Marian Anderson and Kathleen Ferrier

Usage examples of contraltos.

Instead of specializing his vocal parts after the manner of Verdi and Gounod for high sopranos, screaming tenors, and high baritones with an effective compass of about a fifth at the extreme tiptop of their ranges, and for contraltos with chest registers forced all over their compass in the manner of music hall singers, he employs the entire range of the human voice freely, demanding from everybody very nearly two effective octaves, so that the voice is well exercised all over, and one part of it relieves the other healthily and continually.

Childish trebles were soaring along with the women's higher voices, deep bass notes anchoring their flight, the lighter baritones and tenors and contraltos filling the pattern with harmony.

They were as promised, a spectacular swarm of contraltos and astronauts and quarterbacks and chairpersons of the board.