THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF THE SINGER’S ART
“A man who has risen to his
present eminence through determined effort and hard
work, who has done it all in America, is a unique figure
in the world of art. He can surely give much
valuable information to students, for he has been
through so much himself.” Thus I was informed
by one who was in a position to understand how Morgan
Kingston had achieved success. The well known
tenor was most kind in granting an audience to one
seeking light on his ideas and experiences. He
welcomed the visitor with simple, sincere courtesy,
and discussed for an hour and a half various aspects
of the singer’s art.
“In what way may I be of service
to you?” began Mr. Kingston, after the first
greetings had been exchanged.
“There are many questions to
ask,” was the answer; “perhaps it were
best to propound the most difficult one first, instead
of reserving it till the last. What, in your
opinion, goes into the acquiring of Vocal Mastery?”
“That is certainly a difficult
subject to take up, for vocal mastery includes so
many things. First and foremost it includes vocal
technic. One must have an excellent technic before
one can hope to sing even moderately well. The
singer can do nothing without technic, though of course
there are many people who try to sing without it.
They, however, never get anywhere when hampered by
such a lack of equipment. Technic furnishes the
tools with which the singer creates his vocal art work;
just as the painter’s brushes enable him to paint
his picture.
RULES OF TECHNIC
“I said the singer should have
a finished technic in order to express the musical
idea aright, in order to be an artist. But technic
is never finished; it goes on developing and broadening
as we ourselves grow and develop. We learn by
degrees what to add on and what to take away, in our
effort to perfect technic. Students, especially
in America, are too apt to depend on rules merely.
They think if they absolutely follow the rules, they
must necessarily become singers; if they find that
you deviate from rule they tell you of it, and hold
you up to the letter of the law, rather than its meaning
and spirit. I answer, rules should be guides,
not tyrants. Rules are necessary in the beginning;
later we get beyond them,-or rather we
work out their spirit and are not hide-bound by the
letter.
EARLY STRUGGLES
“As you may know, I was born
in Nottinghamshire, England. I always sang, as
a small boy, just for the love of it, never dreaming
I would one day make it my profession. In those
early days I sang in the little church where Lord
Byron is buried. How many times I have walked
over the slab which lies above his vault. When
I was old enough I went to work in the mines, so you
see I know what hardships the miners endure; I know
what it means to be shut away from the sun for so
many hours every day. And I would lighten their
hardships in every way possible. I am sure, if
it rested with me, to choose between having no coal
unless I mined it myself, I would never dig a single
particle. But this is aside from the subject
in hand.
“I always sang for the love
of singing, and I had the hope that some day I could
do some good with the gift which the good God had bestowed
on me. Then, one day, the opportunity came for
me to sing in a concert in London. Up to that
time I had never had a vocal lesson in my life; my
singing was purely a natural product. On this
occasion I sang, evidently with some little success,
for it was decided that very night that I should become
a singer. Means were provided for both lessons
and living, and I now gave my whole time and attention
toward fitting myself for my new calling. The
lady who played my accompaniments at that concert
became my teacher. And I can say, with gratitude
to a kind Providence, that I have never had, nor wished
to have any other. When I hear young singers
in America saying they have been to Mr. S. to get his
points, then they will go to Mr. W. to learn his point
of view, I realize afresh that my experience has been
quite different and indeed unique; I am devoutly thankful
it has been so.
WHAT THE TEACHER SHOULD DO FOR THE STUDENT
“My teacher made a study of
me, of my characteristics, mentality and temperament.
That should be the business of every real teacher,
since each individual has different characteristics
from every other.
“It is now ten years since I
began to study the art of singing. I came to
America soon after the eventful night which changed
my whole career; my teacher also came to this country.
I had everything to learn; I could not even speak
my own language; my speech was a dialect heard in that
part of the country where I was brought up. I
have had to cultivate and refine myself. I had
to study other languages, Italian, French and German.
I learned them all in America. So you see there
is no need for an American to go out of his own country
for vocal instruction or languages; all can be learned
right here at home. I am a living proof of this.
What I have done others can do.
THE TECHNICAL SIDE
“As for technical material,
I have never used a great quantity. Of course
I do scales and vocalizes for a short time each day;
such things are always kept up. Then I make daily
use of about a dozen exercises by Rubini.
Beyond these I make technical studies out of the pieces.
But, after one has made a certain amount of progress
on the technical side, one must work for one’s
self-I mean one must work on one’s
moral nature.
THE MORAL SIDE
“I believe strongly that a singer
cannot adequately express the beautiful and pure in
music while cherishing at the same time, a bad heart
and a mean nature behind it. Singing is such a
personal thing, that one’s mentality, one’s
inner nature, is bound to reveal itself. Each
one of us has evil tendencies to grapple with, envy,
jealousy, hatred, sensuality and all the rest of the
evils we are apt to harbor. If we make no effort
to control these natural tendencies, they will permanently
injure us, as well as impair the voice, and vitiate
the good we might do. I say it in all humility,
but I am earnestly trying to conquer the errors in
myself, so that I may be able to do some good with
my voice. I have discovered people go to hear
music when they want to be soothed and uplifted.
If they desire to be amused and enjoy a good laugh,
they go to light opera or vaudeville; if they want
a soothing, quieting mental refreshment, they attend
a concert, opera or oratorio. Therefore I want
to give them, when I sing, what they are in need of,
what they are longing for. I want to have such
control of myself that I shall be fitted to help and
benefit every person in the audience who listens to
me. Until I have thus prepared myself, I am not
doing my whole duty to myself, to my art or to my
neighbor.
“We hear about the petty envy
and jealousy in the profession, and it is true they
seem to be very real at times. Picture two young
women singing at a concert; one receives much attention
and beautiful flowers, the other-none of
these things. No doubt it is human nature, so-called,
for the neglected one to feel horribly jealous of
the favored one. Now this feeling ought to be
conquered, for I believe, if it is not, it will prevent
the singer making beautiful, correct tones, or from
voicing the beauty and exaltation of the music.
We know that evil thoughts react on the body and result
in diseases, which prevent the singer from reaching
a high point of excellence. We must think right
thoughts for these are the worth while things of life.
Singing teachers utterly fail to take the moral or
metaphysical side into consideration in their teaching.
They should do this and doubtless would, did they but
realize what a large place right thinking occupies
in the development of the singer.
“One could name various artists
who only consider their own self-aggrandizement; one
is compelled to realize that, with such low aims,
the artist is bound to fall short of highest achievement.
It is our right attitude towards the best in life
and the future, that is of real value to us.
How often people greet you with the words: ’Well,
how is the world treating you to-day?’ Does
any one ever say to you-’How are
you treating the world to-day?’ That is the real
thing to consider.
“As I said a few moments ago,
I have studied ten years on vocal technic and repertoire.
I have not ventured to say so before, but I say it
to-night-I can sing! Of course most
of the operatic tenor roles are in my repertoire.
This season I am engaged for fourteen roles at the
Metropolitan. These must be ready to sing on demand,
that is at a moment’s notice,-or
say two hours’ notice. That means some memory
work as well as constant practice.
“Would I rather appear in opera,
recital or oratorio? I like them all. A
recital program must contain at least a dozen songs,
which makes it as long as a leading operatic rôle.
“The ten years just passed,
filled as they have been with close study and public
work, I consider in the light of preparation.
The following ten years I hope to devote to becoming
more widely known in various countries. And then-”
a pleasant smile flitted over the fine, clean-cut
features,-“then another ten years
to make my fortune. But I hasten to assure you
the monetary side is quite secondary to the great desire
I have to do some good with the talent which has been
given me. I realize more and more each day, that
to develop the spiritual nature will mean happiness
and success in this and in a future existence, and
this is worth all the effort and striving it costs.”