Evening star., 1949-01-23
Skillof Vocalist
IRefleCtSMental,
Spiritual
By Alice Eversmon

By Alice Eversmon
Sir Thomas Beecham closed his
recent indictment Of the governing
policies OF the Covent Garden Opera
with q telling. II unrelated, stats.
ment.
He said: I'VE have not nearly 40
many accomplished and skilled vo~
calists as we had 80 or 40 years ago"
Robust tenors, high baritones and
unqualified dramatic sopranos were
practically nonexistent, he said.
while basses rarely approximated
the volume Of former great artists.
This sad fact Is becoming more ap-
parent each day and year and, with
those who have been so long in the
vanguard of the vocal branch OF
music succumbing to the toll Of
time, the question Of how much the
younger generation can replace
them is Of great Importance.
In this country, known as pos
sessing the best voices In the world.
the number of those trained in all
angles of the art is small. Possibly
the reason can be traced to the
impatience that Is part Of our ma
tional characteristics and has oper-
ated SO amazingly in other fields.
But 1t does not belong to art. There
are so many enticing pots OF gold
to be found at the end of q career
rainbow that any short cut seems
desirable to reach the coveted end.
Students cannot wait, families push
them forward, and teachers are
willing to close their eyes If through
these pupils they can come into the
public eye.'
Health First Requirement.
There are certain uncontestable
requirements for q great vocal ar
tist. These are good health, a voice
In quality, and sometimes range.
surprising others, and a highly de-
veloped mental and spiritual nature.
Good health Is placed first, for none
of the other elements can function
without it. Today there is little
nervous reserve in our singers 50
that much OF the fine line of vocal
production cannot be sustained and
the wear and tear of public singing
under all kinds of conditions reg
listers in uneven work. The proper
care and nourishment OF the nervous
system Is reflected in the timber Of
the voice, which is more dependent
on physical fitness than any of the
other bodily means of making music.
So much time is given now to the
hurry-up method of getting voice
ready for a public hearing that the
student has little leisure for outside
education. Yet mirrored in his art
will be the extent Of his intellectual
development. From fine literature,
poetry, history and religion he can
absorb the very essence OF living for
projection into his singing. Without
the background gained by reading
and shrinking, any musicians art.
but especially the singers, Is of little
value. For song stems from the
beginning of mankind and must en-"
vision all the stress, joys. su1erlngs
and discoveries made in the long
process Of civilization.
Awareness of Tone Perfection.
It is not easy to cultivate the vast
resources of vocal color needed for
such great demands. First and FORE.
most is the tone itself. The sound
of q perfect vocal tone Is not 50
familiar as 1t should be. There
have been too many makeshifts Ia
this direction and too little thought
given to 1t for students, teachers
and public to be In accord with tn
qualities. In the last years 1t has
deteriorated still more with the sen.
timentalized singing that is popular
and the type Of vocal production
suitable to It's performance. True.
science has put down on paper how
many vibrations are necessary for
q perfect tone and can prove many
other things about singing. Yes
this has nothing to do with the
training Of the ear and the alert.
ness of the mind that can detect
the faintest variations from the pure
and perfect state. Only years and
years of actual practice in listening
with the physical and mental ear
can guarantee the knowledge.
Singing is not an art confined to
those with specially adapted vocal
cords. It belongs to all fields OF
music and is as little understood by
instrumentalists as by singers. AL
music should sing and the particular
intellectual attitude that causes
shades OF beauty to bloom in the
vocal organ Is needed by other musi-
clans. Cultivation Of the same gifts
would enhance an audiences under.
standing and appreciation Of the
greatest Of ali arts while at the
same time contribute considerably
to the fine art OF living. A few
years of concentration by those
whose talent warrants 1t and there
would be another generation Of great
singers. More discernment on the
side Of the public would help to
set and maintain q much-needed
eta Oda ~