The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-03-08
Imagination One
Requisite for Singer

"There is no quick road to correct
singing. for it takes time to acquire
habit, good or bad. Time alone
makes good singing second nature, and
that means what7 Patience and plug
ging Is it worth whilcl A thousand
times. yes
This is the opinion offered by Theo-
dore Van YORK, for more than twenty
years prominent as voice teacher IN
New York and leading church singer
for almost thirty years. Mr.. Van YORK
now numbers among his pupils scores OF
concert and church singers.
81 am not in sympathy. with the ad,
vice that only the exceptionally gifted
ones should study the art of singing,
said Mr.. Van YORK. HIt means so
much in one S life to sing even mod
erately we'll. and it adds so much TO
ones appreciation Of others singing,
that | have always maintained that II
one has naturally pleasing quality
OF voice (Which is not man-made, but
a gift from Cod, 1t is at least worth
while to give the voice fair trial
in earnest effort 10 bring out all the
latent possibilities.
How many pleasures in life are
really worth wbilel" earnestly queried
Mr.. Van YORK. Are they not those
that have TO do with self development !
And il one has even small talent in
the singing line is il not worth while
to give it at least fair chance to de-
velop2'
AS to singing in English, of which
this teacher is a staunch npholder, he
maintains: "The great trouble in the
past has been due to the fact that the
publishers OF songs have given very
little serious thought 10 the necessity
Of furnishing correct translations. ]
do not think that there is any language
so full Of the possibilities of beautiful
poetic expression as English.
AS far as the average audiences
throughout the country are concerned,
an operate aria may just as we'll be
sung as vocal exercise on ah or any
combination of vowels as to be sung in
a foreign tongue. When an artist
sings song with a definite story
how much more interesting (if the
translation he good one), it viii be
to the audience if given in our own
tongue, when every word in the poem
or story is gwen its proper emphasis
and its meaning carried to the listener.
Thus, a double pleasure is experienced
that of understanding the story and
of hearing it told through the medium
of a beautiful voice.
''My experience III teaching has
proved that the voice technic has to
go hand in hand with practical en-.
couragemcnt of expression in song
singing. While I do not mean that a
great deal of care and attention should
not be put on correct vocal work, ]
claim that if the teacher can quicken
the imagination Of the students ne has
helped them 10 become interesting
singers, and they are the ones who iu
the last analysis are the most worth
while. To paint vocal pictures, to tell
stories in song in an interesting and
vital way, should be the aim Of every
singer. ! would much rather hear n
tone open to criticism, but sung by An
interesting and temperamental singer,
who could make YOU feel the spirit OF
poem. than 10 hear perfection in the
voice of singer with no imagination.
How much greater, on the other hand,
is the singer with this power of imag
ination who makes the mechanics Of
the voice obey his commands. Nv.
j. Il. in Musical America