Yorkshire Philosophical Society

Event Information

The Science of the Singing Voice (and why it’s tough being a soprano)

Professor Helena Daffern, School of Physics, Engineering and Technology, University of York.

“The Human Voice is the most beautiful instrument of all, but it is the most difficult to play”

Richard Strauss.

Every voice is unique. Beyond enabling humans to communicate uniquely through speech, your voice is also a powerful and versatile musical instrument.  To understand how the voice works we must combine knowledge of physiology, acoustics and psychoacoustics (how we perceive acoustic signals based on our hearing system and brain).

This talk will explore the complex processes involved in voice production, and how the physical and acoustic properties of the vocal system are used in different musical styles. Live demonstrations will illuminate the intricacies of the human voice  – and how different types of sound are produced and perceived.

Analytical techniques that are used to understand the voice, including realtime acoustic analysis and Magnetic Resonance Imaging, will illustrate how different styles of singing are achieved. These techniques will also reveal the physical properties of different voice types and why they require different vocal techniques and manipulations of the voice system to achieve similar goals. Amid this scientific and practical exploration of the singing voice, finally the truth will be uncovered with proof that sopranos have the hardest job in a choir… (maybe).

7pm in the Tempest Anderson Lecture Theatre in the Yorkshire Museum

All welcome to this free event; although donations are welcome.