Singer Placement and the Male Chorus: Male Choristers' Perceptions of and Preferences for Choral Formations Based on Individual Singer Placement in the Ensemble

This book details an experiment seeking to shed light on the nature of singer perception in the choral setting. Fifty male chorus participants' perceptions and preferences were assessed in response to four overall choral formations based on criteria derived from factors relating to the Self-to-Other Ratio ? a singer's perception of his sound within his section and the chorus. The study also sought to determine whether Voice Part and Musical Experience Level are significant factors in participants' perceptions of and preferences for four different formations. Participants rated their perceptual experience of the four formations immediately after having sung in each and then indicated preference for specific placements based on their perceptual experience. Results indicated that specific parts did indicate preferences for specific placements and that the singers' musical experience was significant in determining their preferences for formations.