Gregorian schola

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jesusmademe

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Hi!
I just recently talked with a director of a Gregorian schola. She said that they even sing as low as A2. Seems like it is a schola for baritones.
What is the range used in Gregorian scholas?
Should tenors, I am one, never join a Gregorian schola since the range is too low?
 
Hello!
I do not know as well because I only sang in a choral schola (Soprano). I am a low soprano and I had to go down to the note of alto for gregorian-adapted songs. It is low, I find. However, I don’t think you will go lower than that as it seems to me that it is the lowest note from what you have wrote. I suggest that you should give it a try and see how it goes.
It’s always good to meet a singer here!
 
A few of the chants in the repertoire have a range of an octave and a fifth (e.g., the Gradual Universi for the 1st Sunday of Advent). So A2 at the lower end makes sense if there are basses or baritones in the schola who have difficulty getting above E4. The majority of the chants have a range of an octave or less, and these would typically bottom out at C3 or D3.

The schola director will determine the vocal range of the chant based on the capability of the singers. So yes, tenors should join the schola.
 
I’m a Tenor and I’m in a Schola. I’ve never encountered anything too difficult or out of my range.
 
I’m closer to baritone/bass (I don’t know exactly; I’m not really a musician), and I find that sometimes I have trouble chanting with the rest of the schola. My range is lower than theirs on average.
 
CTBcin said:
I’m a Tenor and I’m in a Schola. I’ve never encountered anything too difficult or out of my range.
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Same here. And the abbey I’m associated with tend to the high end of the range. Since chant is in a relative and not absolute key, it can be adapted to each particular Schola. After all, women sing Gregorian chant as well.
 
They I sing up to an F now (my teacher dont think it is high at all). If I practice G would be no problem. Too many men sing low.
 
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