There are 67 comments.

1. Contributor
   Susan Quinn

   @SusanQuinn

   Post author

   1:31 PM EDT ⋅ Mar 29, 2019

   Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patrio… (View Comment):
   It reminds me of the Hallelujah Chorus at the food court, here:

   Gorgeous! I think flash mobs are pure magic!!

2. Contributor
   Susan Quinn

   @SusanQuinn

   Post author

   1:33 PM EDT ⋅ Mar 29, 2019

   PHenry (View Comment):
   I can’t wait to take her to Disney myself in a year or two. I don’t care one bit about the attractions, she is the attraction! 

   That’s my only exception to my comment, @phenry. Taking kids to Disney is a whole ‘nother thing!

3. Thatcher
   Percival

   @Percival

   

   1:44 PM EDT ⋅ Mar 29, 2019

   Very nice, Susan.

4. Member
   Western Chauvinist

   @WesternChauvinist

   

   2:11 PM EDT ⋅ Mar 29, 2019

   PHenry (View Comment):

   Susan Quinn: I’m not a fan of the Disney Parks. I think they are contrived fantasy (yes, there is legitimate fantasy), overly expensive and boring.

   To be fair, you are not the target audience!

   My almost 3 granddaughter went last month. She has not stopped talking about all the princesses she met, she spends most of her day dancing to Beauty and the Beast songs in her authentic Belle dress, and she thinks the storm troopers from the star wars parades are good guys.

   I can’t wait to take her to Disney myself in a year or two. I don’t care one bit about the attractions, she is the attraction!

   It’s the happiest place on earth! Until about 2:00 pm, when everyone needs a nap.

5. Member
   Midget Faded Rattlesnake

   @Midge

   2:18 PM EDT ⋅ Mar 29, 2019

   Full Size Tabby (View Comment):
   Without conceding your point, I will point out that Tenors have to be smarter (at least in church choral anthem singing). The tenor is often is called upon to fill in an interior note of the chord, so the tenor line doesn’t always flow well and we have to jump some odd intervals…

   Hmm… is it possible that altos must be smartest of them all? Tenor parts are usually bright and trumpet-like, and the fact tenor is the highest male voice makes it stand out. But altos, they’re just buried.  I’ve sung S1 in choir, T1 in choir, and all the parts in between at some point. Some guys, like Brahms, took care to write interesting alto lines. Many… didn’t…

   The Alto’s Lament

    

   It’s tough to be an Alto when you’re singing in the choir.

   The Sopranos get the twiddly bits that people all admire.

   The Basses boom like big trombones, the Tenors shout with glee,

   But the Alto part is on two notes or, if you’re lucky, three.

    

   And when we sing an anthem and lift our hearts in praises,

   The men get all the juicy bits, the telling little phrases.

   Of course, the trebles sing the tune — they always come off best,

   While the Altos only get three notes (and twenty two bars rest).
   

    

   It doesn’t matter what we sing, from Hymn Book or from Psalter,

   The Choir Master looks at us – our voices start to falter. ·

   Too high! Too low! Too fast! Too slow! You held that note too long!

   It doesn’t matter what we do – it’s certain to be wrong!

    

   Oh, shed a tear for Altos, they’re the martyrs and they know

   That, in the ranks of choral work, their rank is very low.

   They are so very humble that a lot of folk forget them.

   They’d love to be Sopranos, but their vocal chords wont let them.

    

   And when the final trumpet sounds and we are wafted higher,

   Sopranos, Tenors, Basses – they’ll be in the Heavenly Choir.

   While they sing “Alleluia” in celestial flats and sharps,

   The Altos, in the corner, will be polishing their harps.

6. Member
   Hoyacon

   @Hoyacon

   2:43 PM EDT ⋅ Mar 29, 2019

   That was absolutely beautiful.  May they always be that close.

   BTW, I am locally famous for my rendition of Danny Boy (four Guinness minimum) on St Patrick’s Day.  Unfortunately for the arts world, all tapes have been destroyed.

7. Inactive
   Vectorman

   @Vectorman

   3:01 PM EDT ⋅ Mar 29, 2019

   Western Chauvinist (View Comment):
   It’s the happiest place on earth! Until about 2:00 pm, when everyone needs a nap.

   In Florida, it rains about 3:00 PM in the summer anyway – it was true when we went there.

8. Thatcher
   Percival

   @Percival

   

   3:12 PM EDT ⋅ Mar 29, 2019

   Midget Faded Rattlesnake (View Comment):

   Full Size Tabby (View Comment):
   Without conceding your point, I will point out that Tenors have to be smarter (at least in church choral anthem singing). The tenor is often is called upon to fill in an interior note of the chord, so the tenor line doesn’t always flow well and we have to jump some odd intervals…

   Hmm… is it possible that altos must be smartest of them all? Tenor parts are usually bright and trumpet-like, and the fact tenor is the highest male voice makes it stand out. But altos, they’re just buried. I’ve sung S1 in choir, T1 in choir, and all the parts in between at some point. Some guys, like Brahms, took care to write interesting alto lines. Many… didn’t…

   The Alto’s Lament

    

   It’s tough to be an Alto when you’re singing in the choir.

   The Sopranos get the twiddly bits that people all admire.

   The Basses boom like big trombones, the Tenors shout with glee,

   But the Alto part is on two notes or, if you’re lucky, three.

    

   And when we sing an anthem and lift our hearts in praises,

   The men get all the juicy bits, the telling little phrases.

   Of course, the trebles sing the tune — they always come off best,

   While the Altos only get three notes (and twenty two bars rest).
   

    

   It doesn’t matter what we sing, from Hymn Book or from Psalter,

   The Choir Master looks at us – our voices start to falter. ·

   Too high! Too low! Too fast! Too slow! You held that note too long!

   It doesn’t matter what we do – it’s certain to be wrong!

    

   Oh, shed a tear for Altos, they’re the martyrs and they know

   That, in the ranks of choral work, their rank is very low.

   They are so very humble that a lot of folk forget them.

   They’d love to be Sopranos, but their vocal chords wont let them.

    

   And when the final trumpet sounds and we are wafted higher,

   Sopranos, Tenors, Basses – they’ll be in the Heavenly Choir.

   While they sing “Alleluia” in celestial flats and sharps,

   The Altos, in the corner, will be polishing their harps.

   

9. Member
   Midget Faded Rattlesnake

   @Midge

   3:14 PM EDT ⋅ Mar 29, 2019

   Percival (View Comment):

   

   Hey, I wanted to play the viola. Badly! But my parents wouldn’t let me :-(

10. Thatcher
    Percival

    @Percival

    

    3:20 PM EDT ⋅ Mar 29, 2019

    Midget Faded Rattlesnake (View Comment):

    Percival (View Comment):

    

    Hey, I wanted to play the viola. Badly! But my parents wouldn’t let me :-(

    

11. Member
    Midget Faded Rattlesnake

    @Midge

    3:21 PM EDT ⋅ Mar 29, 2019

    Hey, do you know what they call the world’s smallest viola?

    A violin.

12. Contributor
    Susan Quinn

    @SusanQuinn

    Post author

    3:21 PM EDT ⋅ Mar 29, 2019

    Midget Faded Rattlesnake (View Comment):

    Full Size Tabby (View Comment):
    Without conceding your point, I will point out that Tenors have to be smarter (at least in church choral anthem singing). The tenor is often is called upon to fill in an interior note of the chord, so the tenor line doesn’t always flow well and we have to jump some odd intervals…

    Hmm… is it possible that altos must be smartest of them all? Tenor parts are usually bright and trumpet-like, and the fact tenor is the highest male voice makes it stand out. But altos, they’re just buried. I’ve sung S1 in choir, T1 in choir, and all the parts in between at some point. Some guys, like Brahms, took care to write interesting alto lines. Many… didn’t…

    The Alto’s Lament

     

    It’s tough to be an Alto when you’re singing in the choir.

    The Sopranos get the twiddly bits that people all admire.

    The Basses boom like big trombones, the Tenors shout with glee,

    But the Alto part is on two notes or, if you’re lucky, three.

     

    And when we sing an anthem and lift our hearts in praises,

    The men get all the juicy bits, the telling little phrases.

    Of course, the trebles sing the tune — they always come off best,

    While the Altos only get three notes (and twenty two bars rest).
    

     

    It doesn’t matter what we sing, from Hymn Book or from Psalter,

    The Choir Master looks at us – our voices start to falter. ·

    Too high! Too low! Too fast! Too slow! You held that note too long!

    It doesn’t matter what we do – it’s certain to be wrong!

     

    Oh, shed a tear for Altos, they’re the martyrs and they know

    That, in the ranks of choral work, their rank is very low.

    They are so very humble that a lot of folk forget them.

    They’d love to be Sopranos, but their vocal chords wont let them.

     

    And when the final trumpet sounds and we are wafted higher,

    Sopranos, Tenors, Basses – they’ll be in the Heavenly Choir.

    While they sing “Alleluia” in celestial flats and sharps,

    The Altos, in the corner, will be polishing their harps.

    MANY years ago in the school chorus I was called a second soprano. I think that’s above alto–in range only!

13. Inactive
    PHCheese

    @PHCheese

    5:28 PM EDT ⋅ Mar 29, 2019

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    PHCheese (View Comment):

    My first thought at seeing Disney was the length some go to be entertained. For me nothing is better than a cool night looking at the stars and hearing the symphony of crickets and tree frogs and enjoying a cool drink with my Sugar next to me.

    That’s perfect for me, too. Except with my Sugar, not yours!

    Oh so you have a dog too?

14. Member
    Midget Faded Rattlesnake

    @Midge

    5:59 PM EDT ⋅ Mar 29, 2019

    Jerry Giordano (Arizona Patrio… (View Comment):
    On a serious note: Ave Maria is the most beautiful and emotional draw to Catholicism experienced by this particular Protestant. I can enjoy it, but it’s not the same.

    I sang Ave Maria at my grandma’s (Protestant) funeral. It began as one of seven songs Schubert set for Lady of the Lake, and so had different lyrics from the traditional Ave Maria. The traditional Ave Maria lyrics were a retrofit.

15. Inactive
    Stina

    @CM

    7:17 PM EDT ⋅ Mar 29, 2019

    Percival (View Comment):

    Midget Faded Rattlesnake (View Comment):

    Full Size Tabby (View Comment):
    Without conceding your point, I will point out that Tenors have to be smarter (at least in church choral anthem singing). The tenor is often is called upon to fill in an interior note of the chord, so the tenor line doesn’t always flow well and we have to jump some odd intervals…

    Hmm… is it possible that altos must be smartest of them all? Tenor parts are usually bright and trumpet-like, and the fact tenor is the highest male voice makes it stand out. But altos, they’re just buried. I’ve sung S1 in choir, T1 in choir, and all the parts in between at some point. Some guys, like Brahms, took care to write interesting alto lines. Many… didn’t…

    The Alto’s Lament

     

    It’s tough to be an Alto when you’re singing in the choir.

    The Sopranos get the twiddly bits that people all admire.

    The Basses boom like big trombones, the Tenors shout with glee,

    But the Alto part is on two notes or, if you’re lucky, three.

     

    And when we sing an anthem and lift our hearts in praises,

    The men get all the juicy bits, the telling little phrases.

    Of course, the trebles sing the tune — they always come off best,

    While the Altos only get three notes (and twenty two bars rest).
    

     

    It doesn’t matter what we sing, from Hymn Book or from Psalter,

    The Choir Master looks at us – our voices start to falter. ·

    Too high! Too low! Too fast! Too slow! You held that note too long!

    It doesn’t matter what we do – it’s certain to be wrong!

     

    Oh, shed a tear for Altos, they’re the martyrs and they know

    That, in the ranks of choral work, their rank is very low.

    They are so very humble that a lot of folk forget them.

    They’d love to be Sopranos, but their vocal chords wont let them.

     

    And when the final trumpet sounds and we are wafted higher,

    Sopranos, Tenors, Basses – they’ll be in the Heavenly Choir.

    While they sing “Alleluia” in celestial flats and sharps,

    The Altos, in the corner, will be polishing their harps.

    

    Oh I laughed… quite hard.

16. Inactive
    Stina

    @CM

    7:20 PM EDT ⋅ Mar 29, 2019

    I like the Altos and 2nd sopranos.

    They give grounding to the 1sts so they don’t sound quite so… flighty?

    It doesn’t sound right without an alto note, even if it is just one… or three…

    I have also sung from tenor up to 1st soprano. My favorite is 2nd soprano.

17. Coolidge
    TBA

    @RobtGilsdorf

    11:58 PM EDT ⋅ Mar 29, 2019

    Vectorman (View Comment):

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    Stina (View Comment):

    I’d be staring at him in loving adoration, too.

    I die over male voices like that.

    Yep. Me too!

    Well, I’ll order the undertaker for both of you. And Baritones are sexier than Tenors.

    Women prefer bad boys; it is operatically proven. 

18. Member
    Full Size Tabby

    @FullSizeTabby

    7:03 AM EDT ⋅ Mar 30, 2019

    Midget Faded Rattlesnake (View Comment):

    Full Size Tabby (View Comment):
    Without conceding your point, I will point out that Tenors have to be smarter (at least in church choral anthem singing). The tenor is often is called upon to fill in an interior note of the chord, so the tenor line doesn’t always flow well and we have to jump some odd intervals…

    Hmm… is it possible that altos must be smartest of them all? Tenor parts are usually bright and trumpet-like, and the fact tenor is the highest male voice makes it stand out. But altos, they’re just buried. I’ve sung S1 in choir, T1 in choir, and all the parts in between at some point. Some guys, like Brahms, took care to write interesting alto lines. Many… didn’t…

    The Alto’s Lament

     

    It’s tough to be an Alto when you’re singing in the choir.

    The Sopranos get the twiddly bits that people all admire.

    The Basses boom like big trombones, the Tenors shout with glee,

    But the Alto part is on two notes or, if you’re lucky, three.

     

    And when we sing an anthem and lift our hearts in praises,

    The men get all the juicy bits, the telling little phrases.

    Of course, the trebles sing the tune — they always come off best,

    While the Altos only get three notes (and twenty two bars rest).
    

     

    It doesn’t matter what we sing, from Hymn Book or from Psalter,

    The Choir Master looks at us – our voices start to falter. ·

    Too high! Too low! Too fast! Too slow! You held that note too long!

    It doesn’t matter what we do – it’s certain to be wrong!

     

    Oh, shed a tear for Altos, they’re the martyrs and they know

    That, in the ranks of choral work, their rank is very low.

    They are so very humble that a lot of folk forget them.

    They’d love to be Sopranos, but their vocal chords wont let them.

     

    And when the final trumpet sounds and we are wafted higher,

    Sopranos, Tenors, Basses – they’ll be in the Heavenly Choir.

    While they sing “Alleluia” in celestial flats and sharps,

    The Altos, in the corner, will be polishing their harps.

    Altos need only know how to sing the notes E and F and not sink flat has they sing the same note repeatedly. 

19. Member
    Full Size Tabby

    @FullSizeTabby

    7:08 AM EDT ⋅ Mar 30, 2019

    Western Chauvinist (View Comment):

    PHenry (View Comment):

    Susan Quinn: I’m not a fan of the Disney Parks. I think they are contrived fantasy (yes, there is legitimate fantasy), overly expensive and boring.

    To be fair, you are not the target audience!

    My almost 3 granddaughter went last month. She has not stopped talking about all the princesses she met, she spends most of her day dancing to Beauty and the Beast songs in her authentic Belle dress, and she thinks the storm troopers from the star wars parades are good guys.

    I can’t wait to take her to Disney myself in a year or two. I don’t care one bit about the attractions, she is the attraction!

    It’s the happiest place on earth! Until about 2:00 pm, when everyone needs a nap.

    My most common recommendation for families visiting a Disney park is to go back to your hotel in the early afternoon for a break. Then return to the park in the late afternoon and enjoy the evening with everybody refreshed. (When we lived in southern California 20+ years ago, we sometimes had annual passes to Disneyland, so we tended to go for frequent but relatively short visits. We saw plenty of tired families melting down mid-afternoon.)

20. Member
    Full Size Tabby

    @FullSizeTabby

    7:20 AM EDT ⋅ Mar 30, 2019

    Susan Quinn (View Comment):

    @fullsizetabby and @vectorman, I had no idea singing was so complicated! Good for you guys!

    Some choral music is complicated to sing, but much is not. More people should give it a try! 

    I don’t know about Jewish choral music, but among Christian choral music composers there has been a conscious effort over the last 50 years or so to prepare arrangements that are “accessible” to the amateurs who populate church choirs (i.e., easier arrangements).

    [Small side note – vocal music “training” (50 years of church choir, not any fancy personal lessons) improved my public and private speaking. All those choir directors emphasizing enunciation, solid consonants, and air control got me to become aware of those same things in my speech. 

21. Inactive
    Stina

    @CM

    8:41 AM EDT ⋅ Mar 30, 2019

    Full Size Tabby (View Comment):

    Western Chauvinist (View Comment):

    PHenry (View Comment):

    Susan Quinn: I’m not a fan of the Disney Parks. I think they are contrived fantasy (yes, there is legitimate fantasy), overly expensive and boring.

    To be fair, you are not the target audience!

    My almost 3 granddaughter went last month. She has not stopped talking about all the princesses she met, she spends most of her day dancing to Beauty and the Beast songs in her authentic Belle dress, and she thinks the storm troopers from the star wars parades are good guys.

    I can’t wait to take her to Disney myself in a year or two. I don’t care one bit about the attractions, she is the attraction!

    It’s the happiest place on earth! Until about 2:00 pm, when everyone needs a nap.

    My most common recommendation for families visiting a Disney park is to go back to your hotel in the early afternoon for a break. Then return to the park in the late afternoon and enjoy the evening with everybody refreshed. (When we lived in southern California 20+ years ago, we sometimes had annual passes to Disneyland, so we tended to go for frequent but relatively short visits. We saw plenty of tired families melting down mid-afternoon.)

    Unless you live here :(

    Too close for a hotel, too far for a break, too broke for an annual pass (not really, but better things to spend it on)

22. Member
    Midget Faded Rattlesnake

    @Midge

    8:52 AM EDT ⋅ Mar 30, 2019

    Stina (View Comment):

    I like the Altos and 2nd sopranos.

    They give grounding to the 1sts so they don’t sound quite so… flighty?

    It doesn’t sound right without an alto note, even if it is just one… or three…

    I have also sung from tenor up to 1st soprano. My favorite is 2nd soprano.

    Anybody else ever tried vaganism? It’s kind of nice.

23. Thatcher
    Percival

    @Percival

    

    11:23 AM EDT ⋅ Mar 30, 2019

    Midget Faded Rattlesnake (View Comment):

    Stina (View Comment):

    I like the Altos and 2nd sopranos.

    They give grounding to the 1sts so they don’t sound quite so… flighty?

    It doesn’t sound right without an alto note, even if it is just one… or three…

    I have also sung from tenor up to 1st soprano. My favorite is 2nd soprano.

    Anybody else ever tried vaganism? It’s kind of nice.

    I tried vague-anism. Sort of. For a while.

24. Inactive
    Sweezle

    @Sweezle

    12:16 PM EDT ⋅ Mar 30, 2019

    A beautiful moment in time. TY!

25. Member
    Gary Robbins

    @GaryRobbins

    2:47 PM EDT ⋅ Mar 30, 2019

    The little girl was so proud of her daddy.

    Just lovely.  I was humming Ave Marie for hours yesterday.

26. Member
    Basil Fawlty

    @BasilFawlty

    

    3:50 PM EDT ⋅ Mar 30, 2019

    Midget Faded Rattlesnake (View Comment):

    Full Size Tabby (View Comment):
    Without conceding your point, I will point out that Tenors have to be smarter (at least in church choral anthem singing). The tenor is often is called upon to fill in an interior note of the chord, so the tenor line doesn’t always flow well and we have to jump some odd intervals…

    Hmm… is it possible that altos must be smartest of them all? Tenor parts are usually bright and trumpet-like, and the fact tenor is the highest male voice makes it stand out. But altos, they’re just buried. I’ve sung S1 in choir, T1 in choir, and all the parts in between at some point. Some guys, like Brahms, took care to write interesting alto lines. Many… didn’t…

    The Alto’s Lament

    It’s tough to be an Alto when you’re singing in the choir.

    The Sopranos get the twiddly bits that people all admire.

    The Basses boom like big trombones, the Tenors shout with glee,

    But the Alto part is on two notes or, if you’re lucky, three.

    And when we sing an anthem and lift our hearts in praises,

    The men get all the juicy bits, the telling little phrases.

    Of course, the trebles sing the tune — they always come off best,

    While the Altos only get three notes (and twenty two bars rest).
    

    It doesn’t matter what we sing, from Hymn Book or from Psalter,

    The Choir Master looks at us – our voices start to falter. ·

    Too high! Too low! Too fast! Too slow! You held that note too long!

    It doesn’t matter what we do – it’s certain to be wrong!

    Oh, shed a tear for Altos, they’re the martyrs and they know

    That, in the ranks of choral work, their rank is very low.

    They are so very humble that a lot of folk forget them.

    They’d love to be Sopranos, but their vocal chords wont let them.

    And when the final trumpet sounds and we are wafted higher,

    Sopranos, Tenors, Basses – they’ll be in the Heavenly Choir.

    While they sing “Alleluia” in celestial flats and sharps,

    The Altos, in the corner, will be polishing their harps.

    Double post. Sorry.

27. Member
    Basil Fawlty

    @BasilFawlty

    

    3:54 PM EDT ⋅ Mar 30, 2019

    Midget Faded Rattlesnake (View Comment):

    Full Size Tabby (View Comment):
    Without conceding your point, I will point out that Tenors have to be smarter (at least in church choral anthem singing). The tenor is often is called upon to fill in an interior note of the chord, so the tenor line doesn’t always flow well and we have to jump some odd intervals…

    Hmm… is it possible that altos must be smartest of them all? Tenor parts are usually bright and trumpet-like, and the fact tenor is the highest male voice makes it stand out. But altos, they’re just buried. I’ve sung S1 in choir, T1 in choir, and all the parts in between at some point. Some guys, like Brahms, took care to write interesting alto lines. Many… didn’t…

    The Alto’s Lament

    It’s tough to be an Alto when you’re singing in the choir.

    The Sopranos get the twiddly bits that people all admire.

    The Basses boom like big trombones, the Tenors shout with glee,

    But the Alto part is on two notes or, if you’re lucky, three.

    And when we sing an anthem and lift our hearts in praises,

    The men get all the juicy bits, the telling little phrases.

    Of course, the trebles sing the tune — they always come off best,

    While the Altos only get three notes (and twenty two bars rest).
    

    It doesn’t matter what we sing, from Hymn Book or from Psalter,

    The Choir Master looks at us – our voices start to falter. ·

    Too high! Too low! Too fast! Too slow! You held that note too long!

    It doesn’t matter what we do – it’s certain to be wrong!

    Oh, shed a tear for Altos, they’re the martyrs and they know

    That, in the ranks of choral work, their rank is very low.

    They are so very humble that a lot of folk forget them.

    They’d love to be Sopranos, but their vocal chords wont let them.

    And when the final trumpet sounds and we are wafted higher,

    Sopranos, Tenors, Basses – they’ll be in the Heavenly Choir.

    While they sing “Alleluia” in celestial flats and sharps,

    The Altos, in the corner, will be polishing their harps.

28. Coolidge
    Patrick McClure

    @Patrickb63

    4:01 PM EDT ⋅ Mar 30, 2019

    My oldest daughter is a soprano. My second is an alto. Being very cruel, I have asked them to sing a duet of Ave Maria at my (hopefully long in the future) funeral. Thanks for the video Susan. Every father hopes to have his daughter look at him like that little girl did.

29. Inactive
    Stina

    @CM

    4:47 PM EDT ⋅ Mar 30, 2019

    Basil Fawlty (View Comment):

    Midget Faded Rattlesnake (View Comment):

    Full Size Tabby (View Comment):
    Without conceding your point, I will point out that Tenors have to be smarter (at least in church choral anthem singing). The tenor is often is called upon to fill in an interior note of the chord, so the tenor line doesn’t always flow well and we have to jump some odd intervals…

    Hmm… is it possible that altos must be smartest of them all? Tenor parts are usually bright and trumpet-like, and the fact tenor is the highest male voice makes it stand out. But altos, they’re just buried. I’ve sung S1 in choir, T1 in choir, and all the parts in between at some point. Some guys, like Brahms, took care to write interesting alto lines. Many… didn’t…

    The Alto’s Lament

    It’s tough to be an Alto when you’re singing in the choir.

    The Sopranos get the twiddly bits that people all admire.

    The Basses boom like big trombones, the Tenors shout with glee,

    But the Alto part is on two notes or, if you’re lucky, three.

    And when we sing an anthem and lift our hearts in praises,

    The men get all the juicy bits, the telling little phrases.

    Of course, the trebles sing the tune — they always come off best,

    While the Altos only get three notes (and twenty two bars rest).
    

    It doesn’t matter what we sing, from Hymn Book or from Psalter,

    The Choir Master looks at us – our voices start to falter. ·

    Too high! Too low! Too fast! Too slow! You held that note too long!

    It doesn’t matter what we do – it’s certain to be wrong!

    Oh, shed a tear for Altos, they’re the martyrs and they know

    That, in the ranks of choral work, their rank is very low.

    They are so very humble that a lot of folk forget them.

    They’d love to be Sopranos, but their vocal chords wont let them.

    And when the final trumpet sounds and we are wafted higher,

    Sopranos, Tenors, Basses – they’ll be in the Heavenly Choir.

    While they sing “Alleluia” in celestial flats and sharps,

    The Altos, in the corner, will be polishing their harps.

    That voice just comes out of nowhere… out of that baby face!

30. Member
    Midget Faded Rattlesnake

    @Midge

    5:04 PM EDT ⋅ Mar 30, 2019

    Patrick McClure (View Comment):

    My oldest daughter is a soprano. My second is an alto. Being very cruel, I have asked them to sing a duet of Ave Maria at my (hopefully long in the future) funeral. Thanks for the video Susan. Every father hopes to have his daughter look at him like that little girl did.

    Have they sung the Lakme duet together?

    It itself is not the worst choice for a funeral.

    As the one stuck singing Ave Maria at family funerals, my tip is: do it as the introit.

    That way you don’t have to keep it together during the service itself to avoid singing all verklempt. (I say “stuck” but of course it’s an honor and the least I can do — still, it’s psychologically demanding to give a beautiful vocally-demanding tribute, one not rendered painful to the ear by emotion.)