Songs to Work on With My Voice Teacher

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 6:44pm

Can anyone suggest any legit songs for me that go high that aren't from Phantom of the Opera or Wicked? I've worked on the following legit songs with my voice teacher-Goodbye, Little Dream, Goodbye (Anything Goes), How Could I Ever Know (The Secret Garden), Unusual Way (Nine), No One Is Alone (Into the Woods) and I Could Have Danced All Night (My Fair Lady). I'm looking for older things from the Golden Age, or maybe some Sondheim. If you can help, thank you!

EDIT: I'm a lyric Soprano

Updated On: 8/14/05 at 06:44 PM

[Hairspraydoll]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 7:42pm

My Own Space is a nice song to work on. Kander and Ebb.

[Jimmyojimmy]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 7:53pm

Simple from Nine
Painting Her Portrait from Jane Eyre
Forgiveness from Jane Eyre
Your Daddy's Son from Ragtime
Who are you Now? from Funny Girl
On My Own from Les Miserables
I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miz

If you are a mezzo, and Im guessing you are if you can sing "I could have danced all night" but dont fancy high singing, you should get your voice teacher to order you a musical theater anthology for Mezzos, or Altos, or sops if you like.

[freelancer]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 7:55pm

A lot depends on if you're a lyric or dramatic soprano, and it you're closer to coloratura or mezzo.

You can never go wrong with "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" from Showboat, especially if it's in a bluesy setting. There's also "My White Knight", "Till There Was You", and "Being in Love" from The Music Man, "Someone Like You" and "In His Eyes" from Jekyll and Hyde, "Out of My Dreams" from Oklahoma, "So In Love" from Kiss Me Kate, and "Daddy's Son" from Ragtime. I personally love "Anthem" from Chess, transposed into a female range.

If you're lyric, look to Kristen Chenoweth, Sherie Rene Scott and Rebecca Luker. If you're dramatic, look to Linda Eder, Marin Mazzie, and Idina Menzel. Anything by Audra McDonald.

Updated On: 8/14/05 at 07:55 PM

[StephanietheStar]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 7:55pm

"So many People"--Sondheim...forgot the show..I sang it last semester for my lessons (mezzo, working up a bit higher though, but shouldn't be too high for you)..it's a beautiful song, and I really enjoyed performing it!

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 8:14pm

Thanks for the suggestions! I'm looking for something for a lyrical Soprano since I have a light tone, closer to Rebecca Luker than Linda Eder.

[Danitriniqueen]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 8:16pm

Well if it's something from the Golden Age... how about

From the Heart of a Lonely Poet - Kathryn Grayson

She sang this in the movie Anchors Away. Beautiful song.. you can hear a clip at Amazon.com

[Aigoo]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 8:22pm

With a Song in My Heart? I don't know if that's high enough...

[Danitriniqueen]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 8:28pm

ohhh, I love " With a Song in my heart"
Great suggestion!

With A Song In My Heart
I behold your adorable face
Just a song at the start
But it soon is a hymn to your grace

When the music swells
I'm touching your hand
It tells that your standing here and

At the sound of your voice
Heaven opens its portals to me
Can I help but rejoice
That a song such as ours came to be

But I always knew
I would live life through
With A Song In My Heart
For you

When the music swells
I'm touching your hand
It tells that you're standing here and

At the sound of your voice
Heaven opens its portals to me
Can I help but rejoice
That a song such as ours came to be

But I always knew
I would live life through

With a Song In My Heart
For you"

[CurtainUp]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 8:30pm

Check out Rodgers and Hammerstein - Oklahoma has been mentioned, why not look at Carousel and Cinderella? You could do a verse of "If I Loved You". "In My Own Little Corner" from Cinderella would be cute with your voice (I've heard you on DTS).

[GirlforTartaglia]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 8:36pm

what about something SHerie Renee Scott?

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 8:54pm

Thanks! And isn't Sherie Rene Scott mroe of a belter?

[GirlforTartaglia]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 9:05pm

Well maybe something of her's from The Last Five Years..like "Im Still Hurting"

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 9:06pm

If I Loved You, What's the Use or Wonderin', Mr. Snow, when the Children are Asleep (and that's all from R&H's Carousel)

On the Steps of the Palace from Into the Woods is good, but that might be too contemporary.

Look at Tonight, I Feel Pretty, I Have a Love, Somewhere (all from West Side)

and when you feel real up to it, go for Glitter and Be Gay from Candide...in my opinion the best musical theatre song for a lyric soprano out there (albeit a tad operatic).

[Aigoo]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 9:09pm

Couple of others...


Bist du bei mir - Bach
Under the Willow Tree - from Vanessa
La ci darem la mano - Don Giovanni

[Blair]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 9:40pm

Some nice mezzo soprano/soprano art songs are:

"Where e're you walk" by Handel
"I attempt from love's sickness to fly" by Purcell

Just to give you a break from the Italian you are probably doing.

Someone suggested "Glitter and Be Gay", please don't try that one yet. You should not even begin to work on it until you are in your 20's, or you could severly hurt yourself.

Look into songs by Gilbert and Sullivan. "Poor Wand'ring One" from Pirates of Penzance might be a good one.

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 9:53pm

Blair, point made on "Glitter and be Gay".

But we don't really know how old she is.

But Blair brings up Gilbert and Sullivan, they're a good place to look. "Poor Wandering One" is a good one, also look into "The Sun Whose Rays Are Still Ablaze" from The Mikado and "Sorry Her Lot" from HMS Pinafore/revised Pirates of Penzance.

[Aigoo]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 9:55pm

She's 14. (Hope you don't mind me saying, MFL)

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 10:01pm

I don't mind.

[singingwendy]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 10:08pm

Go get yourself a copy of "26 Italian Songs and Arias" (formerly known as 24 Italian Songs Arias to some of us who are older...LOl). These are Italian art songs that are great to work technique and vowels. I especially reccommend "Caro Mio Ben", "Gia il Sole Dal Gange" and "Nel Cor Piu Non Mi Sento".

If you're looking for more Broadway repertoire, I'd suggest one of Hal Leonard's Broadway Song Anthology for Teens. They have a couple of different collections, some even come with accompaniment CDs. They have a nice assortment of songs.

I use both of these with my voice students. I make them a deal....for every Broadway piece we do one classical!

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 10:14pm

I haev that book! I sang Tu Lo Sai from it! I have the Teen Musical Theater Anthology for GIrls, with the accompaniment CDs. I've only really worked on one classical piece before (Tu Lo Sai) but I'm planning on doing more in the future.

[freelancer]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 10:17pm

A song that really bridged the gap for me was "When I Bring You Colored Toys". It's built on a classical base, but definitely has a broadway feel. It has a few nice and high places, but it helped me be able to go from chest to head smoothly. In that Italian arias book, I loved "O Del Mio Dolce Ardor".

[singingwendy]

Posted: 8/14/05 at 10:21pm

Yeah! On the right track! There are also some nice folksong arrangements out there. The Aaron Copland Old American Song Cycle is great. Also look into some of Benjamin Britten's Old English Folksongs. If you like French, there is a collection called "Bergerettes". If you want American folk songs with accompaniment CDs, there are books called "Folk Songs for Solo Singers" edited by Jay Althouse that have a few pieces with nice arrangements.

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 8/15/05 at 10:01am

"As when the dove laments her love" by Handel
"Nel cor di piu mi sento" and "Se tu m'ami" from the Italian arias book
"Out of my dreams" from Oklahoma
"I feel pretty" from WSS
"If I were a bell" from Guys and Dolls
"Mister Snow" from Carousel
"Voi che sapete" from La Nozze di Figaro
"The trees on the mountains" from Sussanah
"My Favorite Things" from Sound of Music
"Daisies" by Barber
"Wiegenlied" by Brahms (you already know the melody)
Hope I helped!

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 8/15/05 at 10:04am

That did help! I'll look at some of the Italian music you all suggested and "Out of My Dreams." Now I'm going to really annoy you-do you know any songs that would fit my voice from an obscure/flop musical?