Marriage is love.

Saturday, July 02, 2005

Choir denies boy's bid to sing soprano













Mikhael Rawls sits at his home in Bedford, Texas. The Texas Music Association denied his application to sing soprano in the All-State Choir because of his gender.



This one is for oddjob (we had an interesting "contralto/alto/first tenor" chat recently)...


Countertenor may have voice like an angel, but Texas group says no

BEDFORD, Texas - Singing soprano is for girls only in Texas’ elite All-State Choir, eliminating a 17-year-old boy’s chance to audition for a statewide honor and raising questions about gender discrimination.

The Texas Music Educators Association on June 15 denied a request from Mikhael Rawls to audition this fall as a soprano, a part traditionally sung by girls.

Rawls sings countertenor, a little known male voice part that has surged in popularity in classical and operatic circles. He can sing an octave and a half higher than most boys his age, and he feels most comfortable singing in that range.

He has even won first place as a soprano in the University Interscholastic League’s competition two years in a row.

The association, however, does not allow boys to sing soprano or alto, or girls to sing tenor or bass.


Rest of the story is HERE.


These ignorant F*cks in Texas don't even realize that there is a "real" man's part in classical vocal arrangements for the Countertenor.

I guess my voice range of Contralto would have been not allowed either, had I gone to school in Texas (horrors!), since it is in the tenor range, and gee whiz, I'm a guuurrrrllll.....

My advice to this kid is just AUDITION FOR AN ARTS SCHOOL IN NYC -- Texas is not good enough for your wonderful talent!!

Of note is this quote from the story:

“It seems to me that it’s time for the association to sort of wake up and see what’s happening around not only the United States of America but Europe,” renowned countertenor David Daniels said in a telephone interview from London, where he is performing this summer in Mozart’s “Mitridate” at the Royal Opera House.

Indeed, but in a state where the Governor just told gays to find another place to live (and considering all of the contributions to the arts that the homosexual community has brought to the world for centuries), my guess is that the "wake up" might be a long time coming...




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