The San Francisco call., 1903-12-27

given in the Royal English Opera
house. You remember the play?
D'Oyly Carte was at the head of it,
and it was intended to be continuous
performance of grand opera, all by
English composers-a kind of ma
tional home of opera. Ivanhoe' was
the first work produced. 1t ran for
$50 nights. But Sullivan put me
through my paces-so kindly-and L
managed to sing Prince John in two
days without falling down. In fact,
with some success"
And the national home of opera is
no more?"
NO" the barytone replied regret
fully. I'VE did Messengers La
Basoche' after Ivanhoe'-Frederick
Governs opera that was to follow be-
ing still in the stocks. 1 alternated in
the buffo role with Bispham--"
That speaks very we'll for Brown
low I thought, and aloud said: Bis
pham is delightful, isn't hep"
yes, but there was another barry
tone singing then that think was the
finest 1 ever heard-he sang the Tenn
plar Sir Brian Bois-Gilbert in IVAN
hoe'-Eugene Oudin, mean. 1 have
humbly tried to model myself on his
lines"
by the way. with whom did you
study?"
Never had lesson in my life Mr..
Brownlow amazed me with.
DO you mean that literally?" 1
asked. The person that never had
lesson in his 1ife" is an old acquaint-
ance III many walks of art. But one
doesn't find him doing the things that
couRt.
quite literally" the barytone in
sisted. Then he earnestly outlined his
vocal credo something as follows: Il
cannot see how a teacher can teach
you how even to 'place'-as it is called
your voice. He is really familiar
only with his own vocal machinery,
and cannot possibly enter fully into
the intricacies of yours He can tell
you, true, the natural way of placing
a voice, but you really have to do the
rest. And you can. If a man will
take the trouble to be his own critic,
to analyZe himself. and not 90 -ound
with an elongated arm patting him
self on the back"-Mr. Brownlows
arm here solemnly reached over to his
cervical vertebrae--"he can do all
that is necessary. But he must take
his performances to pieces all the
time. He must find out their weak
ness and the cause of it, and listen,
listen, listen always TO other singers.
He must learn why certain things
please and other things displease his
public and act accordingly. AS to the
-.
sing as the birds sing. We were
meant to. If you can't sing you
shouldn't. l believe a made voice is
always inclined to go wrong. Mind
you, I'm not posing as an authority. 1
couldn't explain how l sing-only to
say by emitting a sound through my
mouth. You see, it's method of my
own"
And here, vocal teachers and pupils,
is an example Of the self-taught singer
the singer who literally never had
a lesson in his life" 1 heard Mr.
Brownlow as Apollo at the Tiyoli
opening on Wednesday, but there was
too little Of him, and the circum-
stances were inopportune> for judg-
ment of that little. The next produce
ton, When Johnny Comes Marching
Home" Will, however, afford excel
lent opportunity to measure the barry
tones accomplishment.
asked then: How was Mr.
Cowen's opera-that followed La
Basoche?'"
"Oh, it was never given" the barry
tone replied. "D'Oyly Carte asked us
after La Basoche' to release him from
the contracts. 1 had just signed for
three years with him, too. No, the
scheme was a failure. and was given