The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1875-11-18

constitutes singer? Is it the person that hal
a thin, slurring, twanging, or heavy voice, thai
can make s'sni modified shake, - in the reso-
luton of every skip? Or person with a sweet
resonant voice that can strike every tone with
| firmness and precision? Certainly, all will adj
nit the latter. Experience has taught us that
the majority of the people of this vicinity
jackson Coz understand the ''slur-twanging-
hoop-hanoa" principle the best; of which the
execution of ''Tbe Heavens are Telling" proves
| this assertion. On passing the dwellings of a
| great many of the executors (Jacksonians) of
this piece, it was amusing to hear the sluring
etc, of the executors, in their practice, as If
there was no cultivation. Supposing this
would be corrected at the rehearsal room, but
on visiting this room, found the sanle kind of
sluring and many ludicrous motions. Some
heads were bobbing up and down; foreheads
wrinkled so much to resemble wash-board
factory instead of ''singing pra actice." Several
] Of the gentlemen were swinging their arms to
and fro, jerking one leg, stamping, and scrap
ing the floor with the foot. as If fighting bum
ble-bees. We freely admit they made "whol-
lop-pen big fuss" and sounded well to the un-
educated ear, but disgusting to the educated.
At the Eisteddfod it was executed about the
same way. The first progression was so well
slurred, in passing from the dominant to tonic,
that any person could detect it, understanding
the theory of such progressions. Not in that
place only, but all similar progresSions through
out the piece were so executed. The grand
''tIio,' taking this quotation-"I do not profess
to be judge of music, but do know the Jack
son choir made music thatsounded the best.
No one doubt that the part by the three
voices, performed by Eben Jones, q. E. Evans
and Mrs. Hull, was vastly superior to the per-
formance of the same part by any of the other
choirs." All we doubt this; and every person
will doubt it, that cannot assert the first SEN
tence of the above quotation. The treble and
base were terribly mangIed. The treble, slur-
ring and sliding from dominant to tonic, tonic
to dominant, &C.; base, in the same manner
from medianf to dominant, dominant to tonic,
and a perfect slide from tonic to tonic The
tenor was much better; the progressions were
not as firm they ought to have been; too
much gliding. Trio, never come before an ed
ueated ear with such gliding and sliding from
one skip to another. 1t will do before the un-
educated ear. but not under the sound of the
educated. In the score, preceding and after the
secondary seventh; the intonation was bad
The double diminished chords of the minor
modus was sounded very badly. But the double
diminished chord of the seventhof the leading
note, and the triple diminished chord of the
seventh of the minor mo dus were terribly exc
cuted. We do firmly sse:t that is impossible
for uneducated voices to execute the four-fold
harmony af the triple diminished chord of the
seventh. We have had the pleasure of hearing
this piece executed with voices that had no
twang, no slur-gliding skips, no measuring the
syllable "the;'' also assisted in the execution
with framed singers and many times at our re-
hearsals would listen to the beautiful har-
monies believing the authors saying-"When
L was at work at the creation 1 felt myself so
penetrated that before sat down to my piano
prayed confidently to God to give me the tai
ent requisite to praise him worthily." We are
glad to hear that the Jackson choir has re- |
organized. Wehope they will avail themselves
of some good voice-book and spend from two
to five years in vocal training under some good |
master. Vaccais italian and English Method, |
or Bassini's Method will smooth the twang |
and erase the sliding, and bring you out before |
any critical audience with honor to yourselves |
and vicinity. The Oak Hill and Portland |
choirs were well educated in the slur and twang |
especially slurgliding-the syllable |
"the" was mortally wounded and torn to atoms |
by the Oak Hill choir. "The Heavens are Tell |
ing the-e-e-e-e the-e-e-e Glory of God" &c.
which sounded bad as this expression to an |
English Hnguist "Now, Jim, yer better be er a |
git ten or me will slap yer jaws for y er quicker
than yer can wink eye. So yer now put and |
git" The choir leaders made too many mo-
tions in conducting. We will affirm this ques-
tion-"Some of them went through contortions
which would 90 credit to person in an elep-
to all in purity of tone except the Cncin nati's;
although they (Ironton) made some bad usage
of syllables and did not avoid the sliding any
too well. Cincinnatians eXcelled all, in omit
ting slurs, bad enunciation and far, far above
all impurity of tone. The voicing passed over
the chords of sharp four, the seventh of the
leading note, the seventh of sharp four, &C.,
with resonace or some satisfaction to the ear.
But they failed, or what may be termed "stum-
bled'' in the trio at the concert, not that they
were ignorant, but by not paying attention to
the instrument. 1t is useless for Jackson coun-
ty or any other uncultivated place to attempt
with trained singers in hearing of a
cultivated ear. Such singers say, ave
brought the poke to carry away the hundred
dollars" and return home disappointed; doubt
less, saying, "Well the adjudicator don't know
nothing about singin'." Let this failure be a
hereafter, may it lead singers
into the merits of cultivation and musical
aesthetics. When we sing in the old "Welsh''
DR. "English" style, initiate the ludicrous mo-
tions and twang voees. But in executing
classical music obey the laws of our classical or
finest authors.