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

 
 
 

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43 
Vocal Considerations 
Musical Style. This piece is in a slow 6/8 tempo in the contemporary pop style. The groove of 
the piece is first established by the vocal melody, then presented in the rhythmic underscoring from m. 18 
onward. While the given circumstances of the song are somber and gentle, the groove remains buoyant.
The delivery of the vocals may be just a hair behind the beat, and reflect an easy, conversational quality.
Pop music can be associated with a “young quality” so a light, forward sound paired with straight-tone 
use will help a lower voice match the style.
22
The composer also writes in a few melodic turns as vocal 
embellishments which can be used to deepen the emotional intensity of the song
23
through melodic 
expression. 
Range. (F#2 – B
3
) This piece has a very similar range to “Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker 
Guy”, with the chorus being the only point which would have multiple notes within the zona di passaggio.
The range of the piece, particularly the first halves of each verse would allow a lot of material to be sung 
in open timbre as so much of the material falls below the point of acoustical shift, or turning of the 
vowels, as the fundamental tone is more than an octave below the vowel’s first formant. The frequent 
short phrases also allow for a singer to take longer breathes within the interludes, and work on resonance 
strategies in the middle and low voice, in addition to working on the long, sustained lines in the second 
half. 
Vocalism. Due to the ballad feel and nature of the lyrics, this tune can borrow vocal influences 
from the previous Folk Rock song entry such as breathy timbre, light mix at the height of the chorus 
melody (C#
4
and B
4
). The vocals can be viewed as an equal addition rather than a superior addition to the 
sonic environment created by the underscore, allowing for experimentation as to how the nature of text 
declamation and various vocal timbres can “paint the picture”
24
of the song. 
Songs in a Similar Style. “What Say You Meg” from The Last Ship, “Gold” from Once. 
22
Sanders, 203. 
23
Ibid., 266-67. 
24
Ibid., 247. 

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44 
Table 5.5. “No Control”, Perch Perkins Solo