Is that you Simon??!!

This thread brings up something that I've always wondered about.

I've sung for years in different a cappella harmony groups, but play no instruments and don't read music - my voice just went wherever I felt was right at the time - or else, where I was told, by them wot knows more!!!

Whilst it is certainly true that individual voices can change a group's overall sound quite dramatically, my fellow singers and I have always felt strongly that when you get the same people/voices always singing the same part - y'know - "she's always high, he's always low", e.g. - it can lead to songs sounding quite "samey" - especially if you're only into one style of music and especially then, a whole CD of them!!

So, loving variety, we've always varied our song choices and mixed and matched as much as possible with the voices we have available at the time - which also extends the people concerned - and reduces a possible eventual boredom factor all round!!

The Fellside recording "Voices in Harmony : English Traditional Song" has some interesting booklet notes by Paul Adams re harmony and the differences between the groups.

I'd like to see some more discussion on this area please : Who uses structured harmonies (what/how) - and who just goes for it!
(yes, yes, I DO recall that there are other threads on harmony singing - maybe some link pixie can add them above please??)
Being a non-music reader, I'd like to understand a little more about the different harmony's effects (and, e.g., is it true that bluegrass harmonies are always just thirds??)

Anyway, that's enuff of my raving for now ...

Cheers! R-J