Plural of alto; singers or musicians who perform in the alto register, or a collective group of such performers.
From 'alto,' the Italian word for high (from Latin 'altus'), which entered musical terminology across Europe in the Renaissance when Italy dominated music theory and composition.
In a four-part choir (soprano, alto, tenor, bass), the altos often carry the most interesting harmonies because they sit right in the middle—they're low enough to support the sopranos but high enough to add richness that deeper voices can't reach.
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