veloped a term called Sapphonics which she explains "has overtones and resonances in and beyond voice production and hidden vestibules of the body. I mean to use it as a mode of articulation, a way of describing a space of lesbian possibility, for a range of erotic and emotional relationships among women who sing and women who listen" (Brett, et al., 27). She also says that it is "a particular voice that thrills and excites me" (28). So what exactly does she mean? The concept of Sapphonics as Wood describes it is not one which I found easy to grasp. She seems to consider the voice as a tool, creating a special intimacy between other singers and those listening to the voices. It is a medium for expression and identity which can be used to express and arouse desires. Wood suggests that Smyth, who wrote all of her songs and opera parts in her own midmezzo range, utilized the Sapphonic voice for her own expression of lesbian desire. Smyth was not a trained singer and it seems that the lack of training was apparent. She created all of her vocal pieces to fit her own voice and usually sang each to experience their full effect and be sure that they created the effect which she was trying to create. Many of her friends spoke of her exquisite voice and the passion with which she sang each note, despite its unpolished quality. Wood states that "Smyth created Sapphonic space for the female singer-lover to voice lesbian desire" and that the composer "admitted to using her own singing voice to 'bribe' or lure women she loved with her music" (Brett, et al., 45). There is no question regarding Ethel Smyth's passion both for her music and for her lovers, nor her use of compositions for expression. Without music, she would surely not have had the outlet for her feelings and lesbian desires. Whether through her use of the fugue or the Sapphonic voice, Ethel had found a way to speak to her lovers and to tell the world about her sexual choice. She was no ...
