When i go back to school in September i'm going to be working on grade 7 or 8 singing but since my last exam i haven't really sung atal as i really don't know what to sing. Sounds stupid, there's plenty of songs there to be sung
I'm doing classical singing and would love to start singing some more operatic songs I haven't even looked at the syllabus for grade 7/8 yet which i'm sure would be a great start for finding songs to sing But i was just wondering if you had any ideas of nice but challenging classical songs i could learn
Thanks

Btw i actually don't own any singing music of my own except for a phantom of the opera book (love POTO!) - my teacher lends me music! Would like to get some of my own now though obviously

What kind of voice do you have? I like He Shall Feed His Flock (Handel, Messiah, Grade 7) and Weep You No More, Sad Fountains (Dowland, Grade 8). I'm preparing Ave Maria for a wedding at the moment which is lovely, no idea what grade that is, just a nice piece If you want a good selection of challenging songs try the Art of Song books, published by ABRSM, there's one each for grades 6, 7 and 8 for high or medium/low voice. I like the selection they have.

Hi Ffliwt.
I think that your best bet by far would be to join Schubertline, buy at least two large folders and lots of plastic pockets and go wild! A subscription costs about the same as one decent song album and you will be able to print out hundreds of songs to suit your voice in whatever key you like at the click of your mouse. You may well find lots of songs there that you have sung already and you can print these out too so that you have a repertoire list to have fun with. The only ones that you should sing in the original keys are arias from opera and oratorio.

Thanks

And sorry i forgot to say - i'm a soprano

I second this notion, I've printed out the Brahms and the Wolf songs, as quite a few turn up on various diploma lists, and apart from one or two pieces of Brahms I had nothing of theirs. (I'm currently waiting for the printer man to come and change the imaging unit in my spangly copier/printer, before laying into them again)

_Generally_ you can get away with lowering by a semi-tone for baroque opera/oratorio pieces.

Alternatively, Hal Leonard books are quite good value eg: Arias for Sopranos and Oratorio Anthology - Soprano, could be worth considering. I think musicroom might list the contents and amazon might be cheaper.

That is a very good point about dropping Baroque pieces by a semitone Vectistim. Generally Baroque pitch was lower and some pieces do sit better if they are dropped a bit. .

I'm a mezzo and I did:

- Handel - He shall feed his flock (Messiah)
- Faure - Dans les ruins d'une Abbeye
- Rubbra - Rune of Hospitality
- Bernstein & Sondheim (?) - Somewhere (West Side Story)

I loved the Handel and the Rubbra. Somewhere was fun, though not the best C/D list peice I've done. Faure is hard simply because singing in French is more tricky than other languages.

Haven't done 8, so can't help with that.