Roy Hart

A little about Wolfsohn-Hart voice work, its history and approach, and how it informs my one-to-one sessions and workshops.

Wolfsohn-Hart Voice Work

Voice, body, imagination and the inner landscape

Roy Hart International Voice Centre, Malérargues, France

A deeper exploration of voice

I draw on the Wolfsohn-Hart tradition in both one-to-one work and workshops, particularly with people wanting to explore a wider range of vocal possibility. The work connects vocal expression with the body, imagination, emotion and movement, and can open into a deeper exploration of the individual’s inner landscape through sound, spoken text and song.

My relationship with Roy Hart voice work began during my actor training at Toi Whakaari, with my voice and movement teacher, Bert van Dijk. Since then, I’ve continued to explore the work, studying in Paris with Pantheatre and returning to the home of Roy Hart voice work, the Roy Hart International Voice Centre (Malérargues, France), where I’ve worked with many esteemed international Roy Hart teachers.

I’m currently undertaking an apprenticeship towards accreditation as a Roy Hart voice teacher, with the aim of becoming NZ’s first accredited teacher.

A continuing practice

I keep returning to the Wolfsohn-Hart work through study, teaching and performance, and to its rich legacy and the teachers who continue to carry and develop it.

What is Wolfsohn–Hart Voice Work?

Wolfsohn-Hart voice work grew from the pioneering vocal research of Alfred Wolfsohn and was later developed by Roy Hart and the Roy Hart Theatre. Its history is one of continual exploration of the possibilities of the human voice.

**Alfred Wolfsohn**

Alfred Wolfsohn’s work grew out of his experiences during the First World War. As a young conscript he fought in the trenches, was wounded, and was later haunted by the cries of an injured soldier whom he had been unable to help. After conventional treatments and singing lessons did not give him what he was seeking, he began his own vocal research.
He became interested in what he called “the human voice” - a voice capable of a much wider range of notes, textures and emotions than conventional singing allowed. His work became increasingly connected with psychology and the writings of Carl Jung, and with the idea that there is a profound relationship between voice and psyche.
— Alfred Wolfsohn, portrait by Charlotte Salomon

Roy Hart continued and developed Wolfsohn’s work, bringing it increasingly into theatre, performance and artistic expression.

Roy Hart

A gifted actor who had trained at RADA, Roy Hart chose to devote himself to Wolfsohn’s research and became a central figure in its development.
Under Hart, the voice became a way of exploring not only vocal range, but the range of the human being. The work expanded further into theatre, performance and artistic expression, with increasing emphasis on physical and vocal exploration.
— Roy Hart, photograph by Ian Midderigh

In 1974, 49 members of the Roy Hart Theatre began moving from London to Malérargues in the south of France, where they acquired a largely dilapidated cluster of old stone buildings and began transforming them into a home for the company and its work. Following Roy Hart’s death in 1975, the company continued to develop the work and the Centre, which remains a place where people from around the world meet, teach, perform and research the human voice.

There is something quite extraordinary to me about the amount of work, dedication and vision that has gone into sustaining this place and this practice across generations.

The work

Wolfsohn-Hart voice work is a non-prescriptive, artistic and psychological approach to voice. Rather than working towards one ideal or “beautiful” voice, it explores the breadth of sound, expression and character available within each individual voice.

Voice is approached as inseparable from the whole person. Breath, body, movement, imagination, emotion, listening and musicality all become pathways into sound.

The work can move between speaking and singing, text and song, conventional and unconventional sounds, improvisation and movement. It invites us to become curious about the parts of the voice we know well - and those we may not yet have encountered.

At its heart is an exploration of vocal possibility: developing greater range, freedom and flexibility while building a deeper physical, imaginative and psychological connection to the voice.