I have hinted that it might be possible to derive a theory of vocal style from the analyses of the previous chapters: various patterns of development have emerged in the history of both classical and pop singing, and similar underlying forces seem to be at work in both fields. A theory would need to take account of how a high-status singing variety relates to those that it dominates, as well as how styles evolve within varieties.

I have occasionally used the term ‘hegemony’ in a very broad way to indicate the authority that one style has over another. Hegemony as formulated by the Italian theorist Antonio Gramsci is a concept which means more than simply ‘dominance’. In his Prison Notebooks he often uses direzione and egemonia interchangeably, the former term being derived from dirigere meaning to direct, lead or rule. Gramsci's use of these terms embraces two central ideas, those of leading and dominating: