Once when I was living in Portsmouth (Hants.England) many years ago I was at a folk club thing some friends ran and there were a few sailors - three in particular were trying to join in the singing but could not find a suitable male voice to mesh with. I saw their heads go down when I went up to sing, but suddenly they perked up and 'zamm' came in on the first chorus so I couldn't hear myself solo any more just part of the harmony. It was like suddenly finding I had a twin who had married someone with the same name had the same number of children with the same names and did the same job and lived at the same number house - apparently I sing/sang one octave higher than the fourth member of the group and also sang a lot of the same songs.

Unfortunately I couldn't find a way to kidnap them and keep them for myself, (and I think my husband might have had something to say...) and although one or two of them turned up from time to time there were never more than two - though the harmonies were still good.

some voices blend - some don't - and some are only good together when it is late at night and you all end up at somebody's flat with nothing to eat but custard and spaghetti and you begin to thing that perhaps with some coconut sprinkled on the top it just might be OK

Anne