This is a mini review of only three singers. Two were intended to be reviewed, and the third sneaked in, taking me completely by surprise.
I just had some champagne, so if I seem a bit off, that's why.
One of my favourite voices in the world, regardless of genre, is that of Trefor Jones. It is sweet, yet strong, clear, yet commanding, and all-around perfect, unless a truly heavy voice is required. I know they are for some songs, but if you were to ask me, personlly, which voice I could hear for hours at a time, it would definitely be a light one such as his. Sadly, I can find precious little from him. He is most well-known, perhaps, for his work with Ivor Novello, particularly Fold Your Wings, and Shine Through My Dreams, from Glamorous night. However, he did perform in several films. He also recorded a few extra songs. When I first heard the voice of John McCormac, I was amazed at how similar it was! I wanted to do a review of them. As luck would have it, I found a song that both recorded! It's worth noting that McCormac also has a Novellian connection through Keep the Home Fires burning, and for his performance of Londonderry Air/Danny Boy, which Ivor loved (he chose it as a Desert Island Disk). Richard Tauber has another connection, through his recording of We'll Gather Lylacs, as well as singing the songs of Lehar, whom Novello loved as well!
John McCormack - Maire, My Girl (1912) 4
youtube.com/watch?v=p5wCNWapS3…
Trefor Jones In ＂Maire My Girl＂ (1932)youtube.com/watch?v=bWb-eBjNUn…
youtube.com/watch?v=GYjPxaq4u7…
Richard Tauber - Maire, My Girl (1944)
youtube.com/watch?v=GYjPxaq4u7…
Analysis
John McCormack
Since this is an Irish song, it's worth noting that McCormac was actually Irish. He may have heard this growing up. I don't know when it was written. Despite its age, this recording is very clear and shows off his diction for which he was well-known. His voice is musical and lyrical. He performs the song at a slow, measured pace. His rs are also very pronounced and rolled. However, it's worth noting that, at this time, even Americans did this, so it may have been part of his vocal training. He hits the high note with complete ease. and his voice becomes very powerful as the song progresses and ends.
Trefor Jones
He is from Wales, and again, he has an accent, but it is quite different. Still, his rs are rolled slightly. As with McCormac, he slies his notes perfectly and his voice is extremely powerful. His rhythm is much quicker, and I would say his emotion is a bit stronger. He also sings that a higher pitch. His dynamics are a bit different from McCormac's but he definitely manages to keep the strength and power of the notes, hitting the high one without any difficulty.
Richard Tauber
And now, we turn to the German, Richard Tauber, who really doesn't belong here, but whom I simply couldn't resist adding. His voice is entirely different from those of the first two. Despite his remarkable strength and power, He can also sing lightly, as evidenced by his Serenade from Frasquita, and here, he puts this skill to good use. While his voice simply won't allow him to sound as light as the other two, he does manage to sound soft throughout most of the song. He, too, has an accent. His pitch is lower than both McCormac and Jones, and He doesn't really slide his notes here. That said, some of his words are very quiet. Toward the end, his voice becomes extremely powerful, and of course, he has no problem hitting the high note. However, here, it sounds more natural than in Che gelida manina.
And my personal winner is.. Trefor Jones. As I had originally planned, it's really between Jones and McCormac, but I love how the first one sings it. Still, they are so close in voice that either one could have won. It's really about little things in this case, like rhythm and delivery.
Georgiana Brummell
in reply to Georgiana Brummell • •