CLERICAL ELOCUTION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6384, 5 December 1907, Page 6

CLERICAL ELOCUTION.

(By "Quartos,” in "Manchester

Guardian.”)

Every human being has to learn to speak. Speech dies iot come by nature! simply. The aptitude, the capacity, is there; but it has to bo elicited by teaching, and this teaching is by imitation. If' speech itself is a matter of teaching and training, much more is clear and inteiligent enunciation. In all theological colleger, some pains arc spent on this department of clerical training. But nothing like tho amount of care is devoted to it which the matter deserves. For it concerns vitally the effectiveness of a. man’s whole ministry, that he shall lie able to read and speak with effectiveness and acceptance. Nor is it without importance to his health also, for disorders of the throat are far too common among the clergy. , , ~ It is well, therefore, that the matter has been forced into prominence hv the interesting paper read by Sir Squire Bancroft at the recent Congress. How kindlv he spoke on this very practical subject may bo gathered a quotation he cited from "an eminent minister” about preachers" To-day the man who would preach with true and tasting effect must be sincere, intelligent and sympathetic—in a word, ho must be a maii, a teacher, a friend. Preaching is tho most impertinent of all impertinences if there bo not behind it and round about it a sense of authority other and better than human.” But he was unsparing in his complaint of the ill-delivery of sermons. "May I,” ho said, "have the courage to paraphrase the words of Shakespeare upon bad acting, and nay. 'Oh, there he preachers that I have heard pieach. and heard others praise—and that highly—not to speak it profanely, who neither had the accent of Christian, Pagan, nor man, they imitated humanity bo abominably. Oh, reform it altogether’ ?” - Probably much improvement would follow if every deacon during the. time of his diaconate, were properly advised and trained by his seniors in the elementary points of public reading. Young men value such suggestions if made in a brotherly spirit and by a competent advisor. There is reason to believe that many rectors and vicars aro far Too carelees and complaisant in such matters. Nor aro the seniors themselves without danger. Where tho same words in Bible or in Prayer-book are periodically repeated time after time, there is a tendency to drop into tricks and habits of utterance or emphasis which are quite unconscious but highly undesirable. It is a common jest among the clergy that the parson’s wife is to be blamed if such habits aro developed; she ought to have watched, and nipped them in the bud. But the , truth is that-in the Church of England there is eo strong a tradition against being theatrical or pedantic or artificial that we have gone to the other extreme and have become careless of effect ancj inattentive to’ precision of utterance. Our present slovenliness is a recoL from that pompous mouthing of "our incomparable liturgy” which was the rule in 'church half a century ago. There are probably old man in Manchester who remember' this kind of reading in the "Old Church.” ,

In establishing a bettor tradition we must bear two things In mind. First, the speaking voice needs training as much as the singing voice. There are many men who go on ail through life picdncing their voice in a wrong way. .Some men. especially those who have learned ringing, perceive quickly bow their, voices should be used, but in many oases teaching is necessary. The othep point is that the art of reading well aloud is an art which is only, acquired by thought and practice. Certain natural gifts of mind and voice go to its acquisition, and certain qualities of temperament, such as sympathy, vivacity and wit. But few people are so devoid of all these as to be unable, with practice, to learn to road aloud with pleasure to others. Many faults could bo avoided by tho help of a little common sense. Thus it is obviously wise to begin, slowly enough to give the understanding of tho hearer a good start. Never lead off in a hurry. The general pace will vary according to tho size of the apartment, or building, the number of auditors present, - their quickness of apprehension, and go on. No rule edn bo given beyond this—that in general the clergy read too fast. If a man world read the Psalms and tho Lessons, or the Epistle and Gospel, with tho care- he would bestow on reading equal passages of Shakespeare or Milton all would go ,well. Then there are absurd tricks or neglects that are apt . to provoke ridicule. Why do w© hear so often "Spray" for "Lot ur pray”? Or "nqdge of Thy truth” for "knowledge” of it? I know a good parson who began most prayers with the atheistic invocation, "No God, who,” etc. It is almost incredible what tricks of slovenly utterance may grow into habiLs. Who has not heard the Ten Commandment© read with such an emphasis on the first word of each, "Thou shalt not,” as to imply apparently that there might be some persons to whom the prohibition did not extend? On the other hand, I hav* .hoard a good scholar Bay that ho could never trust himeelf to read the Epistle of the day without first perusing the Greek original. There* are certainly many chapters of the prophets which need as much preparation for public reading as some great speech in Shakespeare's plays. In one word, it is worth.while to rood well, for few things afford more pleasure or edification to the hearers.