<P> In the original stage play , the Mother Abbess sings the song at the end of the first act . When Ernest Lehman wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation , he shifted the scene so that this song would be the first major song of the second act . When Robert Wise and his film crew were filming this scene , Peggy Wood had some reservations about the words , which she felt were too `` pretentious . '' So they filmed Peggy Wood in silhouette , against the wall of the set for the Mother Abbess ' office . Peggy Wood 's singing voice is dubbed by Margery MacKay , the wife of the rehearsal pianist Harper MacKay , as Wood was not able to sing the high notes of the song . Rodgers wrote the piece in the key of A , with a modulation towards the end of the piece , making the last note that the Mother Abbess sings in the film an A flat ( Ab5 ) . With the popularity of the stage play it would seem Peggy Wood was not alone . MacKay set the bar high with `` Climb Ev'ry Mountain . '' Given the range of the piece and the average age of the actor playing Mother Abbess , the oldest character in the story , the song has proven daunting for many actresses over the years . </P>
<P> In the original stage play , the Mother Abbess sings the song at the end of the first act . When Ernest Lehman wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation , he shifted the scene so that this song would be the first major song of the second act . When Robert Wise and his film crew were filming this scene , Peggy Wood had some reservations about the words , which she felt were too `` pretentious . '' So they filmed Peggy Wood in silhouette , against the wall of the set for the Mother Abbess ' office . Peggy Wood 's singing voice is dubbed by Margery MacKay , the wife of the rehearsal pianist Harper MacKay , as Wood was not able to sing the high notes of the song . Rodgers wrote the piece in the key of A , with a modulation towards the end of the piece , making the last note that the Mother Abbess sings in the film an A flat ( Ab5 ) . With the popularity of the stage play it would seem Peggy Wood was not alone . MacKay set the bar high with `` Climb Ev'ry Mountain . '' Given the range of the piece and the average age of the actor playing Mother Abbess , the oldest character in the story , the song has proven daunting for many actresses over the years . </P>
who sang climb every mountain in the movie sound of music
who sang climb every mountain in the movie sound of music
Margery MacKay
Margery MacKay