The age-herald., 1900-07-08

r I was surprised Op near a prominent DIT mingham musician, in speaking recently of the art of singing and of the inspiration a singer receives from his audience, de- clare that he was conscious of no longing to reach the hearts of his audience with the same degree of intensity that he had known before he began singing intellect ually." If, however, he had realized any absence of response on the part of his aud fence, it is more than they would confess and indeed it has been said many times that while his voice appealed to the intel lect, it possessed the qualities that also touched the heart. When he repeated that his voice did not appeal to the heart as strongly, I asked him for his reasons. He has frequently taught vocal art, and he de- clared that a teacher who attempts to sing in concert cannot reach the hearts of his audience with that degree of tenderness that he would if he had not taught In teaching voice technique he listens for the intellectual expression of a note, so that in time it is this quality that takes possession of him, and that he first demands in his pupils. After a day Of instructinS pupils in the art of tonal beauty, he finds that If he attempts to sing that evening in con- cert that he is coldly critical of his own voice, and he continues to sing intellect ually," perfectly conscious that the hearts of his audience are remaining untouched, and that he is singing over their heads.
 It would seem from this statement that the greater degree of cultivation that ones voice undergoes the less power one would have for appealing to the emotional na- ture, but this musician claimed that 1t was only the teacher of music whose voice is in danger of losing its subtlest qualities by its constant alertness to have a pupil interpret through the intellect that his voice might appeal to the aesthetic emo tions as well as touching the innlost soul. But among the group who were discussing the subject the highly cultivated voice was preferred, for the reason that a musical composition for the voice CT piano cannot be interpreted correctly without first know ing the fundamental truths. 1r recalling, however those masters who appeal slmul- taneousy to both the intellectual and emo- tional faculties the unanimous opinion was expressed that PadereWsd stood al- most alone in this distinction, and that those who did not enjoy classic music mad discovered upon listening to PedeIe"sk1 that he played equally upon the emotions of his audience as well a. reaching the in- tellectual heights demanded by his more critical hearers. I recall reading an arti- cle not long ago in the Atlanta Saturday Review from the pen of Bertha Harwood upon ."The Magnetic Current in Muslc. Miss Harwood declares that a musician must first put himself in harmony with his subject before he can make his audi
 
 mentalists' greatest difficulty lies in thefr inability to hold their hearers to the suo- feet. vocalists have the advantage here' since their words convey IL TOT 1nsil' Among the points upon which MISS dar- wood lays the greatest emphasis are the following: . Could you deliver an oration on caesar without first knowing something about the life and character of that parsonage ana can you obtain this information without tbo source?
 Then why expect to render muslcal composition without first knowing these fundamental truths? Do musicians thinK that in a confusion of vibrations one Will not discover their ignorance of the subject!
 This condition not only deadens our own conception of the beautiful in music but has d haneful influence upon the unmusi- cal listener. One must first understand his own language and subject before ne eali expect to teach others.
 You cannot do this without intelligent re- search and conscientiousnesS, compiheo with poetic feeling. We, as musicians, must, by combined effort lift the profess sion to a higher appreciation of this neces- sity.
 How many can enjoy Chopin, Beethoven, Schumann any other master interpreted without feeling and understanding, as Is so freuuently the case? These errors and afiictions will only cease when musicians become more sincere and intelligent.
 After the A c in music, the technic there is in the vast beyond, the magnetic current which thrills through space as the wireless, sightleSs current to all in unison with it. @@ !" Keep the thought on mel ody uppermost In many compositions the melody is secreted like a diamond in the rough and unless one possesses the poetic feeling or the desire to find it, it will fail to respond to the ray of light and forever hide its beauty within the chaos that sur rounds it. First study your composition, anayze it on all sides study the composer and his thoughts and back of that feel it.
 One can get clue to the meaning of composition by it's title. If it is a rondo, minuet, etc., find out what they mean, then use the suggestion and put yourself in harmonious condition with it. Take a minuet, for example; do not play 1t like It might be a jig, but see the vision of those stately ancestors they gracefully glided through the dance and you will uncon- sciously get in the spirit of your compost ton. Many compositions have story of vital importance connected With them. Learn it if you can, and after you have found the secret of your composition then seek to make it intelligible to your hear CTS. If you have fully gotten into the spirit of it and made it part Of yourself thls will be come an easy matter, the mirror of the soul will reflect it.
 NOT many persons in the audiences at the opera the past week know that the young accompanist is an Alabama girl and that she lived at one time in Birmingham. She is Lima Garland Snow, and with her parents, Professor Samuel F. Snow and Mrs. Snow, resided here several years ago, the family going later to Nashville. They are living now in Savannah, Ga., but Miss Snow has remained in Nashville. where she has one of the largest classes in music in the city. She is also the organist of the Tulip Street church, whose choir is one of the finest in the South. Dr. G. c. Kelly, formerly of Birmingham, is pastor of this church, and Mir Justin Thatcher, who is . so great favorite here, is a member of the choir.
 Miss Shows Birmingham friends wlo knew her as a girl of fourteen fifteen