ses along the banks of the still more sluggish
Cam, in tones proceeding _imo profundo_ of the chest, and magnificent
enough to have made the fortune of many a singer. These men, indeed,
seemed to pride themselves upon their vocal powers; and many of them
could execute a rapid shake, with accuracy and precision. The voice is
nature's instrument, but, like the instruments fashioned by the hand of
man, it will not yield its best tones to the unskilful. There are many
instrumental performers whose chief excellence lies in their tone, and
who could call forth tones, from even an ordinary instrument, far
superior to those which an inferior performer would be able to produce
from the best Straduarius or Amati. To the singer, tone is even of
greater value than to the instrumental performers; for the method of
instruction which improves the qualities of the vocal organ, also
imparts a power and certainty of expression and execution, which cannot
be otherwise acquired. The finest singers are ever found to be those,
who have best studied and developed the powers of the instrument which
nature had bestowed upon them. This is the first grand requisite for the
singer; without it, respectable mediocrity may occasionally be attained,
but real excellence never can be gained. We know of no English-taught
singer who possesses it. So little are the voice and its capabilities
understood in this country, that instances might be mentioned where
basses were mistaken for barytones, barytones for tenors, and contraltos
for sopranos. However incredible this may appear, it is, nevertheless,
strictly and literally true. The consequence of such strange blunders is
what might be naturally expected; the voice, forced out of its natural
compass, prematurely gives way, and at a period of life when the vocal
organ, if properly trained and developed, should have arrived at
maturity and perfection, the singer's powers are gone, and, in the prime
of life, he is compelled to abandon his profession, and subsides into
the mere singing-master, to _mis_instruct the rising generation, and to
mar the prospects of others who succeed him, as his own hopes were
blighted by the errors of his own instructors. To what other cause can
be attributed the constant and mysterious disappearance of new singers?
How many young vocalists appear from time to time; lauded at first to
the skies, for a few seasons listened to and admired, but whose
reputation gradually decays, and who