24.—GOOD ENGLISH IN SONG.
In the eyes of many singers and in the minds of much of the public, the words used when singing are of no particular value. This may be true of a goodly number of popular songs that live for a day. But in the strict sense of the word, and speaking of good music, the mission of the music is to give the sentiment a proper setting. A perverted idea has, with one class of opera and song writers, brought music to the place of prime importance, it is true, but this is an unnatural arrangement of things. Music, as separate from all else, has its true place in the instrumental field.
When words are set to music they should be good enough to merit a hearing. And the singer who slights his words and leaves you in doubt as to the language he happened to be using, is just that far from being a finished singer.
It is claimed that English is a hard language to sing. So it is, for those that will not give it the necessary study and practice.
It is likewise claimed that Italian is easy to sing. So it is, for an Italian. But an Italian might be as much in doubt about the American student's Italian words as the American auditor is forced to be concerning the student's English words.
It is well known that many a singer covers her inability to sing distinct English by a retreat into poor Italian, which she thinks will be "Greek" (if not Italian) to her audience.
Vocal teachers are coming to realize that the highest vocal art requires one to sing their own language perfectly, and that years of practice in mongrel Italian do not give ability to sing good English. The reason for this is that there are many difficult consonant and vowel combinations appearing frequently in the English that are unknown to the Italian.
That German or Italian are not good preparations for English singing is shown by the remarkable combinations of sounds that foreign singers will use when called on to sing an English song. This is all right if we follow the doctrine that words are of no importance. But that doctrine does not obtain among artists. Why should we have to listen to that grand solo from the Messiah tortured into "Ze keens hof ze hurt rees hoop?" Who could be expected to know from hearing this sort of continental English that "The kings of the earth rise up?"
Then, when some celebrated Italian prima donna is called on to sing our national hymn, how patriotic we must feel to hear
"Mi coontray tees oof thee
Swet Landa of Leeberta,
Oof The Ih seeng;
Landa wer mifa ters dida,
Landa oof de peelgreem's prida,
Froma eefrey mon-tin sida,
Leta fretum reeng."