Solos, Duets, and Quartets at Camp-Meetings and Other Large Gatherings
SINGING is one of the most sacred forms of worship. Our fallen foe at one time doubtless was the best singer in the universe, for we are told he led the heavenly choir. Now his master mind is bent on counterfeiting and undoing the plans and purposes of God in every particular possible, and we may look for him to attempt to divert the service of song from its high and holy possibilities in every way he can. A quartet or solo properly rendered is perhaps one of the most uplifting influences at a camp-meeting that can be possibly offered in service to God. But it is not altogether the music of the trained voice, the perfect tone, that is used by the Holy Spirit as a means of touching hearts. The sentiment of the song, the real spiritual uplift, is found in the words. The former is important, but without the distinct pronunciation of the words the whole effort is a failure, for it takes the place of what might have been congregational singing where all the people could join in the sentiments of the words, even though the music itself might have been somewhat imperfect. What is more exasperating than to sit in the congregation and follow along with the beautiful song, words and all, and then have the singer go away up somewhere on a tone, in sort of an effort of his life, and there the words be lost sight of altogether by both singer and congregation? As one who has listened, these “spells” in the song has spoiled largely the effort. Now why should quartets or soloists consider they are prepared to come before a congregation when they may be able to keep together or touch all the tones properly, but yet are unable on a high note or anywhere else through the song to give distinctly the words—so all the people can understand? I have thought perhaps I did not know, that surely there must be some understanding among professional singers that entitled them thus to impose upon their audiences, but here seems to be a word from musical headquarters upon this very point, taken from one of the recognized leading musical journals of the world—the Etude, in the department for singers. Here is what an eminent teacher, Mr. Karleton Hackett, has to say upon this point:— “Why do so many singers enunciate so indistinctly that it is often impossible to tell what language they are using? Usually, because they are not thinking of what the words mean, but have their minds fixed on making what they feel to be a good tone. Of course, if they do not make a good tone, nobody will care to listen to them; but unless they use their skill to give expression to the meaning of the poetry and music, they will find that few are interested in what they do.740Young singers get so bound up in consideration of the technical side of their work that they forget that technique is but a means to an end; the expression of beauty is the true purpose of singing. The distinct enunciation of the words is one of the ways in which this beauty is given to the hearers, and unless it is there, the singing will be uninteresting. Put your mind on making the words mean something, then they will begin to come out clearly. If they don’t, you will be conscious of the fact, and learn to make them expressive.” This is good sense. How often after a splendid solo or quartet you may hear, down in the congregation, “Wasn’t that fine? One could hear every word.” And so it was. It was satisfying. A real blessing had come to the hearer because he could hear both the music and the words. But not so when only a sketch here and there has been caught after straining every nerve to get all the words, where the singer has succeeded admirably perhaps in the musical technique. Such an effort is much like sitting at a bountifully spread table, yet getting only now and then a taste of the food, going away at the end unsatisfied. Do let us have the words, and then put in all the training and culture you please on the tones, but never count the effort a success if the language has been as an unknown tongue to the congregation. Keep on training, please, until you can give us the words distinctly. A VOICE FROM THE CONGREGATION.