Word: castrati
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Dates: during 1920-1929
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...Male singers only" has been its rule. The sopranos and contraltos were not the voices of boys; they were " castrati "-eunuchs imported from infidel lands. More recently, special instruction has been employed to retain the soprano and contralto tones of boys after the natural break in the voice. The choir now consists of 34 men and 20 boys. All wear white surplices over cassocks of purple and scarlet...