A "pitch perfect" singing voice

I can't sing but can always tell if someone sings even slightly out of key (very annoying).

Karen Carpenter, Judith Durham I always think had/have very 'pure' voices which must mean having absolutely perfect pitch.

I think I can hit the notes (I'm not tone-deaf) but not higher ones and all rather croakily so I never sing except to myself!!

I thought the fireman on Michael MacIntyre's show was excellent - I certainly didn't expect that. Perhaps better than Hugh Jackman (although Hugh Jackman's version was so moving in Les Miserables).

So not Jeremy Hardy then?

Don't know if he was pitch perfect or not but did anyone hear the young fireman who was the surprised guest on the MichaelMcIntyre show on Saturday? Just wonderful. If he hasn't been scooped up by some talent scout already I'd be amazed.

She was with The Seekers, as Elrel said. She did have a very pure voice.

Was Judith Durham The Seekers, or the New Seekers?

My granny loved to hear my Seekers album, and commented on Judith Durham's beautiful voice.
The same granny, when I was about 8 and, having heard 'I Know That My Redeemer Liveth' (Joan Sutherland?) on the radio, tried to sing it myself said gently 'I think you have to have a trained voice to sing that!'

Crowing hen?! ?
My family winces should I ever attempt to sing even a line!
SiL is trained and the 3 GS all are or have all been in choirs.

I love to join in folk songs, and thanks to a previous post now have a welcome ear worm of Judith Durham singing 'There'll never be another you'!

cagsy our "Sing for Fun" group is the same as what you describe. Also I first went on my own and when husband saw how much I got out of it, he tagged along and now loves it.

Apart from the psychosocial benefits, it is a physical activity, and I swear it has helped with my acid reflux (strengthened my diaphragm). All that breathing can only be good for you too.

I cannot sing for Toffee-nuts, but for some strange reason, my whistling is pitch perfect. Problem is, when I do whistle, I usually get told that derogatory rhyme:
"A whistling Woman and a cackling hen" etc......
Will someone please explain why it is so wrong for a woman to whistle ????

That sounds fun. Any idea what it is called?

I think there is a phone app that does that.

I have searched for the thing I mentioned, but can't find anything like it. However, I have a clear memory of family members singing notes at a "thing" but only DGS1 being able to make it display a perfect pitch. I hope I wasn't imagining it.

There are electronic tuning devices that show a graphic trace of the sound being made by an instrument or a voice, with all the harmonics and "off bits" shown as well. If you sing a note right on pitch, there is a clean line. If you are a bit off pitch, it shows it up clearly. DGS1 could sing any note specified to order and get a clean line. No-one else in the family who tried it could get one, even those who could sing well. (I didn't even try, I know my limitations)
I think that is what is meant by "perfect pitch"

I understood that perfect pitch meant that one could sing a specific note without accompaniment or tuning fork.

I'd like to add kd Lang to the list of beautiful voices.
Listening to her sing 'Constant Craving' or 'Hallelujah' gives me goosebumps.

The difference is between having 'perfect pitch' and being 'pitch perfect'.

Not the same thing at all.

Surely there is a difference between being able to sing in perfect pitch and being able to distinguish perfect pitch. I have no problem hearing anything out of pitch and comparing the quality of sounds, but no way can I sing in tune. There is nothing more annoying at ukulele meetings than when the person next to you is slightly off tune.

My son in law has perfect pitch which makes his life miserable sometimes as most singing these days is not perfect. But its good to have him as he can judge the sound of any TV or radio and tell you which produces the best sound, as very often there are TVs which have marvellous picture but the sound is poor, and he can judge other musical instruments.

Actually they are the people who like leading a choir like Gareth Malone on BBC.
As to learning it you can't It is something you are born with and my son in law comes from a musical family and we have been told that his youngest daughter has it as well.
The whole family have lovely singing voices, which is a
gift.
I have sung all my life in choirs but was never more than mediocre that is why I was never asked to sing solo!

I have perfect pitch, which is useful at times but is a pain when something is slightly out of tune.
Many keyboards now have the ability to alter the pitch up or down by turning a knob, but I can't cope with playing in one key and it sounding like another.
DH learnt the violin to get out of PE lessons at school, as they clashed on the timetable. And his dad only signed his practice book on condition that he didn't practise.In his hearing anyway .....

My little brother used to call it a 'vile din' when I used to practice my violin

Skweek, I'm laughing at " violin" being autocorrected to " vile din"!

( At least I assume it was autocorrect!)

I've always had "perfect pitch", which is useful for playing the violin, but horrible when someone plays just slightly off key! But sadly because have severe rheumatics can no longer play the vile din in tune, which is a pain! Can still sing. Of course you can still play or sing wrong notes on any instrument, but should be able to pitch, given a start.

We don't have music Lucky and we usually sing in 4 part harmonies, we're just taught each part - some of us record it, and when starting think we'll never get it but then a few weeks on there we are sounding (and feeling) great

I find it irritating when I am singing from music but the conductor has started in another key - it totally scrambles my brain!

'Pitch perfect' means never hitting a wrong note, an out-of-tune-note, sliding into a note etc. 'Perfect Pitch' is a particular ability to memorise and recognise what note is being played. It doesn't necessarily imply singing ability. It can be as much a nuisance as an advantage, particularly if it's the sort of perfect pitch that hears anything other than A=440 as 'wrong'.