Tootler, thanks for brnging that up. Somehow, a lot of the songs I've really wanted to sing recently (eg, Annie Laurie, No Man's Land) have seemed difficult to fit into my range, even if I change the key. I just examined Annie Laurie, and the song seems to span just about an octave and a half, or a tone less. I hope that is correct, I may not have been careful enough in checking. So perhaps my range gets more limited when I'm singing a song than when I'm singing scales, and I need to really focus on relaxing and breathing properly.

Jim and Frank, thanks for the interesting discussion and the suggestions. I think I agree with Matt. I must also say I prefer the sound of the speaking tone in general, but I have heard some singers use the head voice very well, and would not generalise.