domenico: side note on your side note . . one significant factor in my no longer rating Oyster band as highly as I did was John Jones' ceasing to sing in his own "natural" voice (and as side note on that: a problem I have is that every time I hear him sing in his "new" voice it reminds me of the "workover" Margaret Thatcher had on her voice, and if there's one person I prefer not to be reminded of . . (trouble is, Tony Blair reminds me of the same ignoble woman))

KingB: I'm flattered . . (that phrase) . . your're welcome (to borrow) . . no idea (what you mean (about qualifying things in brackets)). And I loved your tale about your daughter's singing - we had exactly the same "discussions" with ours, from about that age until she was about 12 . . And she still regresses occasionally (she's now 18). But persevere . . It's only "better this way" because that's her "received expectation" from "pop" . . If she's going to express herself through song she needs to find a voice which is natural to her. IMO.

Steve P (and subsequent posters). Fascinating! And something which had not impinged on me despite encountering a fair bit of evidence for it. Although I don't think it contradicts the view that you have to find a singing voice which feels natural and comfortable to you. So many thanks for that.

G.