 Though originally these words were used to designate a vocal part, they are now used to describe singers of that part, whose vocal techniques may differ (see below).In the Catholic Church during the Renaissance, St Paul's admonition ""mulieres in ecclesiis taceant"" ("let the women keep silence in the churches") still prevailed, and women were banned from singing in church services.Countertenors, though rarely described as such, therefore found a prominent part in liturgical music, whether singing a line alone or with boy trebles or altos.