Singing and Recorders

As a classically trained singer, I have performed in oratorios, operas, choral works, and small chamber groups. Nearly 22 years ago as I was approaching 50, I faced a concern shared by many aging singers – that our vocal abilities would eventually decline to the point that performances would not be musically acceptable or enjoyable.

Not willing to relinquish the joy by leaving music, recorders seemed a way to continue to “sing” through a woodwind instrument while maintaining the nuance, quality, and soul-enriching experience of creating beautiful music. In the Renaissance, for example, the recorder was often used to emulate the human voice, and recorder players devised techniques enabling their instruments' sound to resemble the voice.

A kind colleague recommended that I start with a professional teacher not only to learn the instrument, but the repertoire as well. Since then, my workshop attendances have included mentoring under numerous notables in the field, including a masterclass with Judy Linsenberg at a Boxwood Festival week in Nova Scotia (with thanks to the ARS for a workshop scholarship).

The recorder is, of course, different from the voice (although like the cornetto, the voice and recorder have been compared often). Nevertheless, singers have an approach to instrumental music – particularly wind instruments - that is informed by their vocal training. Some of this training is enormously useful (breathing in particular, but also a sense of phrasing and vocal line) and some techniques (the reliance on vibrato in opera, etc.) must be “unlearned” or reined in considerably for much of early music. While not absolutely necessary, I believe that a recorder teacher who can also sing the music, demonstrating phrasing, nuance, hints at articulation, and interpretation uses this synergy to enhance the craft, the music, and the learning of the recorder.

Playing Recorder Alone But Not Unaccompanied

Recorder music also saved me during the worst of the pandemic. As with singing alone in a lovely acoustic, the recorder can help us fill the void and emptiness of isolation. Switching between the solo, unaccompanied repertoire (primarily alto in my case) and pieces with good instrumental backing tracks can be immensely satisfying.

In addition to accompaniments available through early music sites, (Playing It Safe: Social Distancing Resources - American Recorder Society), I particularly resonate with backing tracks not aimed specifically at recorder players. Such tracks include those available through Musescore and Singer Buddy with a wide range of repertoire and instrumental arrangements. For example, I adore the composition for vocal tenor, “Je crois entendre encore” (Bizet, The Pearl Fishers) where the Singer Buddy backing is lush and contains the crucially needed nuance. The version in Musescore, in my view, is designed with acceptable piano backing, but the score is at much too soft a volume, even for the recorder. The advantage of Musescore is that the compositional key signature can be changed at the touch of a button; this allows great flexibility for those compositions that you love but which need to be adjusted for more accessibility with the recorder.

There is also an enormous diversity of repertoire available, including those pieces intended specifically for the recorder, but many others (flute, voice, and oboe in particular) that work quite well on our early instruments. A particular favorite of mine – easily played by those who have mastered alto up - is “Ulvetime” (“Hour of the Wolf” by Songleikr (see a superb video of the original here). Harp or guitar backing tracks on Musescore work particularly well. If you channel the scores through a good Bluetooth (or other) speaker, the results are substantially better, and the volume easily adjusted.

Finding Singers in Your Midst

As I approach age 72, I still sing - and sing reasonably well. However, I know that this will not last. It was and is the recorder that now also fills this aging heart with joy during these troubling times. Our vocal chords may diminish, but as long as we have breath, we can continue to sing through the flauta dulce. A down-and-dirty poll on the ARS and the Recorder Players N Enthusiasts Facebook sites resulted in more than a few recorder players who either started out as singers and now add singing to their performances and rehearsals. Others who do not sing have performed with invited singers complimenting their early music offerings to the public. Some did not know how to locate and incorporate singers into their programs and, hence, some advice is warranted here. Singers are always looking for new opportunities to perform, particularly if it is an unusual gig.