The Famous Lovely Contralto

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"Bru, love, you're up doll. Beat this!"
          -- BarbieLee

I took the liberty of accepting the challenge issued to Bru.

The Famous Lovely Contralto
By Daphne Xu

The lovely contralto, Madison Tradillador, gradually worked through the crowd, singing the finale of the tragic romantic ballad beloved by teens and adults alike, men and women everywhere. The singer paused in front of a man frozen in the tragic moment, as the final words of the song dissipated into the complete silence.

"Good singing, Mister!" blurted the three-year-old toddler seated atop the man's shoulders, his voice piercing the auditorium.

"Why thank you, young man!" answered Madison Tradillador in his masculine voice, smiling, shrugging, and slipping his wig off, displaying his nearly bald head and unambiguous male visage -- all to the accompaniment of hysterical laughter and applause of the audience.

The End
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Sorry Daphne

BarbieLee's picture

I missed this one the first time around. Must have been out terrorizing the neighbors? My definition of Contralto (the lowest scale a female can sing) is certainly different than a lot of others. Eartha Kitt would be one of my choices as an example
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Tkbkjo7ECk
Beautiful women who had that deep sexy female voice (not singers)
Paula Prentiss This isn't where she gets into that real deep voice but... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOQkyivM6IM
check out the movie, if you have a funny bone, this one will tickle it.
Susan Plushette One has to follow both women for awhile for their "growl voice" comes through https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KmGeX8nyck

Hug doll
always
Barb
Life is too short to take seriously.

Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl

Voices

Daphne Xu's picture

That's quite okay. It was so short it probably slipped under the radar. A bit too short to be the standard multipart these days. I realized only afterwards that the story distilled the essence of "The Emperor's New Clothes".

I liked the "Contralto, mezzo, soprano" video. Have you heard this song with high notes? The sound of madness. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2ODfuMMyss

"Man's Favorite Sport"? Sounds hilarious. The "growl voice" video -- they hid the actress in a trailer for six hours? No wonder she growled. The video led me to an episode of "What's My Line." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE7A4UFY0II -- featuring the proprietress of somewhere the Emperor might be less out of place.

-- Daphne Xu

Daphne, Opera is NOT my thing

BarbieLee's picture

I liked the "Contralto, mezzo, soprano" video. Have you heard this song with high notes? The sound of madness. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2ODfuMMyss
I think I have a headache. Truly enjoy most all kinds of music. Some wears a little thin after a few songs, others..., can go forever. Opera I never could appreciate, not the sopranos, nor the baritones. Opera is not music, not soothing, not anything but fingernails on the blackboard. Come to think of it, I'll take fingernails on the blackboard first.
I love bluegrass, earlier country and western, earlier rock and roll, most classical, some of the songs scattered though out the later years, such as Alana Miles, Black Velvet, Police, Every Breath You Take, Foreigner, Waiting for a Girl Like You, Survivor, Eye of the Tiger, Blondie, Heart of Glass, Some of ABBA, and others. Basically they need to be good singers with the ability to be on key and able to carry the song. Too many singers try to sing something they were never meant to sing. They have the wrong voice for it. The only song Micheal Jackson sung I liked was Billy Jean. The rest, yech! I blame my mother for teaching me how to sing, stay on key, harmonize, and sing for the pure joy of singing.
Love you hon, stay warm
always,
Barb

Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl

Fingers & Blackboard

Daphne Xu's picture

I definitely enjoyed this. The music and singing were great, and the visuals were a bit unexpected.

-- Daphne Xu

Fingers and unexpected contraltos

Marie Caresse's picture

Glad you enjoyed the music, Daphne. The male singer is a countertenor. Their normal singing voice is usually baritone, but they sing in a higher register by going falsetto.
Here is another lovely contralto. I was wondering if you had ever seen it?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NaBJHUc0QWk
Thanks for the tale!
Marie

Never Saw It

Daphne Xu's picture

I never saw it. He could have been the contralto of my drabble. Yul Brynner -- the name rings a weak bell, but I can't recall from where.

Thanks for reading the story.

-- Daphne Xu