Vocal Onset for Vowels, or Avoiding the Amateur Scoop

When the first word of a musical phrase begins with a vowel ( “and,” “in,” “Osanna,” “Agnus”), it will sound flat and/or scoopy unless the singer’s throat is open on the inhalation. It’s just like a sneeze—try simulating one, and see how your throat and nasal passages open up as you breathe in. This is how we need to attack (that just means “land on,” not “destroy” ;-)) vowels at the beginnings of phrases. If we start trying to sing a vowel with the throat closed, there’s going to be that wobbly effect as the sound pushes through the closed passage and tries to find its place.

The second part of a correct attack is inhaling with the mouth in the shape of the vowel we’re about to sing. This is easiest with “aah” sounds, because they’re most like sneezing (“aah-choo!”), but we need to do this for all vowel sounds (as if we were going to say “oh-choo,” or “aw-choo,” etc.).

This way of initiating vowels requires practice over time to become a habit, but let’s see if we can do it in some of the particularly exposed passages in our repertoire for our Spring concert. Here are four examples:

• At the Round Earth’s…: bottom of p. 4, men: “All whom the flood”
• Hark, I Hear…: top of p. 5, all parts: “And my soul”
• O, My Luve’s…: opening phrase, all parts; top of p. 5, men: “As fair”
• All of the “Osanna”s in the Missa Brevis.

A few times before our next rehearsal, practice starting these phrases as if you were going to sneeze (but shape the vowel first). Sometimes I even write “sneeze” in my score at particular places to remind myself. It’s probably just as well that we own our music and don’t have to pass it along to other singers!

–Marya Danihel