Composing for Voice: Exploring Voice, Language and Music

Composing for Voice: Exploring Voice, Language and Music, Second Edition, elucidates how language and music function together from the perspectives of composers, singers and actors, providing an understanding of the complex functions of the voice pedagogically, musicologically and dramatically. Composing for Voice examines the voice across a wide range of musical genres (including pop, jazz, folk, classical, opera and the musical) and explores the fusion of language and music that is unique to song. This second edition is enlarged to attract a wider readership amongst all music and theatre professionals and educators, whilst also engaging an international audience with the introduction of new co-author Maria Huesca.

New to the second edition:

• A review of the history of singing
• An overview of the development of melisma
• A chapter to help performers understand each other, as singers and actors often receive disparate educations
• Case studies and qualitative research around song, lyric and meaning
• A discussion of the synthetic voice
• An introduction to the concept of embodied composition
• Interviews with composers and singers
• Summaries of various vocal styles
• A website with links to performances discussed, as well as related workshops: www.composingforvoice.com

Composing for Voice: Exploring Voice, Language and Music, Second Edition, articulates possibilities for the practical exploration of language, music and voice by composers, singers and actors.

Paul Alan Barker is Professor of Music Theatre at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London.

Maria Huesca is Lecturer at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London.