The tuneful singing voice of a child is one of the most beautiful and surprising sounds in all of choral music. But you would not always know it from what you hear in many modern settings. In this episode I reflect on what it takes to help young singers find their head voice, why so much popular music works against that goal, and what is at stake for young men especially before their voices change. Featuring my Delta Youth Chorale singing Benjamin Britten’s Songs for Friday Afternoons from our spring concert, including “Jazz-Man” and “There Was a Man of Newington,” this episode makes a case for giving children the right training and the right repertoire.
The Friday FIVE is a weekly five-minute podcast series from Musically Speaking that features five minutes of music commentary, examples, and recommendations from Jarrod Richey.
Here’s the Songs for Friday Afternoons if you want to listen more:
Here’s the spring concert recording in full:
