[78-L] Choral key question

[David Lennick]

Not all were in A Flat, one was in G (after I listened carefully to samples of 
all 4 sides and decided that the voices seemed more natural in the lower 
speed). A bit too much helium effect at the higher rate, and starting a 1937 78 
7% above 78RPM just seemed too far out. I understand that Decca's field 
recordings were made on machines that had enough spring for just over a 3 
minute recording..true?

dl

On 12/19/2013 4:04 PM, Tim Huskisson wrote:
> Ab too weird for a dance band? Surely it's one of the most popular keys -
> particularly suiting Bb and Eb (transposing) instruments. 'A' by comparison
> is a very uncomfortable key for those instruments. An Alto sax player, for
> example, would have to negotiate six sharps - because he/she would be
> playing in the key of F#. In Ab, the Alto player would be in a very
> comfortable key of F (one flat).
>
> Aside from that, I believe Gospel music was more likely to have been written
> in the simplest of keys for SINGERS to READ. i.e. minimal accidentals.
> (Church choirs etc, etc.) Although this particular group may have been
> non-readers, I suspect the TRADITION makes it more likely that these
> recordings were in either G or A, and less likely to be in Ab - though of
> course possible.
>
> Regards,
>
> Tim Huskisson
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: 78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com
> [mailto:78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com] On Behalf Of David Lewis
> Sent: 19 December 2013 20:30
> To: 78-l
> Subject: [78-L] Choral key question
>
> I also vote for A flat. While you'll never find a dance band playing in that
> key -- too weird --for a piano player it falls pretty easily under the
> fingers, like Valerie said, owing to all of the black keys. And singers
> generally don't have an issue with it.
>
> Uncle Dave Lewis
> uncledavelewis at hotmail.com