I have definite feelings about Agnes' voice. There's no doubt in my mind she has truly excellent pipes. For me, the problem is she never got the opportunity to truly showcase said set of pipes!
An album of her singing would have been great, with songs (IMHO) along the style of Stanley Steamer which I'd not heard before (THANK YOU PTourist).
Her Marian Anderson vocal blows me away b/c we're getting into high operatic territory there. It gives me goosebumps to listen! Hard to tell with Hushaby lullaby since it's soft and tender and not made for showcasing one's true abilities (which is the point I was making before).
In "Helen," I regretted she was given the counter-harmony part rather than lead melody! Even with that low range, she came through brilliantly.
Even though as PTourist you point out, in The Contract she mostly sings on pitch, what a story the flex in her vocals tell! You can see her facial expressions in your mind's ear (um, I made that expression up...) and remains my favorite of all mentioned.
Big wish is if I could get my hands on a recording of her Dallas summer stock performance in 'High Spirits.' I have her numbers as performed by Cicely Courtneidge, and I can see, hear, FEEL Agnes in that role. The songs are mostly talked on pitch, again, but they are so FUN, Agnes must have had a ball with especially "Go Into Your Trance" and "Something is Coming to Tea." Still praying I find someone who had a little tape recorder running for that show!
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