I’ve picked two albums – sorry, typically greedy.
My brother Guy was obsessed with his iPod Touch as a teen, and I remember wanting to listen to music because it’s something I saw him doing.
That kind of portable listening has since been a huge part of my day-to-day life, and particularly it’s vocal albums (regardless of genre) that gave (and give) me so much drive to pursue singing. There’s something about getting lost in the intricacies of individual voices that gives you permission to try and find sounds that resonate with you, and inform how you want to sing/perform.
For me, the voices of both Michael and Alice are so specifically engaging because they sound like human beings. Obviously, there’s tonnes of polish in both instruments, and clearly we as a species don’t go around speaking like opera singers sing… BUT nevertheless there’s a spectrum of fragility / timbre / approach these guys have that makes the music feel closer to us, more relatable to our broader lives. I think the most compelling thing to watch in a performance is when you witness a human being. And that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s over-emotional or irrational, just that it’s honest (another problematic word, I know, but maybe you see what I mean?).
Of the tracks within these albums, Alice’s ‘Verdi prati’ from Alcina is a particular favourite for its emotional intimacy and transparency. And I love the way Michael makes the falsetto sound so natural and non-contrived, unaffected. EC’s trademark sound of super clean, understated, and never-less-than-ultra-tasteful playing helps this, especially when it comes to Vivaldi which is so often overblown and forced.
When I was younger, I’d try and imitate the sounds I liked on CDs – that happened loads after listening to countertenors like Michael Chance as well as David Daniels, Tim Mead and Iestyn Davies (and plenty of others). Clearly, you have to find your own true voice over time, but recordings like these are massively influential in helping you explore what your approach to singing might look and sound like.
