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

Musical 
Music Lyrics 
Range 
Tessitura 
The Last Ship (2014) 
Sting and Robert Mathes 
F#
2
– E
♭
4
Medium 
Musical Theatre Style 
Song Type/Feel 
Tempo 
Contemporary Pop/Rock 
Flowing Pop Ballad 
66bpm 
Vocalism 
Breathy 
Speech-like 
Character 
Belt 
Legit 
Operatic 
Sources: Data adapted from Sting, “Practical Arrangement,” track 6 on The Last Ship (Deluxe), A&M Records, 
2013, Amazon Music streaming audio, 
https://music.amazon.com/albums/B07GLPF654?trackAsin=B07GLLQFFD&ref=dm_sh_57d2-d1df-dmcp-e266-
bf426&musicTerritory=US&marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER; Sting, “Practical Arrangement,” (EMI Music 
Publishing, 2013): 1-6; David Reeb, “Sting & Jo Lawry – Practical Arrangement Live, NYC,” March 7, 2016, 
video, 4:55, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsoAfttohZw. 
Character & Context 
This duet features the character Arthur Milburn (to have been played by Sting) whose character 
underwent significant changes during the show’s evolution, eventually leading to the piece being cut.
Arthur is a practical businessman who had become interested in a single mother, Meg. He sings the 
opening verse to her as he staggers through a wedding proposition.
8
Arthur and the song were replaced 
within the flow of the show by a younger character Gideon and the solo wedding proposal “What Say 
You Meg?” which is a more flowing, piano heavy, 12/8 ballad.
9
Musical Content 
Sting released a solo version of this piece on his 2013 album, which functions as a two-verse, 
modified strophic piece (ABC sections in verse) with an added five-measure tag at the end. Prior to the 
second verse a bar is inserted to complete a half step key change, from B minor to C minor. In the duet 
version, Jo Lawry performs an inserted third verse in the middle, in B
♭ minor. In keeping with a “text-
8
David Reeb, “Sting & Jo Lawry – Practical Arrangement Live, NYC,” March 7, 2016, video, 4:55, 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsoAfttohZw. 
9
Dan Dietz, The Complete Book of 2010s Broadway Musicals, (Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2020): 
201-203. 

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first” based approach, the phrase’s structure is irregular in each nine-measure B section, whereas A and C 
sections have four-measure phrases to make up an eight and four measure section respectively. Even 
within these more regular phrases the text is made up of independent clauses, interjections, and gentle 
questions that offer little to no suggestion towards a sustained singing model.
The harmonic rhythm can vary from having one chord per an entire measure or having two or 
three chord changes within each measure. These irregularities make it difficult to estimate upcoming 
melodic or harmonic movement as a listener, or as someone more versed in singing pop ballads. Sting 
also uses numerous extended harmonies in both major, minor and altered dominant sonorities which take 
the place of triads or tetrachords, but still have chordal function within a diatonic system.
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