Zarlino, in _Istitutioni harmoniche_, 1558, wrote: "Matters for the singer to observe are these: First of all he must aim diligently to perform what the composer has written. He must not be like those who, wishing to be thought worthier and wiser than their colleagues, indulge in certain rapid improvisations that are so savage and so inappropriate that they not only annoy the hearer but are riddled with thousands of errors, such as many dissonances, consecutive unisons, octaves, fifths, and other similar progressions absolutely intolerable in composition. Then there are singers who substitute higher or lower tones for those intended by the composer, singing for instance a whole tone instead of a semitone, or vice versa, leading to countless errors as well as offense to the ear. Singers should aim to render faithfully what is written to express the composer's intent, intoning the correct steps in the right places." [Gioseffo Zarlino, _The Art of Counterpoint_, translated by Guy A. Marco and Claude V. Palisca, (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1968) ppg 110-111.] I wish the modern-day R&B singers would take this to heart. They never hold a note and sing every possible note around it instead! My friends say it is merely interpretation and ornamentation. I beg to differ...The twiddly-bits are for the instruments, not the voice!
BTW Thanks for this Ron Ron (UK) To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
