How Low Can You Sing?

Jeff Ostrowski · March 14, 2017 ·

OW LOW CAN YOU SING? I bet you can’t sing this low! Sometimes Giovanni Gabrieli sends the Bass section down to a low C. It’s actually a low C-flat, because they sing the piece lowered by a 1/2 step. I can’t even hear these pitches—can you?

This comes from a marvelous recording (circa 1968) by the Gregg Smith Singers, E. Power Biggs, Texas Boys Choir, Vittorio Negri, and more. There’s a fascinating story behind this recording—made in Venice—but that will have to be shared another day.

Listen to the entire piece at this link.

About Jeff Ostrowski

A theorist, organist, and conductor, Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004), and did graduate work in Musicology. He serves as choirmaster for the new FSSP parish in Los Angeles, where he resides with his wife and children.

A quote from Fr. Valentine

Speaking of “nihil solliciti estis,” Fr. Valentine recently said: “I’ll bet that most people, including myself, have suffered more from things that never happened than from things that actually did happen.” Wise words!

—Jeff Ostrowski

Circle is complete

This is interesting! We have made it all the way around the liturgical year for Vespers organ accompaniments—which means all we have to do now is fill in the “holes,” such as Candlemas.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Fr. Valentine is very sick

I beg you to pray for Fr. Valentine Young, OFM, who I am told is dying (or may possibly have died already). He’s one of the most faithful & generous priests I know. There would be no CCWatershed without Fr. Valentine.

—Jeff Ostrowski

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