Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-29

that school, university, and pulpit signally fail to
accord it.
The stage is a tremendous influence. At no time
in the history of the world has theater attendance
equaled that of to-day in America. In one city of
late the ministers bloc have set down the stage
an instrument of the devil place of nakedness and
debauchery. There is in mind club of women at
Evanston, Illinois, whose mission it is to study good
plays and further them, and to avoid and
against bad ones. Such movement is helpful, it
has worth and value; but Wholesale unqualified
denunciation recoils only upon those who make it.
The public undisturbed, continues to attend the
theater. Ministers find their congregations dwin-
ding; they rise in protest.
In the good speaking voice, either from stage or
pulpit lies equal of hs the lis
pit appears family to realize the power of the must
cal speaking voice.
Some who protest against the stage might learn
from it why they fail to attract and hold their hear
ers. Even good sermon delivered in bad voice is
lost effort.
That there is no known instrument equal in beauty
to the human voice is so trte that it would scarcely
be needed to repeat 1t, 1t not that the trusm
seems seldom remotely connected with the speak
ing voice The musical speaking voice is effective
the singing one. That is point upon which too
great stress is impossible.
who lacks smooth, agreeable information
might well place his voice in agreeable register
If he takes little pains he will likely find in
what part of his throat that register lies.
There is voice disagreeabe that it is incapa-
BILE of improvement, and the worst point in the mat
ter is that many voices disagreeable only because
of the careless indifference to the musical quality
naturally in them. voice used consistently even
with slight to its training will certainly grow
mel1ower.
With the young, at age when everything leaves
vivid impression, lies, have said the real hope
of complete voice training and development. In
their case the call is imperative.
What the Schools Should Do
IN the public schools there should be department
1 of correct speech. 1t should be graded to sup
ply the needs of corresponding grades in other de-
partments beginning with the most important of
them all the kindergarten. Where teachers
engaged in any department. ability provided, prefer
should be given to those who command well
trained voices. In this way the whole personnel of
institutions could be advanced to proper standard
without any hint of revoutionizing, and finally be
settled upon satisfactory basis.
Those public schools excellent as they may be in
other directions at present perSistently turn out
hard raucous nasal voiced students in droves go
through life aiding unconsciously or ndifferenty in
the general din. Reformation of this culpabe over
sight established in public schools, the move
ment would logically work itself out with the
At present Americans of refinement by
means freer of unmuscal voices and nasality than
the rest; each section for obvious reasons, being
affected according to local environment.
With awakened knowledge to the importance of
voice training for their children that portion attend
ing private schools would by preference be sent to
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