LADIES' COLUMN

Bruce Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 97, 16 December 1904, Page 5

LADIES' COLUMN

GIRLS WHO SING. Mile. Antoinette Trebelli recently favoured an interviewer wita a few suggestions calculated to benefit the youthful aspirant for lyric honours. Alexandra Dumas, in speaking of Sarah fJernhardt, said she had a voice of ' liquid gold.' The same might be said of Mile. Trebelli. When questioned as to the advisability of adopting vocal music as a career, Mile. Trebelli said : ' I never advise anyone to £0 in for a musical career, for it means not only yeara of hard, hard work and the sacrifice I of all one's little divertissements j but in nine cases out of ten, at the conclusion of her studies the student reaps but a harvest of blasted hopes ; and oh, the ter- , rible disappointment of such a finale ! Each year the musical academies turn out vast numbers of would-be prima donnaa, and not more than one out of fifty ever achieves anything in the musical ! world. HOW TO BREATHE PROPERLY, 'There are so many things for the student to consider. She must have, first of all, of course, a voice, added to which ' there must be temperament, good health, and a genius for work which is only given ' to those whom the gods have destined for ' great heights. In beginning her study she nru3t &m-i learn to breathe properly, I and this is foot so easy as it seems. The breath should be taken silently and slowly, fining the lungs from the base. b ' Therd should be no heaving of the chest, i ■ or wiping of the shoulders, and there ) shouf i always be sufficient breath held in 9 i reserve* to draw np«n in case of an hmj ] usually long phrase. Never in any cir-

cumatances must the breath be heard. There is nothing m«re unpleasant to an audience than to hear one audibly gasping for breafch. When studying breathing, it is a good idea to count by seconds how long one can hold a breath in ord»r to yawn, it will be in exactly the proper position for uttering a note. Tho student must be moat careful of the facial expression. She should look a3 though sic is happy, and never let the face be rurprised from its expression of repose, c v >n though the heavens fall. THE COERECT POSITION OF THS BODY. ' The correct position of the body whan singing p Ah, that is most important, for upon it depends good tone production, which should be the aim of every singer. One should stand perfectly erect, resting neither on the point of the toes nor on the heels. The chest should be well expanded, the head straight. It is a bad plan to clasp the hands at the back, as this stiffens the muscles over the chei-t. Another thing to avoid is the ruisinpr or pushing forward of the chin. All tLis applies to one who is learning to tin*?. In acting, of course, many things must bo sacrificed to the action. Singers should be careful in coming down the stage, and when leaving it, to walk slowly so as not to get out of breath. The muscles of the throat must not in any way be restricted by high collars or anything tight about the neck. If they are, there will be a constant fight between them and the vocal chords, and the voice will suffer.* BEWAEE OF UNSUITABLE SONGS. A few more points Mile. Trebelli wished to impress upon the student : ' Never attempt,' she saya, 'to Bin^ anything not suited to t ! ae voice or style of singing, especially music requiring much execution, unless you are perfectly sure you can sing it creditably. ' After exerciser and studies have beon practised until they oaay be sung satisfactorily, the student should bsgin by learning simple songs. She should study classical music with her teacher in private as soon as possible, but she should never attempt to sing it in public until she feel 3 certain she can do full justice to the composer.

• Great caution mu3t be exercised when choosing a teacher of singing. Eight voices out of ten are irretrievably ruined by faulty tuition. The vocal organ must not be forced, but developed gradually and naturally. The words should be anng just as one would speak them — near the front of the mouth.

' The great aim in singing is to unite the tones of the voic9 so that the lower, medium, and high notes shall be as equal as possible in quality and power. This can only be accomplished by time, patience, and constant practice.'