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BBC News - Choir boys' and girls' distinctive voices studied
Edmund Aldhouse, assistant director of music at the cathedral, says: "When we do voice trials and auditions for the choir, one thing that we talk about is that sparkle factor: did the boy or the girl shine. Working with music trainer Jenevora Williams, from Guildford, he has been trying to pin down exactly what it is in the singers' voices that make them sound so special. Professor Howard shows science reporter Rebecca Morelle how he carries out experiments in his anechoic chamber Professor Howard explains: "The hypothesis is, if we can hear a difference, we should be able to see something that will show us what the acoustic attribute is that means that the brain hears it in that way." But to study this you need an anechoic chamber - a room designed to prevent any sound from being reflected, which means only the purest tones of volunteer singers are recorded.