Done in a timed setting after the exam before my boys wake up! I hope this helps. It is not a definitive response, just an example of what it is possible to write.

Question 16 

Work: ‘Big Trapeze’ (excerpt)

Artist: The Tiger and Me

Track from the album: From a Liar to a Thief (ABC Music)

Describe interpretive decisions the two vocalists have made to achieve an expressive outcome in the performance of this excerpt. 

Expressive outcome created: relaxed, joyous abandon.

Decisions –

to anticipate of the beat complimenting but not exactly the same as previously played in accompaniment. Some rhythm uses rubato which conflicts with the rhythm of the accompaniment which has a very clear beat.

Decision to use dynamics in an an unexpected way. Sudden piano in the middle of phrase to mirror words  “motionless and unaware” complimented by going down in register.

Repetition of words sung differently – eg. using an aspirate, breathy tone colour on “suffer”

“self indulgent wonderment” – interpreted in many different ways at each repetition – strident forceful tone colour, breathy, aspirate tone colour, use of vibrato and without vibrato. By one singer and by both singers. Melody with little gliss/slides while staying close to the note – last ‘meant’ slides up and down a minor 2nd.

Singer 2 solo entry: Plays around with rhythm of melody more than the first singer. An extension of some of the syncopation used before. Much more rubato, some word painting here too.

Decision to use vibrato in a very controlled way – usually at the ends of words where it is compressed and changes the vowel. eg. end of “Delight”

Playing around with tone colour – bright clear, penetrating at the start but more airy at points later on.

Articulation – flip from chest to head voice sound on ‘falling’.

Female singer – Diminuendo and short improvisation melisma at the end of the phrase and on word ‘please’ in soto voice, with more breathy tone colour. Other singer enters and overlaps this deciding to compliment this tone colour (also breathy) but with a louder dynamic and obvious change in role to dominate the female singer at the end of her phrase.

Final ‘ah’ again repeated with different interpretive decisions made – syncopated and in rhythmic unison, the male singer doing small melodic embellishments which creates a heterophonic texture between the voices.