About - The Countertenor Voice

Some people who listen to Robert’s singing wrongly assume he is still a boy whose voice will ‘break’ one day in the conventional way. This is to completely misunderstand the nature and rarity of Robert’s voice. Robert is an adult male with a countertenor voice.

A countertenor is an adult male who sings in an alto or soprano range, often through use of falsetto. This term is used almost exclusively in the context of the classical vocal tradition. The countertenor voice went through a massive resurgence in popularity in the second half of the 20th century, partly caused by pioneers such as Alfred Deller and by the increased popularity of Baroque opera. Although they have been considered largely an early music phenomenon, some modern countertenors explore a much larger repertoire. Today, countertenors are much in demand in many forms of classical music. Modern composers write countertenor parts, both in choral works and opera. Men's choral groups such as Chanticleer and the King's Singers employ them to great effect in a variety of genres, including early music, gospel, and even folk songs.

The majority of countertenors use falsetto to sing in an alto range. The falsetto register can achieve much greater resonance with correct technique. Many countertenors switch into chest voice for low notes. Robert in fact has an incredible singing range of 3 and a half octaves. Successful navigation of register shifts is one of the most difficult challenges a countertenor faces, but can be made easier with the help of a vocal coach. Robert is being trained as a countertenor voice student at Birmingham Conservatoire where he is in his second year. He has so far enjoyed masterclasses by the famous countertenor Michael Chance.