The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-22
w. L. TOMLINS' ADDRESS.
Individualism In Music the Theme of
His Lecture to the City
Teachers.

lndtv1duanSm In MUSIC the meme OF
His Lecture to the City
Teachers.
Golden Gate Hall was crowded to the
doors yesterday afternoon by teachers of
the City schools, who assembled to hear
Professor William l.. Tomlins discourse
on music. Professor Tomlins is a promi-
nent vocal teacher of Chicago. He is
spending a six weeks vacation in the City,
and during that time training chorus of
800 children's voices for concert to be
given shortly before his departure. His
forte is chorus training, and his work with
the 1900 children who sang at the World S
Fair received high commentator. He is
prominently connected with the famous
Apollo Club.
Professor Tomlins dwelt principally upon
his favorite theory that in order to sing
properly the individuality of the singer
must have full scope.
"There must be expression not only of
your own manhood but your brotherhood
for all, said the speaker. "There must
be completeness of self before you have
the song voice."
Taking bell from the table, he showed
how resonant it was when permitted to
proclaim itself, but, when mutfied, that
the only sound it gave forth was q clink.
MANY pupils and, indeed, many adults,
are never anything more than mere
clinks," he said. "Look at a row of faces
opposite you on streetcar and see how
little individuality they show.
"a young lady pupil of mine once re-
sented an act of cruelty to child. She in
terfered and prevented any further i'll
treatment of it. Her righteous indigna-
ton knew no bounds. For once she
sounded all the depths and reached all the
heights of her nature, but when she
reached her destination she was well nigh
fainting. That young lady had never I'M
derstood herself before, and she was
frightened at the revelation. The COM
pleteness of self must be recognized and
expressed before there can be real singing.
I'm my experience of twenty years
training of the voice / have had 10000
children under my instruction, and in the
course of that experience I have always
found that the vital energy and influence
| which are given forth in fervent song are
always more than returned in measure"
Here Professor Tomlins opened the
piano and illustrated his theory by show
ing how the sounding board caused the
tones of his voice to reverberate. do you
hear the boy respond?" he asked earn
estly and long and hearty applause at
tested the aptness of the illustration.
Thought, feeling and will he considered
indispensable to real song. Correspond
ing to thought is melody, to feeling har-
mony, and to will rhythm. Manhood
and musichood thus come together in a
pulse or beat,' he said.
The address, though philosophic in tone,
hao many touches OF pathos and h1mor,
and the magnetic personality OF the
speaker united with the merits and treat
ment of the theme made highly favora-
bic impression on his audience.
The hour was enlivened by the profess
sor's amusing imitation of the style in
which the average pupil sings America,
and at the close of the lecture he, by re-
quest, sang the patriotic song in way that
did the sentiment justice.