Ewen MacColl had a great vibrato voice. He sounded like an operatic bass singer - except that he would be singing something like "the highland muster roll" when he did it.

I think vibrato is something that is incredible when it is used subtly. When a great singer sings a perfect passionate and pure note that bulds and builds into a vibrato, that is when I tend to be most impressed by their voice.

I hasten to add that building and increasing volume don't necessarily mean the same thing to me.

I think that when singing, the prime requisite to becoming a good singer is to enjoy it.

There are two ways of enjoying singing; one is to revel in the attention a performer gets, and the other is to delight in the different frequencies and accents that can be achieved by manipulating the voice.

Famous singers tend to have a combination of both.

I love experimenting with my voice, both in speech and song. I love, for example, trying out different accents (something which, in todays world, requires cultural sensitivity).

Try, for fun, imitating the characteristics, to the point of caricature if necessary, of diferent singers. This will make you aware of the different tonal possibilities of your vocal chords.

Take the mickey out of singers you hate if you are too intimidated by those you admire. Just try and do it accurately.

If you listen carefully to someones speaking or singing voice, you will hear resonances that you don't have in your voice.

A combination of listening and experimentation will lead you to discover how to reproduce those same resonances.

Further experimentation will lead you to developing your own optimum voice style.

You can't do better than that.

Oh - and sod shyness!!!!!!

lox