Low male voice repertoire in contemporary musical theatre: a studio and performance guide of selected songs 1996-2020 by

Musical Content 
This piece is in AABA’ form, and pairs slow harmonic rhythm of the underscore with a high 
instance of sustained notes in the melody (when considering the slow tempo). The melody is diatonic, but 
features significant expanded range on both the low (E
2
, verses) and high (E
4
, bridge) end. There are also 
numerous additions of 3-2-1 scalar embellishments in a single sung syllable throughout the piece. As this 
piece is a bass feature (Michel Bell was nominated for a Tony for his portrayal of Joe in the 1993 
production of Showboat), the vocalist’s melody is often within the same range as the left hand of the 
piano, with octave doubling occurring in the right hand of the piano arrangement. On rare occasions the 
melody actually lands on the lowest note of the bass line.
9
Additional summation, analysis, and character 
subtext can be found in Table 4.2. 
Table 4.2 Compositional Sections of “Father, How Long” 
Measures Tonal 
Center 
Compositional Notes 
Lyric 
Subtext 
Form 
mm. 1-3 
A major 
Use of soft, and wide intervals in right 
hand, open-fifth sonic stability in the 
left hand 
Introduction 
mm. 4-11 
A major 
I-iii-IV-V sequence occurs twice with 
harmonic shifts every two beats from 
mm. 4-7. Melody often operates on 
curved descent while bassline ascends.
At mm. 8 Melody leaps up to A3 while 
there is a deceptive cadence to VI. An 
arrival to I is delayed by a IV
6
chord 
on the downbeat of m. 11 
Questioning A 
8
Ibid. 
9
Frank Wildhorn, “Father, How Long?,” in The Civil War: Vocal Selections (New York, NY: Cherry Lane 
Music, 2000): 39-41. 

---

22 
mm. 4-12 
A major 
Repeat of previous section material, 
replacing m. 11 with m. 12 which has 
an immediate arrival on the I chord. 
Steadfast 
Secure 
A (second 
section) 
mm. 13-20 C# to A 
major 
Shift to multiple phrases which begin 
with C# minor (four measures of tonal 
ambiguity) before borrowing the 
second half of the A section in 
harmony and melody for mm. 17-20.
Melody at the top of the section has 
wide leaps in a low octave, as if the 
singer was sighing or heaving in 
despair, painting out the text. 
Longing B 
mm. 21-30 A major 
Modified melody of A section rises in 
m. 26 to a climactic E
4
over a secure 
and closed voicing of the I chord in the 
underscore. The upper octave melodic 
transposition continues through the 
end of the measure, then reverts back 
to the lower octave. There is a pause 
before eighth note pick-up to m. 30 for 
breath and performance impact. The 
final A
2
in the melody is held 6 counts, 
bleeding into the outro. 
Pleading 
Prayer 
A’ 
mm. 31-34 A major 
Repeat of the harmonies and voicings 
from the introduction, with a final 
measure added for a rolled arrival to 
an A major chord. 
Outro 
Sources: Data adapted from Frank Wildhorn, “Father, How Long?,” in The Civil War: Vocal Selections (New York, 
NY: Cherry Lane Music, 2000): 39-41.