Vocal Break by Lauren Elkin review – a celebration of the female voice

From Édith Piaf to Charli xcx, a moving study of the ways women express themselves – and the obstacles they face When Lauren Elkin was a child, she took lessons with a voice teacher in Northport, Long Island, who would get her to perform in front of a mirror. Singing songs from the Italian classical repertoire, Elkin – who was a soprano – was required to smile and lift up her eyebrows as she sang since “it helps with placement”. She was told her breathing should come not from the chest but th...

By Fiona Sturges