Boys Choirs in the Pandemic: Effects of Distance and Other Factors on Spectral and Temporal Accuracy
Kirsch J, Köberlein M, Tur B, Hermann LA, Kniesburges S, Echternach M (2023)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2023
Journal
DOI: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2023.09.017
Abstract
During the Covid-19 pandemic, choral singing has been either completely prohibited or regulated with safety measures due to increased transmission risks. However, the impact of larger inter-singer spacings on the performance and educational process in boys’ choirs is unclear. This study analyzed recordings of six groups of five singers each from two boys’ choirs aged 7–16 who sang Beethoven's Ode to Joy while standing on an arc with a 4 m radius and an inter-subject spacing of 0.5–3 m. The effects of singers’ masks, distance, group age, and relative position on the timing of articulation and fundamental frequency were investigated, along with the amount, rate, and sign of pitch drift and loudness. The ANOCOVA results showed that onsets were robust to the tested factors, while errors in fundamental frequency tended to decrease with increasing age/experience. Loudness was affected by distance, mask, and relative position, with increasing loudness as spacing decreased. Understanding influencing factors can inform recommendations for choral singing and education.
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Germany (DE)How to cite
APA:
Kirsch, J., Köberlein, M., Tur, B., Hermann, L.A., Kniesburges, S., & Echternach, M. (2023). Boys Choirs in the Pandemic: Effects of Distance and Other Factors on Spectral and Temporal Accuracy. Journal of Voice. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2023.09.017
MLA:
Kirsch, Jonas, et al. "Boys Choirs in the Pandemic: Effects of Distance and Other Factors on Spectral and Temporal Accuracy." Journal of Voice (2023).
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