What range demands do you make on your choir(s), by voice part?
  • Aristotle EsguerraAristotle Esguerra
    Posts: 1,186
    I'll begin (C4 being middle C):

    • Soprano: C4–E5 (F#5 rarely)
    • Alto: G3–C5 (F3 rarely; two can descend to D3)
    • Tenor: C3–E4 (F4 rarely)
    • Bass: G2–C4 (F2 sometimes, D5 rarely; one singer can occasionally descend to C2)
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  • Liam
    Posts: 5,093
    Well, for your men's voices, you are kind - and realistic. I don't direct, and haven't led a choir in a generation, but in the last choir I sang in for many years, I would say Tenors (most of whom were bari-tenors) were be expected to cover G2-G4/A4 (the latter being hard for me, a genuine baritone pinch-hitting as a T2 with zero falsetto), and Basses to cover E2-E4.
    Thanked by 2Aristotle Esguerra CHGiffen
  • BruceL
    Posts: 1,072
    I actually think these ranges are very stingy. Aside from the alto, I'd expect S to G5, T to G4, B F2-E4. They should definitely be able to vocalize to that, or a M2 wider in either direction. Over time, that should grow the range some. Of course, within sections, you'll have some sopranos you don't really WANT to sing the G5 and some basses that don't have a great F2. But that's life. Usually I find with singers that they either can or can't sing: range is something that changes over time. I notice that in my own voice: tessitura and fach are totally different at 35 than they were at 25.
    Thanked by 4Carol Aristotle Esguerra canadash CHGiffen
  • petrus_simplex
    Posts: 72
    I second Aristotle's ranges. I would love to have sopranos and tenors that could cover higher parts. In addition to most of my tenors actually being baritones, most of my sopranos are actually altos. When they complain that something is scored to high, I encourage them to wear tighter undergarments.
    Thanked by 4Carol Aristotle Esguerra CHGiffen bhcordova
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,471
    The community choir I sing with, unauditioned 'Come and sing!', is giving a concert next Saturday. First piece Handel's Zadok the Priest in which half the basses start ff on D4, and the lower basses join them there by the fourth note. There are a couple of E4s in both voices later. Properly trained singers will join us for the solos in other pieces, so we cannot be too bad.
  • Carol
    Posts: 856
    I am really a soprano singing well to F at the top of the treble staff but I am stuck singing alto going down into the tenor range at times. Why? Because I can keep to my part and sing strongly enough to carry the "followers" mentioned in another thread. And because my husband, the choir director, needs me to. I think it is damaging my voice, though.
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  • canadashcanadash
    Posts: 1,501
    My choir is more in line with BruceL's assessment.
    Thanked by 1Aristotle Esguerra
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,093
    "And because my husband, the choir director, needs me to. I think it is damaging my voice, though."

    What you describe seems in my experience to be not uncommon. Speaking just with respect to the choir director (as if he were not your husband): choir directors should resist the many well-rationalized temptations to do that. If the repertoire needs to be modified, that should happen instead. People are not instruments.
    Thanked by 5Carol StimsonInRehab CHGiffen CatherineS M. Jackson Osborn
  • Jeffrey Quick
    Posts: 2,086
    I've only got 2 parts.
    I expect everyone to sing up to F. Not too often; when we're in unison, D-D is our golden octave.
    My high voices should be able to sing F and the occasional G. For my low guys, low A is about it. Two of us can emit a low F. Oddly, I find myself able to sing both higher and lower than most of my peeps.
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,700
    One of our Christmas pieces had a C6 at the end. Two of my sopranos could do it, but I kindly requested that they didn't and we went with the alternate ending.
  • WendiWendi
    Posts: 638
    Just curious, do any of you work with your singers to expand their ranges in a healthy way? The voice is like a muscle, you can train it...you can also pull it.
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  • canadashcanadash
    Posts: 1,501
    What you describe seems in my experience to be not uncommon. Speaking just with respect to the choir director (as if he were not your husband): choir directors should resist the many well-rationalized temptations to do that. If the repertoire needs to be modified, that should happen instead. People are not instruments.


    uh-oh
  • Maureen
    Posts: 678
    If you want more high notes, work at a call center and learn to speak chirpily, eight hours a day! Works like a charm!

    Seriously, though, you can build vocal endurance and range by talking more. Weird but true. Don't do it for hours all at once, but maybe do some reading out loud in a slightly chirpy speech range, and in a slightly lower one. Evens things out a little.

    (I am a mezzo, btw.)
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen Carol
  • GambaGamba
    Posts: 548
    Sops C4 to A5
    Alto G3-D5
    Tenor D3 to A4
    Bass F2 to D4

    This is the range I look for when I’m selecting music. If it should happen that notes beyond these ranges are occasionally present, it’s not a big deal, but this is the current comfort zone.

    My sop section is currently (almost all) very young, and can usually vocalize easily and freely up to C6. I don’t hesitate, though, to ask a few sops to temporarily move down to alto in a given passage, if there’s say a sustained pp A5.

    I find also that St. Paul’s words about members of the body supplying what others lack is true, also, in the more extreme ranges; for example. I have a few altos who will happily grunt D3 but can’t always get to C5 anymore, who will really fill in the bottom nicely when Lassus decides to write an F3. Conversely, a few former sopranos who moved down to alto will manage the occasional D5s with aplomb.
    Thanked by 2Aristotle Esguerra Carol
  • Carol
    Posts: 856
    We are a small town choir and work with what we have. I have decided to sing much more softly if I sing lower than feels comfortable. Thanks to all for their concern. I will pray for another true alto to join the choir and then maybe then I can switch to the soprano section.
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,982
    Lately, being able to get up the loft stairs is my greatest demand.
    Thanked by 3Liam Carol Incardination
  • Liam
    Posts: 5,093
    Except that it's really going down stairs that is the riskier direction: one can more safely fall into stairs in the upward direction....
    Thanked by 2CharlesW Carol
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,982
    Oh, I know. If I had to evacuate that loft in an emergency it would take far too long.
    Thanked by 1Carol
  • donr
    Posts: 971
    Sops D4 to F5
    Alto G3-C5
    Tenor D3 to A4
    Bass F2 to D4
    Thanked by 1Aristotle Esguerra
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