Apple GarageBand Jam Pack: Voices - Manual (Page 3)

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Gregorian Choir
Gregorian chant represents the earliest type of music written down in Western history.
In the chant style, the voices all sing the same melody in unison (or octaves). Chant
became the basis for the masterful choral style of the Renaissance, with complex
compositions based around a chant melody, known a
cantus firmus . One characteristic
of Gregorian-style choral singing is the lack of vibrato, allowing the voices to blend
completely and creating a more austere, reserved feeling.
Modern composers (including Durufle, Debussy, and Arvo Pärt) have been fascinated
by the purity and simplicity of Gregorian choral singing, and have used or suggested it
in their compositions. In recent popular music, the Gregorian choir was popularized by
the group Enigma (in their piece “Sadeness Part I”), who used it together with a dance
beat. It was subsequently employed by other pop and rock groups, as well as by New
Age artists wanting to add a sense of spirituality to their music.
Boys Choir
Western Europe has seen a long-standing tradition of boys’ choirs, with perhaps the
most famous example being the Vienna Boys Choir (in existence since it was founded
in the late 15th century by the Emperor Maximillian), which has long maintained a
reputation for high musical standards, and has included singers and composers who
later achieved great fame and success. Boys’ choirs typically consist of boy soprano and
alto voices, which together convey a sense of lightness and purity.
Gospel Choir
Gospel music embodies a unique blending of African-American and European vocal
traditions, reflecting its origins in the American South. The gospel choir, featuring a rich
vibrato performing style, has gone on to captivate the world with its simple yet highly
expressive sound. The Harlem Gospel Choir is the modern standard-bearer of the full
gospel sound and tradition. Gospel choirs now exist not only in the United States, but
in every part of the world from Australia to South Africa, and gospel singers and choirs
are used in popular and other recordings to convey moments of depth and spiritual
feeling.