How Common Are Countertenors?

Countertenors are still quite rare, though. ... There are very very few countertenors around, it's not a voice that, in inverted commas, is natural. When boys' voices break the voice they tend to sing with is their speaking voice.

Is a countertenor rare?

A countertenor is a male singer who can sing as high as a soprano or mezzo-soprano. The countertenor is the rarest of all voice types.

How many countertenors are there?

However, the use of adult male falsettos in polyphony, commonly in the soprano range, was known in European all-male sacred choirs for some decades previous, as early as the mid-16th century. Modern-day ensembles such as the Tallis Scholars and the Sixteen have countertenors on alto parts in works of this period.