Equal voices
Choral scoring for only one voice type, i.e. only male or only women's/boys' voices (“voces aequales”).
What it means
“Equal voices,” in Latin “voces aequales,” denotes a choral scoring in which only one voice type is represented: either only men's voices or only women's or boys' voices. All voices thus lie in a similar tonal range, and the sound is more uniform than in a mixed choir.
Musical use
In older sources and editions the term “voces aequales” is found for works written for men's choir (for instance TTBB) or for women's choir (for instance SSAA). In contrast stand the “voces inaequales,” the unequal voices, that is, the mixed scoring of high and low voices. Choirs with equal voices are especially common in monasteries, schools, and societies.
Equal voices should be distinguished from the mixed choir (SATB), which unites women's and men's voices, and from the same range within one voice group, such as several sopranos. The term means the type of voices, not their number.
Performance practice
In a choir with equal voices, attend especially to uniform tone color and vowel formation, since all voices sing in a similar range and any deviation stands out. Sing the lowest part securely so that the harmony stays stable without a bass of another voice type.