The Chief Scoul Talpy

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 304, 24 December 1929, Page 19

The Chief Scoul Talpy

[By Lord Baden-Powell, Chief Scout.)

MUSIC FOR SCOUTS. No. I. When I first went to my old public school, Charterhouse, the celebrated John Hullah was music master there. He took us new boys into the beautiful old tapestried room at the Charterhouse —the room in which Queen Elizabeth had often been—and there he tried our voices. Each boy after being tested was sent to one of two corners of the room. When it came' to my turn I was put into a third corner, all by myself; there I remained a solitary one until all the boys present had been tried. It turned out afterwards that one lot was composed of likely singers for the choir, the other lot had either no voice or no ear, while I, poor me, was judged to have a "falsetto" voice. How Mr. Hullah discovered this, as 1 was only a shrill treble then, I don't know: but it was quite true. I was shoved into the choir, and there I remained for six years. When my talking voice "broke" I was still able to sing and by the end of my time at school I was able to take any part needed, whether soprano, alto, tenor or baritone. I don't say .1 had a good voice in any of them—for I had not—but I was just passable for general use in chorus singing. Well, I enjoyed that a great deal more than if I had been a solo singer; it was like playing football, or any other game, in a team. Don't Get a Swelled Head. A youngster who is exceptionally good at any' one thing, especially if it is a thing where he has not had to work hard for it, is very apt to become swollenheaded. This is particularly the case with singers. The only cure for swollen head is a stern and sure application at the other end! But where a fellow does chorus work he enjoys putting his voice into it, not

for his own glorification but for the honour of the .team. This means every boy singing his best, but modulating his voice to be in proper harmony and proportion to the rest. In other words, playing in his place and playing the game not for himeelf, but for his side. But even choirs can become too cocky about themselves sometimes if people make too much fuss of them. There is one point, therefore, that I would always impress upon singers, and that is this: — Remember that you did not make your voice, and therefore you need not be conceited about it and merely sing to win applause. The Creator has lent you that voice, and when you are using it remember always that through it you may be touching some man or woman's heart unknown to yourself, and through no special virtue of your own. So when you eing, sing with your heart, and with reverence. _ Team singing is a healthy and healthgiving exercise, and is also one of the most "happifving" forms of exercise that I know. You never see Scouts or Guides at a camp fire sing-6ong looking anything but cheery and happy. Think of Others. Then, too, through singing you can bring pleasure into the litves of people who do not have as good a time as you yourselves have. Christmas will soon be upon us again, and it is not too soon to be thinking out and planning the extra special good turns which y< u are going to do at the season of goodwill. In years past many Scout Troops have given entertainments at Christmas time in the wards of hospitals, or in infirmaries or workhouses, or to parties of poor children who cannot afford to pay to go to concerts or theatres. So I would urge every Scout and Guide "who has any voice at all to use it to the best advantage and for the happiness of as many people as possible. In this way it will bring true happiness to its owner.