The Soloist as an Ensemble Singer

Abstract

My doctoral study is driven by my interest in choral music, ensemble repertoire for soloists, and the training of the choral musician in the New Zealand environment. Choral singing has for too long been seen as the poorer cousin of solo singing and therefore it is often overlooked in the training of young singers. If you look at the list of winners from New Zealand’s most prestigious singing competition, the Lexus Song Quest (formerly the Mobil Song Quest), an extraordinary number of these have sung in one of the national choirs or had an extensive choral training. Yet in spite of this, many young singers are discouraged from singing in a choir for fear that it will ruin their solo potential. Through the music of five recitals I have explored the role of the soloist in the ensemble, from the music of Bach through to contemporary art music from New Zealand. The skills developed in the ensemble are vital for the solo singer. There is no question that singers entering the professional arena will spend a large part of their singing life in the ensemble context, whether it is as part of a chorus, a professional chamber choir, or ensemble singing in operas and oratorios. The purpose of my exegesis is to challenge the belief that a soloist should only be a soloist, and address many issues that surround soloists singing in choir, for example blend and vibrato. Through my recitals displaying the repertoire of the soloist and the ensemble singer in opera, chamber music and oratorio, I have promoted the ideal that a “well-trained” professional singer should be able to move seamlessly between the two worlds.