I become nauseated when I recall some singers I have heard, whether solo or accompanied by others, improvising on a choirbook, not caring...

‘The preceding examples receive their colouring from the discrimination of the singer; but a still nicer task remains for him to execute,...

‘In the pinnace were three Virgins, which with their Cornets played Scottish Gigs, made three parts in one. There was also in the saide...

‘Thus I say, that these voices are born from the matter of the tube [throat]; and by tube [throat] I mean all the parts mentioned above,...

‘Without a doubt, [Johann] Michael Vogl stands foremost among those who recognised and promoted Schubert’s genius early on. As far as...

‘Whether descant may be commendable in the divine service, and of certain things which ought to be eschewed in song. Like as it is...

‘...you would be compelled to be an imitator of the proficient and expert singer, and [this] would entail an instrumental performance...

‘The harmonic flower [flos harmonicus] is, however, an ornament of the voice or sound, and a very fast and storm-like vibration. Some...

‘Now you shall have a general rule to grace it, as with passionate play, and relishing it: and note that the longer the time is of a...

Of the Several Graces Used in Music: The first and most principle grace, necessary to be learned, is the trill or shake; that is, to move...

‘All these things require aptitude, agility, and time, without which nothing can be achieved, and the singer, in using or adopting them...

Since we’ve already seen Zenobi’s comments on the requirements for a soprano (https://www.cacophonyhistoricalsinging.com/post/luigi-zenob...

§6 ‘Some persons believe that they will appear learned if they crowd an Adagio with many graces, and twist them around in such fashion...

The extract below from William Babbel’s ‘Suits of the most Celebrated Lessons’ (1717) shows a transcription for keyboard of the famous...

‘Many of us can remember (indeed in some few places it still exists) the old village choir, assisted by the double bass, bassoon, wheezy...

‘Among the old musicians it used to be customary to write a mere outline or suggestion of the voice part. Particularly was this the case...

‘All the singers of France have learnt the Italian style that they now call ‘French’, but cannot express perfectly the tremulous...

‘Moreover, such diminutions should be used in [works for] more than four voices, because diminution always causes the loss of numerous...

’Also excepted is all quick passage-work which must be executed by the human voice, unless it is supposed to be slurred. Since every note...

‘I have said that the tenor of the Italians was the haute-contre of the French; at least the tenors hardly differ if...