Eleven voices for a competition that demands sixteen

“Eleven. Eleven living voices, and the competition asks for sixteen.”

[19:03] Speaking: Amaya Cerezo, director of the Portobravo choir. Transcript of the festival committee.

[19:04] BRUNO FERREIRO, sound technician for the town council: The rules have allowed assisted voices since 2034. Up to four, declared at registration.

[19:04] A. CEREZO: Eleven and four make fifteen.

[19:05] B. FERREIRO: Fifteen.

[19:05] A. CEREZO: Then we are not going.

[19:06] B. FERREIRO: If we do not go, goodbye to the grant. Four thousand two hundred euros, and half the choir has not been paid back for the March coach.

[19:07] A. CEREZO: Where do those four voices come from?

[19:07] B. FERREIRO: From you. They are built from the 2029 recording, which belongs to the choir. They sound like your tenor line five years ago.

[19:08] A. CEREZO: I am not putting five machines on stage and calling it the Portobravo choir.

[19:08] B. FERREIRO: Four machines. You are the fifth voice.

[19:09] A. CEREZO: I conduct. I have not sung in front of anyone for seven years.

[19:10] B. FERREIRO: Article eleven. “For counting purposes, whoever conducts shall count as a voice if registered in a section.” It has been there since ninety-seven. Nobody has used it because nobody ever needed to.

[19:12] A. CEREZO: Register me as contralto and put the four assisted ones in the tenor line, where nobody notices me.