Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1900-11-10
PRIZES FOR CHOIR SINGERS.
Said TO BE Few and Far between In
New York.


The prizes for singers in this city
In the shape Of high salaried choir en-
gagements are few. and the eXaggerat-
ed stories which are published through
out the country about the large In
comes Of the successful ones bring
each year to New York a large number
of candidates for singing engagements.
They come with voices which have
been praised by their teachers and
many of them. when they find no open
ing for them in churches, drift into the
choruscs of the opera. At small
gathering of choir singers one Of the
successful ones vOuchcd for the follow
ing story about choir singer who for
several years has commanded a large
salary in one of the wealthiest
churches. II illustrates the difficulties
that one candidate for honOrs had to
overcome before he reached his goal
He may be called Jones.
More than ten years ago a woman,
who had taken singing lessons from an
excellent teacher Of vocal music in
this city, went to n western mining
town and for her own amusement
taught singing to a few young men
and girls who had natural gifts in this
direction. Among them was Jones,
hardly more than a boy. and at that
time working as a miner. The possi-
bilities of Jones voice interested his
teacher. He was accustomed only to
miners life. and his natural refinement
would never have been suspected at
that time. Jones improved rapidly
and his teacher persuaded him to come
TO New York and study under her old
teacher.
You have naturally" she said, lone
of the best voices that l ever heard.
With little training you will be able
to earn. by singing in choir on Sun
days. about ten times your present
wages"
Then will go to New York" said
Jones, land become a choir singer"
The woman gave him a strong rec
ommendation to her old teacher and
when the latter had tested Jones voice
be said: "You have an excellent voice.
and with proper training you may earn
a large salary with It."
Every WELL" said Jones. You teach
me until can get an engagement. and
will pay you"
THAT would mean too long a wait,
said the teacher.
why do you say that?" asked the
miner.
81 will tell you frankly" said the
teacher. II believe that your voice
might be developed with six months
tralning-that is, physically developed
To do the work which you hope to do,
however. you would have to be almost
born anew. You are rough and I'M
couth. Go to a fashionable church to-
morrow and see the men who attend 1t.
Study their clothes. manners and ap-
pearances. then think to yourself that
YOU must become outwardly as pre-
sentable as they are and mentally, per-
haps very much more responsive, be-
fore you can gain success. You need
grooming, manners and mental devel-
Opment. and | believe that it will take
you at least ten years to acquire then"
Fortunately for the young miner, the
woman who discovered him had recon-
mended him to a wealthy, music loving
family In this city When they heard
the teachers verdict about his voice.
they assumed the expense of his les
sons and put him in the way to get the
other training which he needed. He
was taught the manners Of polite Soci-
ETY.. and these lessons were harder for
him than his vocal lessons. He was
taught how to dress. and. in fact. his
training was somewhat similar to that
advertised by some Of the young wOm-
ems finishing schools. He read and
studied This vocal teacher showed
him how to develop his voice and to
use it to the best advantage. 1t was a
general polishing process. No one would
now suspect that Jones had been an
uneducated rough miner. He COM
mands a large salary whenever he
sings. The singer who told the story
said that against such obstacles not
one man in a thousand would have per
sisted This was an extreme case,
he said. land this mans voice warrant
ed his efforts Ii the average young
man who had vocal ambitions to
achieve in this city. however. knew the
obstacles he must surmount. he would
not come here to drift into comic OPP
era chorus. There is only fighting
chance for the musical man with the
musical voice. and to seize it he mist
have untiring energy New York Sun