Need an alto song without a high belt!

[Unknown User]

Posted: 10/21/07 at 5:19pm

I have this college unified audition soon and I need 16 bars of a song. I'm actually a soprano, but my upper range isn't as strong as my lower range. I need suggestions of low alto songs with a not very high belt - my middle range is almost non-existent.

My back-up song is "Maybe This Time" from Cabaret, but I'm not sure if it's overdone or not.

Thanks so much for any help you can give me!

[Unknown User]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 5:13am

May I just ask...who has told you that you are a soprano since you seem to be more comfortable singing alto? Maybe this time is most definitely overdone and also requires a very high and secure belt. Some ideas....

Ballads:

"Guess I'll miss the man today" from Pippin

"If that was love" from New girl in town

"Crazy world" from Victor Victoria - this sounds perfect for you

"The party's over" from Bells are ringing

"Times like this" from Lucky Stiff

"That's him" from One touch of venus

Uptempo/character:

"I don't want to know" from Dear World

"Shopping around" from Wish you were here

"Always a bridesmaid" from I love you, you're perfect, now change

"I'll show him" from Plain and Fancy

"Girl in the mirror" from Grand Hotel

Lola's songs in Damn Yankees.


For more examples, check out this book with a 30 page recommended song list as well as a list of commonly overdone material (you can also buy it on Canadian Amazon but I think from the UK is cheaper):

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Want-Tread-Boards-Everything-you-need-know/dp/1906217025/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/026-8974021-7660453?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193043901&sr=8-1

[Unknown User]

Posted: 10/22/07 at 4:09pm

Thank you for the suggestions!

I was always appointed as a soprano in chorus because I was one of the few who could hit the high notes and I blend better as a soprano.

[beyonddizzy31]

Posted: 10/23/07 at 12:27pm

It sounds to me like you're a mezzo. As I remember it, the girls who were sopranos in my HS choir didn't have incredibly strong voices, they could just blend well as sopranos. Get yourself a voice teacher to help you find your middle register and teach you to belt properly. Once you do, you're golden as far as Musical Theatre.

Anything from the "Singer's Musical Theatre Anthology" series in the mezzo/belter editions should be fine, nothing in there goes too ridiculously high (the books are pretty easy to find, too). There's also a book called "The Complete 16 Bar Audition" which is a great help if you need to know exactly what 16 bars should be and what it should showcase in your voice. That series is also separated by voice part.

"Maybe This Time" is very overdone, not to mention tied to Liza Minnelli. Always try to pick a song that isn't immediately associated with a legendary performer, because that wasy the auditors won't immediately try to compare you with someone else.

Best of luck at your auditions!!!