[tjwmason]

The only time I know of where "guys" sing soprano parts is in boys' choirs before they reach puberty.

Straight off the top of my head - Poppeia, one of the frist operas ever written, and still the most popular of Monteverdi's operas. In fact, you could consider pretty much all opera right up to the classical era.

Then you might want to move onto the English choral tradition. The top line is usually sung by boys, but at the highest levels the alto is universally an adult male.

My only qualm would be about how his voice fits with the others - a counter-tenor is one of the most beautiful sounds known to man, but it is also quite distinctive and may well stand out dramatically in the choir. The whole purpose of choral music is the use multiple voices, but to create one sound; any highly distinctive voices can ruin this effect.

[basil]

If you say so---I'll have to ask Willie Nelson what he thinks---

Just teasing, of course. I'm not a musician by any stretch of the imagination, and other than listening to Pavarotti, have never enjoyed opera.

One thing you said, though, seems to me to be pretty elemental--and that is that a choir is the use of mutliple voices to create one sound. Guess it shouldn't matter who sings what, as long as it blends. I remember Pavorotti referring to his voice as his "instrument". I suppose everyone should be allowed to "play" whatever "instrument" they have.