The New York herald., 1922-10-08
England Gives No
Encouragement to
Native SongSters
Vocal Artists, Poorly Paid,
With Few Exceptions
Soon Become Hacks.
Special Correspondence TO THE New YORK
HERALD.

Special Correspondence 10 THE New YORK
HmALp.
New York Herald Bureau.
London. Sept. 23.
The life of singers. great and small,
IN this country would seem to Indicate
that music. at any rate in vocal form.
does not stand high in the minds of
the British public as form OF enter
tainment. apart altogether from the
regard they hold It in as an art.
For the last ten years at least the
national opera house. Covent Garden,
has not held a single singer OF real
worldwide reputation as a regular
performer. No celebrity exists behind
the doors Of this fine old house to at
tract by his wonderful vocal power. by
his lyrical or dramatic genius. or by
appearance and physique, the thousands
who used to attend opera years ago in
London.
| In England an entertainment such as
place of gathering for the elite; the
glorified mothers meeting" whereat
all and sundry strut about in their
finest feathers or skin, before financial
| or commercial success is even feasible.
| In such form as that, opera has long
since been defunct in England. No one.
| literally, goes to Covent Garden now.
Individually, the wel-to-do complain
that there is nobody to see. and. what
| Is perhaps of equal Importance, there
is nobody there whose singing is worth
hearing.
Those interested in the production OF
| opera in England, on the other hand
| complain that the lack of attendance
on the part of moneyed people in Lon
don makes 1t impossible to engage
| profitably singers such as Caruso. dur
| ing the past decade, or Ruffo. Scott.
Mccormack or Galli-Curci. The Or
dinary individual, who hates paying
more than dollar or two for seat,
says that the prices charged at Covent
Garden are too high for the entertain
ment provided.
No Help for Singers.
There seems to be a certain ingredient
of truth in all three opinions. There
Is not the slightest doubt that the singers
at Covent Garden, during the past few
seasons, have not been either Carusos or
| McCormacks. But, given the opportuni-
ties and encouragement, and even ex-
ample, which those two great artists
have had. any one of them might have
risen to become great singers. That the
producers of opera In this country have
to watch their balance sheet very care
fully continuous failures prove. The
dollar or two dollar man is. of course.
never happy unless seats are free, and
he has gluttonized himself on music
and his palate loses its power or relish.
During the past few seasons there
have been some really fine voices heard
| in Covent Garden. Singers with extra
ordinary talent and artistry have done
their best for their role But their
engagement to appear at Covent Garden
seems to signalize the zenith OF their
endeavors. After that their only am
bition can be to go somewhere where
similar effort with yield greater recon-
pense-America is the only place they
think of-and the jump from Coven,
Garden to New York is so great that
few British singers have the optimism
or force to carry out their ambition.
For a few seasons the young tenor
or barytone in this country can put iorth
his very best. He can walk down the
Strand after particularly successful
night at Covent Garden, his chest pufted
out like a courting robin, bubpiing witn
pride and hope, a pathetic sort or nope
hope that his friends with whom ne
spends a few hours before going 10 beo
will saw that they see great future In
front of him, he also looking in that
| direction for a mythical future.
For a very short while such enthu-
| siasm as health. youth and some tan
| gible form of success can support lives
| and even grows. But the lack OF Pc
cuniary encouragement soon drives
young singers into those pseudo arts
tic circles In which 1t Is correct TO
wear your hair long. cultivate SIDE
whiskers. proclaim to all and sundry
that drinking beer is good for the voice
adhere to your preachings to the ek-
tent Of returning home every night
feeling strangely ethereal. and behave
Just exactly as the average fellow earn
| ing your salary does not behave.
Most Singers Not Known.
Az the present moment there Is a
| fairly good sized clique Of singers in
London, singing in opera, whose APP
| pearance or face is not known to the
| public as we'll as the average come
| dams is; whose name nobody outside
musical circles has ever heard, or IL
they have, have forgotten; and who
lendeavor to forget their real lack
of success and comfort in life OF quite
innocent devotion to hilarity. Most Of
these individuals are possessed of very
good voices, in some cases exceptionally
good, and are endowed with fair dra-
matte talent. They never earn more
than hundred dollars q week.
Much bigger money has been and Is
being made in England at concert work
throughout the provincial towns. Here
again. however. the singer Is faced with
two things either he must ask very
moderate fee--say s100-and thereby
book perhaps an average OF six concerts
a month, or charge 500 or 800 and get
one concert a month. He must select
either one or other OF these unbriliant
prospects or get back to the safe but
unremuneratlve opera work.
There are a few singers in England
at present who are making a good liv-
ing at concert work on account oi
a wonderfully attractive personality
rather than a voice OF extraordinary
r.