I recently re-connected with a dear friend...

It is too long a story to go into. I am just happy, that I heard from her after so long a time. And she forwarded me a video clip from 'Britain's Got Talent', which is like 'American Idol' and the dreaded Simon Cowell is on both juries (!!!!), and asked WTF??? I'd seen the clip. It was a counter-tenor. Way back, like in the 1700's, 1800's, there were 'castrati' in opera. Yes, kids would be castrated before their voices broke, and some of them were like today's rock stars.

Turned out not to be necessary. There was this guy, Klaus Nomi from Berlin in the late 70's early 80's, who was a counter-tenor. But he didn't sing opera. He was this 'thing' from outer space who shocked, but had a pristine voice. And just as he was catching on world-wide... he died.

Seemingly, he went under my friend's radar at the time. So she didn't know the context. Meanwhile, there are three counter-tenors that I know of, but they only sing those roles in operas which were written for the castrati. It can be a bit unnerving. But Klaus Nomi took it to the top, and I think enabled them to have respectable careers, as unnerving as it is to listen to sometimes.

Here is what she sent... and then the original.