The Naked Voice

Abstract

Unaccompanied singing dates back thousands of years, yet solo voice onstage today is still relatively uncommon in our Western musical world. The singer alone seems exposed and vulnerable, unsupported by the usual instrumental accompaniment; but in spite of -- because of --this vulnerability, solo voice can create an intense and powerful means of musical expression. Much of the existing repertoire for solo voice overlaps with theatre work, as the singer alone will inevitably explore character presentation and development, through music and text. This short paper discusses some important repertoire in the solo voice genre and introduces new Canadian works.