Ceaseless Vigilance Needed.

Otago Witness, Issue 2363, 8 June 1899, Page 52

Ceaseless Vigilance Needed.

Few things are so sensitive and necessitate so much care and attention as the voice of a great singer. " My whole life," said a famous lady vocalist, " has to be regulated by the necessity of always keeping my voice in perfect condition. A sudden chill would be calamitous, so that one's movements have to be governed by the greatest caution." Draughts have to be avoided, and the transition from a warm atmosphere indoors to a cold outdoor one has to be made as gradual as possible. / Diet is another important consideration. I dare not indulge in ices or iced drinks, even in the hottest weather, and in many other respects what I eat and drink is determined less by my taste and appetite than by the requirements of my tyrannical voice. " I used to think that the task of training and cultivating my voice involved quite sufficient expenditure of time and pains. Now that it is thoroughly trained, it is a matter of ceaseless vigilance and attention to maintain it in proper condition.

" This applies to all singers whose vocal talent is their supreme, gift. Just think, a bad cold might cost some singers several hundred pounds a night; and many of them could tell curious stories of the restrictions and deprivations which they suffer for the sake of their voices."