers actually may change formants to better match the overtones!

@grantheineman 3 года назад

Always love and appreciate the effort you put into your videos man. You should check out Barbershop Harmony!! My personal favorite just intonation vocal music -- since it revolves around V7 chords the sevenths get to be really flat and in tune

@NomeDeArte 2 года назад

Hahaha, good for that armonic series. Great video!

@robertmcmanus498 3 года назад

Effective explanation!

@BoopShooBee 3 года назад

Great. Thank you.

@tarheel777100 3 года назад

I can't thank you enough for this video.

@suzannec7497 3 года назад

Ii used to play around with this when I was a kid, not knowing why. I have since then sung and taught opera for the last 50 years! Thanks for such a great video.

@musical_lolu4811 3 года назад

Growing up in the Anglican church and being an organist for years I've found that question difficult to answer. Dunno if this video makes any much difference to that lol. Appreciate it though.

@michaelfoxbrass 3 года назад

Superb!

@ericrawson2909 3 года назад

I had to replay that many times over from <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="280">4:40</a> where Anna Maria controls the harmonics. I would never have imagined that was possible. Totally amazing. This is one of the best videos I have seen in a long time.

@ListeningIn 3 года назад

Thank you! I know, it's amazing what she can do.

@katherineheasley6196 2 года назад

I sang with my college choir, which was pretty good; not professional level, but it was good. I miss it a lot. There's something so satisfying about joining your voice with others. I hope I'll be able to find a good choir to sing with in the future. Thank you for this video.