In Annie Haslam’s Prime, Did She Have a Five-Octave Range?

By N.S.

“Annie Haslam is known for her 5-octave range.”

“In Beyoncé’s [Knowles] case it is her 4 octave range that has fullness in the lower end and femininity and versatility in the higher end.”

N.S.: No human singer–not even me–has a four, let alone a five-octave range.

Truth be told, I’m not sure I’d ever heard of this lass (who is now 75), prior to a reader at Steve Sailer’s blog posting the following item. Whatever her range, she can sing like a hummingbird.

The Vocal Range of Annie Haslam



Research obtained from:

https://therangeplanet.proboards.com/thread/869/annie-haslam

Significant High Notes:
G6 ("Ashes Are Burning" live Chicago 1983)
F6 ("What He Seeks")
E6 ("Ashes Are Burning" live Chicago 1983, "Parachute to You")
E♭6 ("Camera Camera", "The Mystic and the Muse", "Song of Scheherazade")
D6 ("Can't Turn the Night Off", "The Mystic and the Muse", "Touching Once (Is So Hard to Keep)" live Chicago 1983)
C♯6 ("Dear Landseer", "Pool of Tears", "Wishing on a Star")
C6 ("Flight", "I Light This Candle", "One Thousand Roses", "Rockalise", "Summon the Angels")
B5 ("Ave Maria", "Chains and Threads", "Further from Fantasy", "Okichi-San", "Prologue", "Rockalise", "Running Hard" live Chicago 1983, "Secret Mission", "Still Life", "Touching Once (Is So Hard to Keep)" live Chicago 1983)
B♭5 ("At the Harbour", "In Another Life", "My Eternal Love", "One Love", "Song of Scheherazade", "When a Heart Finds Another")
A5 ("Air of Drama", "Can You Hear Me?", "Chains and Threads", "Circular Motion", "The Entertainer", "Forever Bound", "Forever Changing", "Further from Fantasy", "Grandine il vento", "High Above (For George)", "Introlise", "Lady from Tuscany", "Lily Lullaby", "Nature Boy", "One Day", "One More Arrow", "Parachute to You", "Raindrops & Leaves", "Rajah Khan", "She's the Light", "Sounds of the Sea", "Symphony of Light", "Things I Don't Understand", "A Thousand Angels", "Trip to the Fair", "Turn of the Century", "When a Heart Finds Another", "Whisper from Marseilles (For Julien)", "Wildest Dreams")
G♯5 ("After the Oceans Are Gone", "Careless Love", "Dear Landseer", "Diving for Pearls", "In Another Life", "The Mystic and the Muse", "Song of Scheherazade", "Tonight", "Wishing on a Star")
G5 ("Ananda", "Ashes Are Burning", "At the Harbour", "Ave Maria", "Camera Camera", "Dolphin's Prayer", "'Michael' Prince of Angels", "Nature Boy", "O Holy Night", "On the Frontier", "Reaching Out", "Rockalise", "Running River Runs", "She's the Light", "Silent Night", "A Song for All Seasons", "Symphony of Light", "Things I Don't Understand", "Turn of the Century", "Waterfall", "The Winter Tree")
F♯5 ("After the Oceans Are Gone", "Angel Blue", "Bonjour Swansong", "Can You Hear Me?", "Carpet of the Sun", "Celestine", "Echo", "Forever Changing", "In the Sunshine", "Majik", "Mother Russia", "My Eternal Love", "Ocean Gypsy", "Pearls of Wisdom", "Prologue", "Rajah Khan", "Remember", "Running Away from You", "The Sisters", "So Sad", "Sounds of the Sea", "Ukraine Ways")
F5 ("Ashes Are Burning", "Blood Silver Like Moonlight", "Flight", "Flower Duet" live Glenside 2014, "Grandine il vento", "I Never Believed in Love", "Jigsaw", "Love Lies Love Dies", "A New Life", "Precious One", "A Song for All Seasons", "Summon the Angels", "This Is Destiny")
E5 ("Angel Blue", "Ashes Are Burning", "Auto-Tech", "Ave Maria", "Ave Verum", "Back Home Once Again", "Can You Hear Me?", "Carpet of the Sun", "Chains and Threads", "Cry to the World", "Dreamer", "Echo", "Faeries (Living at the Bottom of the Garden)", "Further from Fantasy", "Golden Key", "Hunter Trials", "I Light This Candle", "Inside My Life", "Island" live Boston 2018, "Jekyll and Hyde", "Kiev", "Let It Grow", "Life in Brazil", "Love Lies Love Dies", "'Michael' Prince of Angels", "The Mystic and the Muse", "Northern Lights", "O Holy Night", "Okichi-San", "One Day", "One Last Time", "Porcelain", "Raindrops & Leaves", "Rajah Khan", "Remember", "Secret Mission", "Shine", "This Is Destiny", "A Thousand Angels", "Trip to the Fair", "Waterfall", "The Winter Tree")
E♭5 ("Can't Turn the Night Off", "Dank Sei Dir Herr", "Dolphin's Prayer", "Don't Give Up", "I Don't Know Where I Stand", "Okichi-San", "Seashell Eyes" live Live Under Brazilian Skies, "Secret Mission", "She's Leaving Home", "Silent Night", "The Sisters", "Song of Scheherazade", "Symphony of Light", "Things I Don't Understand", "Tonight", "Touching Once (Is So Hard to Keep)", "Tyrant-Tula")
D5 ("Air of Drama", "Ananda", "The Angels Cry", "Auto-Tech", "Ave Verum", "Away in a Manger", "Back Home Once Again", "Bitter Sweet", "Blood Silver Like Moonlight", "Bound for Infinity", "Camera Camera", "Chagrin Boulevard", "Circular Motion", "Closer than Yesterday", "Cold Is Being", "Day of the Dreamer", "The Day You Strayed", "Decisions", "Eva's Pond", "Faeries (Living at the Bottom of the Garden)", "Flower Duet" live Glenside 2014, "Forever Bound", "Friends", "Further from Fantasy", "Glitter and Dust", "Going Home", "Golden Key", "Grandine il vento", "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing", "I Don't Know Where I Stand", "I Never Believed in Love", "I Think of You", "If I Loved You", "Immortal Beloved", "In the Sunshine", "Island" live Boston 2018, "Jigsaw", "Lady from Tuscany", "Lascia Chio Pianga", "Let It Be Me", "Life in Brazil", "Missing Persons", "Nature Boy", "Northern Lights", "One Day", "One Love", "Orient Express", "Paintings Last Forever", "Pearls of Wisdom", "Porcelain", "Prologue", "The Race", "Raindrops & Leaves", "Rajah Khan", "Reaching Out", "Running Hard", "Running River Runs", "Seashell Eyes" live Live Under Brazilian Skies, "See This Through Your Eyes", "Shine", "Silent Night", "The Snowman", "So Sad", "Somewhere Out There", "Sounds of the Sea", "Spare Some Love", "The Sun Whose Rays", "The Sweetest Kiss", "A Thousand Angels", "Tonight", "Touching Once (Is So Hard to Keep)", "Ukraine Ways", "Waterfall", "We Three Kings", "When a Heart Finds Another", "Whisper from Marseilles (For Julien)", "White Christmas", "Willow Song", "You Don't Know a Good Thing")
C♯5 ("After the Oceans Are Gone", "Angel Blue", "Bonjour Swansong", "Can You Understand?", "Can't Turn the Night Off", "The Captive Heart", "Careless Love", "Dank Sei Dir Herr", "Dear Landseer", "Diving for Pearls", "Don't Give Up", "The Flood at Lyons", "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", "Hunioco", "If I Loved You", "In Another Life", "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue", "Jekyll and Hyde", "Kalynda (A Magical Isle)", "Kiev", "Let It Grow", "Lily Lullaby", "Midas Man", "Missing Persons", "Moonlight Shadow", "Mother Russia", "My Eternal Love", "On the Frontier", "One Hand One Heart", "Pool of Tears", "Remember", "Ripples", "The Sisters", "Sleepless Mother" live Live Studio Concert, "Symphony of Light", "Things I Don't Understand", "Trip to the Fair", "Turn of the Century", "Twig", "Wishing on a Star")
C5 ("Ananda", "Auto-Tech", "Black Flame", "Can You Hear Me?", "Celestine", "The Children (Of Medellin)", "Day of the Dreamer", "Desafinado", "Dolphin's Prayer", "Dreamer", "Flight", "The Flood at Lyons", "Forever Changing", "Glitter and Dust", "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing", "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", "Hunioco", "Hunter Trials", "I Don't Know Where I Stand", "I Light This Candle", "I Never Believed in Love", "If I Were Made of Music", "Immortal Beloved", "It Snows in Heaven Too", "Island" live Boston 2018, "Jekyll and Hyde", "Joy to the World", "Lascia Chio Pianga", "Let It Be Me", "Lily's in the Field", "Love Lies Love Dies", "'Michael' Prince of Angels", "A New Life", "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel", "O Holy Night", "Ocean Gypsy", "One Last Time", "One Thousand Roses", "Orient Express", "Opening Out", "Paintings Last Forever", "Parachute to You", "Porcelain", "Precious One", "Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Corcovado)", "The Race", "Ripples", "Running Hard", "Save Us All", "Seashell Eyes" live Live Under Brazilian Skies, "She's Leaving Home", "Some Enchanted Evening", "A Song for All Seasons", "Spare Some Love", "Summon the Angels", "The Sun Whose Rays", "This Is Destiny", "Touching Once (Is So Hard to Keep)", "Turn of the Century", "Ukraine Ways", "The Vultures Fly High", "What He Seeks", "White Christmas")

Significant Low Notes:
B3 ("The Angels Cry", "At the Harbour", "Bonjour Swansong", "Bound for Infinity", "Camera Camera", "Can You Hear Me?", "Carpet of the Sun", "Chains and Threads", "The Children (Of Medellin)", "The Day You Strayed", "Dear Landseer", "Distant Horizons", "Echo", "Eva's Pond", "Friends", "Further from Fantasy", "In My Life", "In the End", "Inside My Life", "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear", "Jekyll and Hyde", "Kalynda (A Magical Isle)", "Lady from Tuscany", "Life in Brazil", "'Michael' Prince of Angels", "Missing Persons", "Moonlight Shadow", "Mother Russia", "The Mystic and the Muse", "Northern Lights", "Okichi-San", "One Hand One Heart", "One More Arrow", "Only Angels Have Wings", "Orient Express", "Pearls of Wisdom", "Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Corcovado)", "Parachute to You", "Rajah Khan", "Remember", "Richard IX", "Ripples", "Running Away from You", "Running Hard", "Save Us All", "Secret Mission", "See This Through Your Eyes", "So Sad", "Song of Scheherazade", "The Sweetest Kiss", "Touching Once (Is So Hard to Keep)", "Trip to the Fair", "Waterfall", "Whisper from Marseilles (For Julien)")
B♭3 ("After the Oceans Are Gone", "Brazilian Skies" live Live Under Brazilian Skies, "Can You Understand?", "Cold Is Being", "Desafinado", "Don't Give Up", "The Flood at Lyons", "Going Home", "In the End", "Mother Russia", "My Eternal Love", "A New Life", "Pool of Tears", "Save Us All", "She's Leaving Home", "Silent Night", "The Sisters", "Sleepless Mother" live Live Studio Concert, "Song of Scheherazade", "Summon the Angels", "Things I Don't Understand", "The Vultures Fly High", "What He Seeks", "When a Heart Finds Another")
A3 ("Air of Drama", "Angel Blue", "Back Home Once Again", "Bali Hai", "Beyond the Blue", "Black Flame", "Blessing in Disguise", "Can't Turn the Night Off", "The Captive Heart", "Celestine", "Chains and Threads", "The Children (Of Medellin)", "The Christmas Song", "Christmas Time Is Here", "Communication", "Cry to the World", "Dear Landseer", "Decisions", "Desafinado", "Diving for Pearls", "Echo", "The Entertainer", "Eva's Pond", "Faeries (Living at the Bottom of the Garden)", "Forever Changing", "Friends", "I Light This Candle", "I Think of You", "If I Were Made of Music", "If I Loved You", "Immortal Beloved", "In My Life", "In the Sunshine", "It Snows in Heaven Too", "Jekyll and Hyde", "Lady from Tuscany", "Lily Lullaby", "Love Lies Love Dies", "Majik", "Nature Boy", "Ocean Gypsy", "One Day", "One Last Time", "One Love", "One Thousand Roses", "Opening Out", "Parachute to You", "Precious One", "The Race", "Renaissance Man", "Running Away from You", "Shadows", "She's the Light", "Shine", "Skaila", "So Sad", "Somewhere Out There", "A Song for All Seasons", "Sounds of the Sea", "Still Life", "The Sun Whose Rays", "Tit Willow", "Touching Once (Is So Hard to Keep)", "Trip to the Fair", "Ukraine Ways", "Whisper from Marseilles (For Julien)", "Wildest Dreams", "The Winter Tree", "You Don't Know a Good Thing")
G♯3 ("Blessing in Disguise" live Live Under Brazilian Skies, "Bound for Infinity", "Careless Love", "Celestine", "The Christmas Song", "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", "In Another Life", "Let It Grow", "Lily Lullaby", "The Mystic and the Muse", "Ripples", "She's Leaving Home", "Some Enchanted Evening", "Twig", "When a Heart Finds Another", "The Winter Tree", "Wishing on a Star")
G3 ("Bali Hai", "Black Flame", "Brazilian Skies" live Live Under Brazilian Skies, "Can You Hear Me?", "Can't Turn the Night Off", "Chagrin Boulevard", "Closer than Yesterday", "Day of the Dreamer", "Distant Horizons", "Dreamer", "Electric Avenue", "Flight", "Further from Fantasy", "Glitter and Dust", "Golden Key", "High Above (For George)", "Immortal Beloved", "Inside My Life", "Island" live Boston 2018, "Jigsaw", "Joy to the World", "Let It Be Me", "One Love", "One Last Time", "One Thousand Roses", "Paintings Last Forever", "The Race", "Raindrops & Leaves", "Reaching Out", "Running Hard", "Seashell Eyes" live Live Under Brazilian Skies, "See This Through Your Eyes", "Symphony of Light", "Things I Don't Understand", "A Thousand Angels", "Tonight", "Turn of the Century", "We Three Kings", "When a Heart Finds Another")
F♯3 ("Air of Drama", "Bitter Sweet", "Carpet of the Sun", "Closer than Yesterday", "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue", "Let It Grow", "Majik", "Midas Man", "Pearls of Wisdom", "Ripples", "Song of Scheherazade" live Chicago 1983, "Symphony of Light")
F3 ("After the Oceans Are Gone", "In Another Life", "Jigsaw", "Let It Be Me", "Midas Man", "My Eternal Love", "Nature Boy", "One Day", "Precious One", "Silent Night", "Summon the Angels")
E3 ("Air of Drama", "Beyond the Blue", "Bitter Sweet", "The Captive Heart", "Porcelain", "Raindrops & Leaves")
..................................................................
• Blue marks high falsetto or whistle register notes.
• Bold marks notes or passages that are particularly outstanding (relative to the singer).
• Italics mark non-melodic notes.
• Underlines mark notes that are obscured in the song mix.

Owner of one of the most sublime voices to ever be recorded, Annie Haslam fronted the criminally overlooked prog rock band Renaissance through their most successful years. Combined with with the lyricism and musicianship of other members John Tout and Betty Thatcher, her alluring stage presence and distinctive soprano voice - which draws influence from folk music - earned the band something of a cult following over the years.

Having been classically trained prior to her stint in Renaissance, Annie's voice is perhaps one of the most pristine voices ever committed to record. Her upper register is an immensely pleasant and clear one, her head voice being very flexible and, at times, surprisingly powerful. Despite her obvious technical prowess, however, Annie never loses the emotion behind her vocal performances, her gorgeous tone meaning that even in her mid-range, Annie still sounds beautifully tender. While one may assume that Annie's voice has weakened somewhat over the past fifty years, her vocal performances nowadays are, in fact, still as remarkable as ever - even now, Annie is still capable of reaching those gorgeous high notes listeners fell in love with her for in the '70s.

SPOILER: Click to showA Few Examples of Her Voice