Some performers spend years searching for the perfect audition song, only to find that the real challenge is knowing what makes a song right. Richard Hurst’s What Should I Sing? Volume II approaches that problem with the same practical intelligence as its companion volume, concentrating on Baritone Repertoire and Ensemble material while giving performers a sharper way to evaluate what belongs in their artistic toolkit.
For singers, the question is never only: Can this voice sing the notes?
Baritone Perspective
Volume II opens its Baritone Collection with an important reminder: vocal categories can overlap. A singer’s range matters, but voice quality matters as well, and the growing space occupied by the Baritenor makes rigid labels less useful.
That philosophy runs throughout the volume. Each entry considers Range, Vocal Style, Character, Age, and Difficulty alongside the dramatic circumstances surrounding the song. The result is a portrait of Repertoire as something individual rather than interchangeable.
Consider Soliloquy from Carousel. Hurst identifies its demanding upper register, shifting tempos, and numerous emotional transitions, but his advice begins with restraint: the performer should resist starting at full intensity and allow the character’s realization to develop. Technical skill becomes meaningful when it serves dramatic thought.
Story Behind the Notes
Richard Hurst’s annotations are especially useful because they place songs inside their theatrical circumstances. From Lost in the Stars, for instance, is not treated as a generic Baritone ballad. Hurst identifies the character’s pain, helplessness, and responsibility, advising the performer to preserve the fragility of the piece rather than overpower it vocally.
That attention to context is one of Volume II’s defining qualities. The performer is repeatedly asked to consider what happened before the song, who is being addressed, what the character knows, and what remains uncertain.
Ensemble Changes Everything
The volume becomes especially valuable when it turns toward Ensembles. Singing with others requires a different form of awareness. Hurst describes Ensemble preparation as a shared responsibility involving listening, relationships, balance, blend, physical placement, and clarity of character.
That observation reaches beyond technique. An Ensemble performer cannot simply present an individual interpretation and expect the scene to work. The musical event depends on responsiveness. One performer’s breath, gesture, timing, or emphasis can affect everyone else. In larger ensemble scenes, Richard also stresses the importance of knowing where each character is and who is singing at any given moment. The physical component helps the audience understand the dramatic architecture of the scene.
A Practical Reference
Volume II is organized to support actual working decisions. Its contents include the Baritone Collection, Ensemble Collection, Song Indexes by Decade, Composer and Type, a Glossary, Difficulty listings, BIPOC-Created Songs, and an alphabetical Show Index.
Such organization turns the book into a reference performers can return to repeatedly rather than read once and shelve.
Takeaway
What Should I Sing? Volume II recognizes that a successful musical theatre performance requires more than hitting every note. It asks singers to understand repertoire, character, style, relationships and the practical demands of performance. For baritones and ensemble performers especially, Richard offers a resource grounded in years of teaching, coaching, directing, and performing.
The next great role may begin with the right song. Explore Richard Hurst’s What Should I Sing? Volume II and give every audition choice a stronger reason to exist.