Male actors with a classical training, such as Laurence Olivier, Richard Harris, and Richard Burton, were frequently encouraged to speak in a stentorian tone. In the world of performance, this is known as the “voice of God,” a powerful, booming vocal delivery that evokes authority and forcefulness. When announcing speakers or award winners, a narrator or master of ceremonies may be asked to speak in this manner. The ideal is both strong and distinct, not just loud or obnoxious.
Actors and other performers who choose to speak in a stentorian tone must be careful not to overdo it. Audiences may develop an immunity to the stereotypical booming voice that is overused in radio and television commercials. An authoritative or commanding voice may draw the listener’s attention or lend gravitas to the product, but one that is exaggerated can come across as deceptive and shallow. Without using an artificial stentorian tone, the narrator should be able to communicate with his audience.
The Iliad, Homer’s epic account of the Battle of Troy, gave rise to the term. Stentor, a Greek warrior who was said to have the voice of 50 men and could be heard for miles around, is one of the characters in the Iliad. This ability came in handy during battles because he could issue commands and report enemy movements without having to leave the battlefield. Stentor’s name became associated with the use of a loud, booming voice to make public pronouncements.
During the Middle Ages, town criers were frequently required to read royal proclamations or announce the time in a stentorian voice. The younger generation of citizens, who regularly mocked the town crier’s stuffy and aristocratic tone, were not always pleased with this practice. Even today, stentorian voices are mostly reserved for short announcements or narrations. Such powerful vocal techniques are no longer required thanks to modern public address systems.