IM PR O VE
YO U R D I CTIO N
AN D
VO ICE
"
OE
PR O D U CTI O N
BY
R O R KE
CR EE
L R AJ¢ L G S AL (H m Q
,
W ith "
o r ew o r d b y
KAT E R O R KE
a
LO N D O N
W
.
NE W Y
"O U LSH A M
ORK
TO R O NTO
81.
C O . LI M I T E D
CAPETO WN
SY D NE Y
C O N T E NT S
P AG I
C BAP T 3 R
I
II
I II
Iv
v
F OR E W O R D
T HE A DVA N TA GES O F A GOOD VOIC E
How Y O UR VOI CE I S M AD E
B RE AT H C O N T R O L
TON E
D I C TIO N (E N U N C IA T IO N AN D ART I C U
L ATI O N )
E XPRE SS I O N
R E AD I N G AN D T H E M U S I C O "WO R D S
G E S T URE
HO W TO T R AI N F O R T H E S TA GE
HI N TS O N V OI CE TR AI N I N G
E XE RC I SE S
O
VI
VI I
‘
L
VI II
XI
x
S
S
S
I
M
.
O
0
0
0
O
7
11
15
20
27
32
41
50
62
71
81
FORE WOR D
As spee c h has brought inits train everyt h in g
th at we c all civ ilization it is obvi ously meces
s ary that we should spea k our words to their
b est advan tage n
ot only by giving to ea c h it s
true and proper m eaning an d by s t ringin g
them together in recogn i z ed form s but by
S peaking them in such a way that the listener
h ear s without e ffort an d with ease O f un der
stan ding
I t is surprising h ow we en dure bad S peech
I d o n ot mean the slang but the bad a rt icu
lation the neglected consonan ts th e faul ty
em phasis the dreary monotony or the
gabbled indistin ctness of so many
A good
e Of the greatest assets a man or
voice is on
woman c an possess yet how Often it is allowed
to
degenerate an d be c o m
e an irritation
through a lack of kn owledge Of how b es t to
use it
The power of s pe e c h is n
ft
o t so much a
i
g
,
,
.
.
~
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
.
F O RE WO R D
8
as is generally supposed P rovided the mat
ter is there the artistry of delivery is every
th ing an d can be acquired by a study of
elocution an d by practice We all kn ow how a
sway his audien ce whils t
e speaker can
fin
a poor on
e at best sen ds us empty away
although the matter of hi s spee c h may be th e
better reasoned
In her little book my daughter deals with
the technical details an d additions that are
so necessary for effective speak ing whether
by the orator the lecturer the priest or the
a c tor or by th e ordinary indivi dual who
wishe s to im part a good story to hi s frien ds
That there has been a great improvement in
speech during t h e last few years sin ce the
stud y of el o cu tion is gradually extending
is Obvious
E locution as a study is still in
its in fan cy though and on
e as yet is shocked
far t oo Often by its neglect or misuse in the
theatre lecture hall or pulpit H ow many of
us un fortun ately have seen a theatrical s itua
tion frittered away an d its poin t lost by the
n eglect of a study of elocution on the part o f
.
,
.
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
.
,
.
,
,
,
FO RE W OR D
9
the actor "D O we always completely un der
stan d an d appreciate th e lessons as read in
Church or the sermon a s delivered " T he
m eaning O f many a lectu re is lost to us through
the bad diction of the lecturer The political
speaker is n ot always eloquent however w ell
ot
reason ed are the things he say s n oise is n
oratory n
or
are um s and ahs good
pun ctuation
I n this b ook my daughter has en deavour ed
t o poin t ou
t the way s a s known t o an c locu
t ion
ist of how s pee c h a s an art m ay b e a c
quired
I t i s n ot a textb ook in whi c h to
fin d a panacea of every elocutionary ill S h e
has written it more as an introduction an d
help to those who appreciate the power of
speech an d are desirou s of attaining the best
results in them s elves
.
,
‘
’
‘
’
,
.
.
.
.
Tirol ; « A m.
IMPRO VE
YO U R
D ICT I O N
AN D V O I CE P R O D U C T I O N
CHA P T E R I
THE
A DV A N T A GE S
O
" A G OOD
VO I CE
listen t o a c lear melodious voice gi ves
pleasure t o all Yet in the course of my work
I have occasionally met people who a re
entirely satisfied with their own voices
S ome have had lisp s others an inability to
”
“
pronoun c e the letter R
or have h ad a
sin g —
song intonation ; b e the defe c t what it
may they are con tent an d even proud of it
I t seem s t o b e con s idered more in s ultin g to b e
told that you have an ugly voice than th at
your appearan ce i s plain an d your nose
not in th e middle O f your face P erhaps th e
in sult lie s in the in sinuation th at we have n
ot
trie d t o im prove We c ann ot change our fea
To
,
.
.
,
,
.
.
.
n
E LO
12
CUTI O N A N D VOIC E PR OD UC TI O N
ture s so have to put up with them while we can
an d should improve our voi c es
I t is not only the barrister the a c tor and
the lecturer who need to c ultivate a good
voi c e —though even the members of these
professions do not always admit the necessity
—but the busin ess man with letters t o dictate
the salesman or saleswoman the telephonist
all in deed wh ose voice is part of th eir stock
intrade would a dmit the a dvantage of a
ti reless voi c e would welcom e any remedy for
the sore throat an d breathlessn ess of which so
many complain
A tireless voice m eans a
properly produced voice and a properly pro
d uce d voice means good ton e an d clea r speech
M ore employers an d examiners are in
fl ue n
c e d by a clear well ton ed voice than they
themselves realize
SO Often the voice is
taken to b e the expression of character
S uch a V iew m ay n ot always be j ust ; yet
hard Clear cut words are Often the S ign of
th e Cle ar calculating brain ; mumbling half
formed words hint at vaguen ess of thoug ht
wh ile harsh metalli c ton es b etray a self
,
.
,
,
,
,
-
,
,
.
,
.
-
,
.
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
AD V A NT A G E S O F A G O OD V OI CE
T HE
I
3
s ertive personality di fficult to work wi th
I t is th erefore to our advantage t o cultivate
either as a cloak for or an
a pleasing voice
r character
e x pression Of ou
In the course of this li tt le book we shall
discuss the qualities Of a good voice t h e
tireless voice ; how it is buil t up onwhat it
depen ds an d how much it depen ds on our
own efforts We have a voice if we are physi
cally normal and if we are mentally normal
we have the power to control alter an d form it
I t may ot b e that b y our owne fforts we can
become a secon d Melba or B ernhardt ; but
most certainly we can make the best Of what
we have NO one is b orn with a discordant
voice even though thr o ugh habit or environ
ment such may have been ac q uired A lways
“
”
habit is overc o me by habit
an d we are
never t oo Old nor too bad to improve I f we
try to fin d out our faults an d their causes or
which is a safer and q uicker method get some
experien ced teacher Of elocution t o t ell us our
mistakes and put us onthe right road t o cure
them it s h ould be but the matter Of a few
as
.
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
.
,
n
.
,
.
,
.
,
.
,
,
,
,
I
4
OCUTI ON
EL
AN D
V OIC E
P RO D
UCTI O N
the c hang e
A
n asal twang a tired throat or the most stub
b o rn lisp may be cured by a few simple
exercises but it sh o uld be born e in min d that
the ultimate impr o vemen t rest s with ourselves
E ven the b est teacher in the world cannot
take our voice and mould it as a sculptor
moulds his clay ; we must be prepa r ed to
work practise and c o-Operate if we desire
su c cess .
m onths befor e we n oti c e
.
.
,
,
.
,
CH A P T E R
How Y O U R VO I CE
II
Is
M AD E
H U MA N speech is so common a gift th at few
pause to consider the complex mechanism
that it sets in motion
S ound we know is produced by vibration
The more rapid the vibrations the higher is the
pitch Of the sound S ome vibrations are so
rapid that the pitch will be above the range
of human hearing
This we can easily test
by listening t o the sound O f an adj ustable
electric fan A t its highest speed the fan will
probably be inaudible but if the pace is
decreased a humming sound is heard which
bec o mes definitely lower in pitch as the speed
of the fan slacken s
In the human voi c e these vi bration s Occur
i n the larynx (commonly called the A dam s
A pple ) a delicate in t rica t e mech anism made
u p Of cartilage and muscle and si t uated at the
.
.
,
,
.
.
.
,
,
.
’
,
,
‘5
16
E LOC U I I O N
‘
‘
V O IC E PR OD UC TION
AND
top of the win dpi pe wh ich leads from the
lungs T hrough the larynx the expired breath
has t o pass vibrat i ng the taut edges of the
glottis slit as i t does so
T he s e edges are
called th e vocal cords an d through th e con trol
of an elaborate system of muscles may be
m ade tense or relaxed may be separated or
approximated a ccording to the pit ch of the
ton e required
The pitch Of the speaking voice ex c ept
on rare o ccasions Of emotion al exci tement
li es within th e co mpass Of an o ctave B ut i t i s
im portan t to realize that beyon d thin king an d
willing a high pitched note or a low pitched
note we cannot consciously control the move
men ts of the voc al cords In deed to thi n
k Of
the voc al cords generally means to sti ffen the
muscle s of the larynx which is excessively
harmful All we can consciously do is to regu
late the amount Oi air we a ll o w to pass between
the vocal cords and to direct it into the vari o us
resonance ch ambers
Therefore we may s ay th at breath is t he
c tion sinc e it is
m otive power of voi ce prod u
,
.
,
,
,
.
,
,
.
-
-
.
,
,
.
.
,
HO W Y O UR VOIC E
IS
M AD E
I7
t he expiring breath th at the vo c al cords
are m a d e t o vi bra t e
A clear unwaver i ng
t o ne l argely depends on a steady stream of
breath passing through th e larynx
I f you
h ave ever been in a country church where the
be llows of the organ are still worked by a
village blower you will know wh at queer
shrieks an d gr o ans result if the blower turns
to greet a frien d and does not keep up th e
steady fl ow of air through the instrumen t
In t h e human voice our lungs are th e bellows
which by the expulsion an d contracti o n of the
chest are filled or emptied o f air during respira
tion I t is obviously essential that the lungs
sh o uld b e able to expan d freely and easil y
and that the voice -user should be able to
control and regulate the breath s tream ;
otherwise the same ine q uality and j erkiness
Of soun d will result as when the village blower
is distracted from his j o b
We sh al l c on
sider in more detail in the fo llowing chapter
h ow this control is most easily gained
S peech is the resul t of three distinct pro
cesses : so und prod u c tion tone production or
by
.
,
.
,
.
,
.
,
.
.
,
EL OCUTI O N
18
AN D
V O I CE P R O D U C TIO N
res o n ance and actual word formation or
"
diction
We h ave seen how sound has it s
motive power in th e exp i r i ng breath stream
and is produced at various pitches by the
vibrati o ns of the vocal cords in the larynx
caused by this stream o f breath Yet sound
and pitch are but a third Of the complete
whole ; the greater part Of the work is d o ne
above th e larynx
These three processes
”
“
will be realized if we intone the word bring
and watch the movemen ts of our mouths in a
mirror
We no tice fi r st that we can intone
“
”
th e word bring in di fferent pitches high
but th at even so i t has quite a
or l o w
“
”
differen t tone fr o m such a word as dead
”
“
For whereas
bring
is directed by the
breath stream to the reson ance ch ambers in
”
“
the head
dead h a s a fuller deeper s o und
and is resonated in the mouth and
L et us n o w l o ok in the mirror and whisper the
,
.
,
.
.
.
,
,
.
,
,
,
i cti on t hrough o ut t h is b ook is used t o
c i a t i on a n
d a r t c ula t i on o f w ord s
o te
th e en
un
d en
ra t h e r t h a nt h e c h o i c e O f w ord s
w ill be d e sc ri be d i n
an
ce
C h a m b ers
TT h e re son
Ch a p t e r III
‘
r
Th e w o d d
i
.
.
CHA PTER
I II
B RE AT H C O N T R O L
I N the preceding ch apter we h ave seen h ow
necessary it is that the expansi o n of the lungs
should be regular and controlled so as to allow
an even flow O f breath through the larynx
This control is especially necessary to the
a c tor preacher lecturer and public speaker
for whom the elocution teacher chiefly works
as they have by the nature Of their occupation
to deliver l o ng c o mplicated S peeches to make
their voice travel great distances and to be
able to vary tone pitch an
d rate at any
momen t
The firs t t hing t o o bserve is whether our
breath contr o l is hampered by a lack O f
freedom of m o vement I s th ere any tightness
or constraint " A re we standing o r sitting
easil y
I f when speaking we stan d or sit in a
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
.
,
,
20
B
RE AT H C O N T R O L
2 1
huddled or con strained p o sition it is obvious
that the lungs will not have ro o m for free
expansion C onse q uently t here will be greater
strain on the voice which sh ould rise e a sily
upon the b r eath a n
d the e ffo r t to gain power
and tone by o ther unnatural means will prob
ably result ih a sore throat
When S itting
we sh ould be uprigh t but with n o tension or
e ffort when standing the feet should be fir m
and slightly apart and th e kn ees pressed
back ; but above the waist there should be
perfect freedom of movement and n o stiffness
in moving the arms or h o lding up the head The
air will then flow in t o fill the lungs as th e
chest expands easily q uickly and freely
I f we breathe deeply and place our h ands on
our Chest and sides we feel the upw a r d m o ve
ment Of the ribs and the general expansion Of
t h e chest sideways and from front to b ack ;
a s we breathe ou
t t here is a natural recoil
and relaxation o f the muscles The aim o f the
voice user is t o m ake th at recoil as slow and
a s even as he can
I n breathing while at rest
inspira t ion t akes rough ly the sam e length of
.
,
,
.
,
,
.
,
.
,
.
.
,
,
C HA P TE R
I
II
BRE AT H C O N T R O L
I N the preceding chap t er we h ave seen h ow
necessary it is t hat the expansion O f the lungs
should b e regular and controlled so as t o all ow
an even flow of breath through the lar y nx
This control is especially necessary to the
a c tor preacher lecturer and public speaker
for whom the elocution teacher chiefly works
as they have by the nature Of their o ccupation
to deliver long complicated speeches to make
their voice trave l great distances and to be
able t o vary tone pitch and rate at any
momen t
The fi rs t t h i ng to Observe 15 whether our
breath contr o l is hampered by a lack Of
freedom of m o vement I s th ere any tightness
9
o r constr ain t
A re we standing o r sitting
easil y
I f when speaking we stand or sit in a
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
.
,
,
20
BR
E AT H C O N T R O L
2
I
huddled or constrain ed p o sition it is Obvious
th at the lungs will not have room for f ree
expansion C onse q uently t here will be grea t er
strain on the voice which Sh o uld rise e a sily
upon the breath an d the e ffort to gain power
and tone by other unnatural means w ill prob
a bly result in a sore throa t
When sitting
we S hould be uprigh t but with n o ten sion o r
e ffort when stan ding the feet should be fi rm
and s lightly apart and t h e kn ees pressed
back ; but above the waist there should be
perfect freedom Of m o vement and n o stiffness
in moving the arms or holding up the head The
air will then fl ow in t o fi ll the lungs as th e
ch est expands easily quickly and freely
I f we breathe deeply and place our h ands on
ou
r ch est and sides we feel the U pw a r d move
ment Of the ribs and the general expansion of
th e chest sideways and from fr o nt to back ;
as we breathe out there is a natural recoil
and relaxation of the muscles Th e aim of the
voice user is to m ake th at recoil a s slow and
a s even as he can
I n breathing while at rest
inspira t ion t a kes rough ly the same length of
.
,
,
.
,
,
.
,
.
,
.
.
,
,
22
EL O C UTI O N A N D V OI CE
P
R OD U CTI O N
time as expirati o n but when using th e voice
inspiration must be as deep and as rapid as
possible and expira t i o n sl o w and sustained
s o as t o use every particle of the o u t going
breath t o produce s o und
I f we breathe in
again and then pull in and tense S ligh tly the
muscles Of t he abd o minal wall we fi nd that
this gives a steadiness and supp o rt to the
v o ice A few deep b r eaths thus in t o ning the
”
“
sounds
O O — ah
on the
ou t g o ing breath
will pr o ve t o many h o w waverin g is their
c o n t rol Daily repeti tion of thi s while men
tally coun ting six t h en ten or mo r e will
prove a helpful exe r cise and by deg r ees we
sh all find that we can k eep a steady flow of
sound fo r a c o m para t ively long peri o d
There has been much discussi o n in recen t
years on the best me t h o ds Of breathing for
el o cution
I t is no t wi t hin the compass of
this book t o discuss the vari o us merits an d
deme r i t s O f t h e me t hods ad v o c a t ed A ll that
is necessa r y is t ha t t he speaker S h o uld be able
t o t ake a deep even brea t h silen t ly and wi t h
t raising the shoulders ; and to let his
ou
,
,
.
,
.
,
.
,
,
,
.
.
.
,
,
BR
E AT H C O N T R O L
23
brea t h out again slowly and steadily through
the nose or mouth
Breathlessness in the speaker or singer is
ugly at any time but particularly so onthe
I ts chief cause is an attempt to
wireless
continue t o use the voice after the breath is
exh aus ted
This may be shown by a con
stant l o wering and blurring O f the voice at th e
end of sentences by a s q ueak or j erk Of the
voice and in singing by a tremolo
T he
voice user will frequently complain of a s ore
”
“
throat
C lergyman s sore throat
as it is
t ermed is primarily due to thus continuing to
speak after the lungs are emptied ; in the
c le rgy m e ns case a second ary cause is speaking
with the head back and the chin raised so
that the larynx is held in a strained posi tion
The cure for this breathlessness lies in
correct phrasing P hrasing means to cut up
th e sentences according to the sense making
short breath pauses whenever the sense
allows In the foll o wing example taken fr o m
William Hazli t t s c ssay My First A cquaintance
”
with P oet s by marking t h e slight pauses thus
.
,
.
.
-
,
.
,
-
'
.
-
,
,
’
.
.
,
.
,
’
,
/
2
4
E LOC U T I O N AN D
V OIC E
PR
ODU C TI O N
and those when a rapid breath may be taken
thus
we shall see how easily the sentence may
be read whereas it would be almost impossible
to read it in o ne breath as far as the full stop
“
My father was a Dissenting minister at
Wem in S hropshire
and in the year 17 9 8
( the figures that c o mp o se the date are t o me
”
“
like the dreaded name Of Demogorgon )
Mr C oleridge came to S hrewsbury to succeed
Mr R owe in t h e spiritual charge of a United
congregation there
“
H e did not come till late on the S aturday
afternoon before he was t o preach
and Mr
R o we
wh o himself went down to the coach
in a state o f anxiety and expectation t o lo o k
fo r the arrival o f h is success o r c o uld find no
but a
on
e at all answering the descripti o n
r o und faced man in a short black coat (lik e a
shooting -j acket )
which hardly seemed to
have been made f o r him
but who seemed
to be talking at a great rate t o his fell o w
”
passengers
In b o th these two sentences it will be noticed
that the breath pauses fre q uently coincide
,
.
,
,
,
/
.
.
.
,
,
,
-
,
.
-
.
VOIC E PR OD UC TI O N
the sense T his is g ene r all y what 13 mean t by
“
"
ge t t i n g into t he a t m o sphere o f a part a b ou t
which we sha l l have more to say in the chapter
But we can easily understand
onE x p r essi o n
the sign i fi cance o f phrasing by taking such a
“
well —
kn o wn speech a s the S olilo q uy in H am
”
“
let (A c t I I I S cene I ) To be or n o t to be
as spok en by a go o d pr o fessional actor and
contras t ing his interpretati o n with that of the
average sch o ol child A g oo d profession al act o r
by his phrasing and expressi on b rings out
di ffe r ent shades of meaning th o ugh still keeping
the fl o w Of the verse ; the child has learn t it
and repeat s it—as t hirty fi ve li nes
2
0
E L OC U TIO N AND
.
,
.
~
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
-
.
CH A P T E R
IV
T O NE
THE next process to consider in voice pro duc
tion is the q uality O f tone —or res o nance R eso
"
“
nance is the re soun ding and amplifying Of
the initial sound and i t is on the correct plac
ing and shaping Of the voice in the resonance
chambers t hat the quality an d to a large exten t
the p o wer of vocal tone depend
By the vibrati o n of two small ban ds such a s
are the vocal cords the actual sound ma de in
“
”
the larynx is feeble and flat having n o carry
ing p o wer The voice owes all depth and rich
ness of t o ne colour to the resoun ding and shap
ing t o which it is subj ec t ed above the larynx
Wh en a tuning f o rk is struck and passed over
a table or other resistant surface the soun d
which is but the continued vibrations Of the air
“
hits against the hard surface and is re
”
sounded that i s reinforced and prolonged by
’
.
-
,
.
,
,
,
,
.
.
,
,
,
,
,
2
7
EL O C U TIO N
28
V OI CE PR OD UC TIO N
AN D
reflection fr o m the resista n t surface I f the f o rk
is then moved away the soun d is im mediately
lessened
I f after striking the tuning fork it is passed
over a specia lly constru cted resonance box
for instance a viol in and the butt en d o f the
tuning fork is actua lly brought into c o n tact
with it th e soun d is greatly increased in
v o lume and in quality according to the
constru ction Of the reson ance -box The vibra
tions set Up by the tun ing-fork are n
ow ih
creased not only by refl ex ion but also by t he
vibrating a ir inside the Vi olin as we ll as the
vibration Of the V iolin itself
Thus in the human v o ice the vibrating breath
leavin
g the larynx hits against the palatal arch
or is directed in to the holl o w bones Of the head
which are specially constructed amplifiers and
by so doing is resonated and gains in tone an d
power
The chief vocal resonance chambers are the
m o uth (hard pala t e a n
d gums ) the nasal an d
fr o ntal ca vi ties (h ea d re sona t ors) the throa t
and in certa in tones the chest The vocalised
.
.
,
-
,
,
,
.
,
,
.
,
,
,
.
,
’
s
,
,
,
.
,
T O NE
29
breath may be d i rected in t o these resonators
at will For instance we sh o uld hear the head
”
resonance when intoning the wo r d king or
w hen humming
C ertain w o rds require more
head resonance others have the fla t ter reso
nance Of the mouth but in the fullest speech
ton es there should be a harmony a con tr o lled
and apt use of all resonators which will give
th e voice depth richness an d softness
T he resonance cham b er over which we have
most control is the mouth since by the move
men t of the tongue lips and j aw we can alter
its size and shape and in S O doing the q uality
of the reson ance
By t hus altering the shape
we produce a series of distinct resonant sounds
which are called vowels ; thus the mouth is
of t en termed by el o cutionists the vowel cham
”
her
and it is held that if our vowel sounds are
S haped a n
d placed c o rrectly our tone will be
good This is rather at variance with the V iews
Of some te a chers who state that the vowels are
f o rmed in the larynx I f we consider the elabor
ate shaping which each vowel form undergoes
in the mouth we shall reali z e that formation
.
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
.
.
3O
EL O CU TIO N A ND V OI CE P ROD U C TIO N
in the larynx is not strictly correct though it
is true that each vowel sound has a dis t inct
pitch of it s own and pitch is largely decided in
the larynx
We fi nd therefore that good tone is based
factors
correct placing which is
on two
resonance and c o rrect shaping which is
control O f t he o rgans Of articula t ion
Ugly
to ned voices are due therefore t o a wrong
use of the resonan ce cham bers or to the
or
veiling
Of
the
sound
bad
shaping
m ufil in
b
g
y
in the vowel chamber
I t is imp or tant t o realize that th ough tone
is directed by o ur sense O f hearing faulty tones
“
cannot be c o rrected by
ear
al o ne but
depend on the righ t movement Of our tongue
lips and sof t pala t e (the S haping of the v o wel
chamber ) contr o lled by the sense O f t o uch
This will be readily understood when the
intricate movements Of the tongue are con
s id e re d in the nex t chapter
S ome c o mm o n faul t s due t o inc orr ect placing
need t o be considered A nasal t wang gener
ally means tha t the throat and back Of the
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
.
,
.
.
TO N E
3r
n ose are used as the c h ief resonators th e true
head resonance an d t he m o u t h hardly being
used at all
A t h roa t v t o ne as it s name
implies means that t he v o ice is being thrown
back in t o t he throat and t he s o ft palate used
as the chief res o nator
A me t allic t one is
given by directing the voice forward against
the hard pala t e only
The e ffect Of t his
“
”
though brilliant
ten ds to be harsh as it
lacks the deeper harm o nies
O ur ideal is to use each and every resonance
chamber in due pr o p o rtion according t o th e
P erfect resonance will
w ords and meaning
ensure a whisper being heard over an entire
theatre and will all o w for a ra p id an d varied
change Of tone and pi t c h without a n
y c onscious
effort .
.
-
.
,
,
,
.
.
,
,
,
.
.
,
3O
EL O C UTIO N A ND V O I C E P R ODU C TIO N
in the larynx is n ot strictly correct though it
is true t hat each vowel sound has a distinct
pi t ch Of its own and pit c h is largely decided in
the larynx
We find therefore that good tone is based
factors
correct placing which is
on t wo
resonan ce and correct shaping which is
con tr o l of the organs of articula t ion
Ugly
to ned voices are due theref o re to a wrong
use Of the res o nance cham bers or to the
muffl ing o r veiling of the sound by bad shaping
in the vowel chamber
I t is important to reali z e that th ough tone
is directed by o ur sense O f hearing faulty tones
cann ot be corrected by
ear
al o ne but
depend on the right m o vement Of our tongue
lips and soft pala t e (the shaping O f the vowel
chamber ) controlled by the sense O f touch
This will be readily understood when the
intricate movements Of the tongue are con
s id e re d in the nex t chapter
S o me comm o n faul t s due to inc orr ect placing
need t o be considered A nasal t wang gener
ally means tha t the throat and back Of the
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
.
,
.
.
CH A P T E R V
D I C TI O N
(E N U N CIATIO N AN D ARTI CUL ATIO N )
" we
have seen in the p receding chapter
good ton e depends as much onthe control Of
the organs of articulation as upon resona nce
We do n ot pretend to be go o d pianists bec aus e
we happen to po ssess a gran d piano but
admit that a knowledge of techni q ue and t h e
exercise and con trol o f the muscles o f the hand
are necessary before we can ho pe to dra w
beau tif ul music from it I t is j ust as essential
before we can draw beautiful music fr o m the
instrument of our voice that we should exercise
and stren g then the o rg ans of articulation
particularl y t he t o ngue
L et us ta ke a mi rror and examine the se
organs for ourselves First come the lips we
see their use in forming such consonants as
”
”
b
and in shaping the vowel sound
v
N ext come th e tee t h and gu ms used
i s
,
.
,
,
.
,
.
.
,
,
C I
DI T ON
in
33
onj unction with the tongue t o form
“
and
Behind the teeth
th(in )
we have the roof of the mouth or hard palate
again s t which is trilled the letter r
this
terminates at the back in a movable curtain
of membrane the soft palate an d uvula
which with the tongue form the hard c on
”
sonan ts k and g
O n the floor Of the
m o uth is the tongue a delicately adj usted
group Of muscles capable of moving in all
directions as well as of al tering its shape By
the movement Of the tongue in conj unction
with the two palates and the teeth are made
articulate sounds except tho s e of the
a ll
” “
”
” “
”
” “
consonants p
b
m
f
V
which
are formed by the movement of the lips
The importance of the tongue cannot be
t oo much stressed
I t is helpful therefore
to kn
o w s o methi ng of the construction of this
organ and its control
S peech as shown in C hapter I I is the result
of three processes sound production t o ne
production and artic ulation I t is d uring the
two las t proc es ses that the to n
gue plays an
c
,
,
,
.
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
.
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
.
34
EL O C U TI O N A ND VOI CE P RO D U CTI O N
important part ; being made up of two set s
of muscles
the intrinsic and the extrinsic
on
e se t governing articulation
and the other
greatly mo difying the clearnes s and quality
of tone
The tongue itself is composed Of muscle
fib r es a rranged in such a way that by their
cont r acti o n or relaxation t o gether or in part
they can alter the shape of the tongue at will
Thus by the flexibility and dexterity of move
ment which they give they allow for the rapid
change of sound formations in speech These
are the intrinsic muscles
The ext r insic muscles are those which
c o nnect the tongue with fixed points and
all o w of our moving the tongue as a whole
such as in pr o trusion drawing back o r moving
laterally
They als o by keeping the throat
free and Open allow the vibrating air to b e
di r ected at will into the nasal or mouth
resonance chambe rs with a conse q uent full
ness of s o und
These tw o sets of muscles meet and are
con t r o lled at the f o cal point j ust under the
,
,
,
.
,
,
.
.
.
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
.
,
DI C TI O N
35
tip Of the tongue Therefore it is to be n
oted
that the tongue is c o ntr o lled from the tip and
not fr o m the root I f we wish to flatten the
tongue for such a purp o se as to look at the
throat for instance we shall fi nd it q uite
sim ple if we start to flatten from the tip
while we shall need the aid of a spoon or a
tongue depresser if we try to flat ten the back
portion only A ny attempt t o stiffen the back
of the tongue throws considerable strain on
the throat and larynx and results in a sore
throat I t is this type of sore or tired throa t
that results when the intrinsic muscles are
weak or improperly used
In speaking or
singing under these con ditions extra effort
is used to supply the l a ck of p o wer ; this
Often causes strain and rigidity Of the extrinsic
muscles harmful to the voice and tir in g t o
the speaker
I t is to the strengthening of the muscles
that we must devote our e fforts for to a
flabby
tongue — that is one in which the
intrinsic muscles are not su ffi ciently strong
and c ontrolled —is due the m aj ority Of S peech
.
.
,
,
,
,
,
.
.
.
,
,
,
.
,
,
EL OCU TI O N A N D VOI CE P R OD UC TI O N
36
f aults from the pronounced lisp t o the inability
“
”
“
”
to articulate certain letters
r
for
th
instance or simply to a diffi c ulty in speaking
rapidly with clearness
The qualities of clear speech which depend
largely on the control of the tongue are
distinctness and ac c uracy Of sound firmness
and fluency
But before discus sing these four q ualities
it may be as well to define the mean ing Of
certain words technica lly used by the e locu
ist with a narrower meaning than that
t iOn
conveyed in ordinary conversation
A vowel sound is a free Open sound formed
without contact Of the organs Of artic ulation
by the shaping in the mouth Of the initial sound
made by the vibrations in the larynx
A con
son
an
t sound is formed when there is
contact of two Of these o rgans of articulation
”
l
for instance the tongue and palate as in
”
v
and
or the lower lip and teeth as in
theref o re there is in a sense a stoppage of
the free issue Of sound
A ls o for the sake of S implicity we wi ll t ake
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
.
.
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
D ICTI O N
37
the word en
un
ci a ti on t o mean the shaping
”
a rti cu
an d
la ti on t o
of the vowel sounds
mean the formation Of the consonant sounds
To return t o the four qualities Of clear
s peech
P rofessor Millard in his
Grammar
”
Of E lo c ution
(S ection I ) gives a very apt
“
—
definition of them thus
A ccuracy re q uires
the arti culation to be formed by contact of
”
the proper organs ;
Distinctness is due
t o the neatness Of that contact
Firmness
consists in the power with which sounds are
d
form ed
Fluen c y is the easy transition
an
fro m on
e articulation to an other with o ut break
"
in the sy llabic im pulse
T herefore since accuracy requires the c on
ta c t oi the proper organ s an inaccuracy would
be to substitute on
e consonant for an othe r
thus saying
My m uv v er bwough t me to
”
Yondon
for
My mother brought me t o
”
L ondo n
In this sentence the lip sound
”
“
”
“
v
th
has been substituted for the
s ound formed by the tongue and teeth Th e
trilled r made with the t o ngue against the
hard palate is conveyed by a lip movement
,
.
.
,
.
,
,
,
.
.
,
EL O CU TI O N A ND VOI CE PR OD U CTIO N
36
f aul ts from the pronounced lisp t o the inability
“
”
“
”
I
to articulate certain letters
th
for
instance or simply to a di ffi culty in speaking
rapidly with clearness
The qualities of clear speech which depen d
largely on the control of the tongue are
distinctness and accura c y Of sound fir mness
and fluency
But before discussing these four q ualities
it may be as well to define the meaning Of
certain words technically used by the elocu
ist with a narrower meaning than that
t ion
conveyed in ordinary conversation
A vowel soun d is a free Open soun d formed
without contact of the organs of articulation
by the shaping in the mouth of the initial sound
made by the V ibrations in the larynx
s on
an
t sound is formed when there is
A con
contact Of two of these organs Of articulation
”
for instance the tongue and palate as in l
”
or the lower lip and teeth as in
and
v
therefore there is in a sense a stoppage o f
the free issue of sound
A ls o for the sake of s implicity we will take
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
.
.
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
EL O C U TIO N
38
AN D
V OI CE PR O DUCTI O N
not unlike the
w
war
while for
m
another tongue and palate formed c on
sonant is substituted a throaty sound made
by the soft palate and back of the tongue
with a broadening of the tongue at the ti p
I n in distinct articulation though the a c tual
o rgans used may be correct there is frequen tly
an additional movement generally wi th the
lips which is q uite un neces s ary For e x ample
the lips will be protruded an d moved for s uch
purely tongue and palate consonant s as
”
sh an d ch an d the speaker i s said to
”
mouth his lines making many un ne c e ss ary
grimaces
A want Of fir mn es s is perhaps the most
common fault I t is shown in a feeble blur
ring or even an omission of the final c onsonant
endings
The wind and hail rattled at the
”
window pane like ghostly hands will be c ome
Th win an hail rattle a t h win ow pane
”
li ghos ly han s
Fluency which in its perfection is the easy
transition from one articulate sound to
another or from on
e vowel sound to another
I )
'
‘6
’ 9
,
,
.
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
.
.
,
.
,
’
’
’
’
’
’
'
’
'
’
.
,
,
,
D ICTI O
N
39
means a c lear rapidity of speech which is far
from easy t o acquire The Opposite to fluen c y
is a slurring of the words in to each other
” “
r in
force
as
re tape
for
red tape
”
for
reinfor ce
your reye
your
for
eye
T hat thes e qualities depend largely onthe
strength and control of the tongue will be
readily understood when we realize how
in a c cura c y indistinctne s s feebleness and lack
of fluen c y are due to the weakness Of the
in tri nsic muscles
In t h e Inaccuracies t aken
as an e x ample we see how in each case the
”
”
con s onants
th
r
and
all formed
wi th the tip of the tongue are Changed in t o
lip c on s o n a n t s or a r t icu l ations where strength
In
inthe tip Of the tongue 15 no t re q ui re d
”
the same way the
mouthin
g
which gives
in di s tinc tn ess is a sub -cons c ious effort to give
power t o s oun d s which the tongue has not
strength t o arti c ula te properly
L ack of
fi rmness is Obviously lack Of strength and for
fluen cy the in trin sic muscles must be strong an d
under control s o that the sounds do not drag
.
,
’
’
,
D
,
’1
.
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
.
.
.
,
,
4O
EL OC U TI O N A N D VO I CE PR O D U C TI O N
blur but are S wif t and neat T hu s a ll who
desire profi c iency should strengthen the tongue
a t the ti
p by means Of a few simple exercises and
perseveringly practise su c h consonant sounds
as the y fi nd diffi cult "
or it is the power and
accuracy wi th which the consonants are art ic u
l ated which make the speaker heard C onso
nants may be said to cut the air before the
v o wel
f o r whereas the vowels g ive de p t h
and mus i c the consonants g ive chara c t er a n
d
i n g t o ou
m e an
r wor ds
or
.
,
,
.
.
,
.
CH A P T E R VI
E XPRE SS IO N
production alone i s n
ot per
E ven the richest tones an d the
fect ion
clearest di ction may be un
satisfying for beauty
lies in variety
Wh y is it that when certain Of our acquaint
c e s V isit us we stifle a yawn and try without
an
s uccess to keep our thoughts from wandering
“
H ow Often when we are listening in to a
British broadca s ting lecturer whose subj e c t is
Of gr eat interest to us whose words are c lear
well -chosenan d precise do we h eave a sigh Of
relief at th e en d " A las how many sermons
have left us nodding in our pews "I t is this
demon of mon otony that will mar the best voice
and make wearisome the most so ul -stir rin g
matter
We find it s cause in two Opposite extremes
of elocution n
o variation at all or t oo mu c h
C O RR E C T NE SS
of
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
41
EL OC U TIO N
‘
42
AN D
VO IC E PR OD UCTI O N
variation P ersonally I have yet to m eet t he
speaker who re m ain s on on
e dead level of tone
throughout an entire speech Usually mono
tony comes from th e constant repetition of
s o me rise or fall of inflection
I t may be a
habit Of dropping the voice at the end of every
sentence or at every breath pause inver s ely
it may be a t rick ac q uired perhaps in trying to
cure this of meaninglessly lifting the voice a t
every pause or stop Both faults give a ve ry
sing song and monotonous e ffect and generally
succeed inlulling the listener in to in atten tion
The o ther irritating form Of monotony is t oo
much variatio nor over -empha s is
.
.
.
,
,
,
.
-
,
.
.
Give
me
M usi c moody
,
some
musi c
”
food of i t s that trade i nlove
(A N TO N Y AN D C LE O P AT R A )
,
.
P erhaps so j erky a delivery wo uld har dl y be
associated with monotony a word with a some
wh at sl eepy s o und init but by the constan t
repetition Of emphasis all meaning is lost q uite
a s surely as by using n o emphasis at all a n d
,
,
,
EX PR E SS I O N
43
the same sense of la c k Of variation is produ c ed
onthe b ea rer
TO avoid monotony an d gain expression I c an
do no better than quote my mother s golden
“
le which is so familiar to all her pupils ; A s
ru
your thought changes so your voice changes
P ut your brains in your mouth an d your
”
thoughts in your lips
The essential di fference
between the actor wh o is only word perfect
and the actor who has also got into the
atmosphere Of the play lies in this that while
one repeats the part parrot -fashion while his
thoughts are elsewhere an d consequently car
the other puts expression
rie s no conviction
in to his work letting his thoughts foll ow the
mood of the character making the words his
own and therefore his voi c e will c hange q uite
naturally with every change of mood —he will
be living the part
T he same test applies to eve ry publi c speaker
T he speaker who reads his speech the speaker
who speaks from notes an d the extemporary
speaker a ll have a di fferent hold on the
au dien c e Th e extemporary speak er if he has
.
’
,
.
.
-
,
,
,
,
,
.
.
,
,
,
.
,
44
EL O CU TI O N A N D V OI CE PR OD UC TI O N
a ready wit and a q uick flow of words will be
mo s t e ffective the speaker wh o uses notes will
probably be the most accurate ; the speaker
who reads his s peech will be in grave danger of
boring his hearers unless he has a very prac
t ise d delivery
A speech repeated too Often
becomes stale and mechanical because the
brain is n
o longer behin d the words an d the
speech ceases to impress
P ut your brain s
”
in your mouth and your thoughts in your lips
More wi ll be said of thi s in C hapter V I I I t
implies getting the full value out of the words
themselves In practice it makes a ll the differ
ence between the a c complished a c tor s ren der
ing O f
H a mlet
and t h e s c hool-child s
repetition ; it give s all the subtle variations
between a c tor and a c tor by which ea c h por
trays a new aspe c t of H a mlet another depth
of beauty i n the ve rs e
a di fferent shade of
meaning in the words
We can vary our s pee c h in s everal ways by
change Of tone pitch rate and inflection (whi ch
is th e s lide upwards or down wards Of the voice
from note to note ) a cc ordin g to the emotion
,
.
,
.
.
.
.
’
’
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
46
EL O C U TI O N
AN D V O I CE
PR O D UC TI O N
T o th e mon otonous speaker th erefore it
s h oul d prove u s ef ul to study some O f th e rules
of inflection
As h as been no ted inflection is
the slide up or do wnof the voi c e fro m one note
t o the o ther by which so many sh ades O f mean
ing may be conveyed in a few words I n
flec
tio n m ay b e said to h ave th ree m ove m e n ts
,
.
,
,
,
.
A s imple fall m arked th u s
A s imple rise marke d thus
an
d
A compound of the t wo marke d thu s
or thu s A
v
A s i m ple falling inflectio n i s u s ed whe n the
s en s e i s c omplete
for e x am ple T he old m a n
"
”
s le eps
The sirn
ple rising infle c tio n is u s ed when the
s ense is not com plete for instance H e wil l
”
We n
ot only m e
g6 wh erever you wish
tored through Su
Ssex but through Kent
"
as ell
O r wh en asking a real questio n
"
A re you co ing
YES
Th e sense
i s not co m plet e d t ill th e answer is given
S im ple rising an d falling inflections may be
balan c ed agai n s t each ot h er t o s tren gthe n th e
.
.
W
,
.
m
.
.
.
E X P R E SSI O N
47
"
effec t of a n
tithe si s such a s TO bE or n ot to
/
“
be
H o mer wa s th e gr eater m an
"
”
V irgil the b etter ar ti s t
But with the m ost
varied use O f simple inflection s it is Obviou s
th at they do n
or give sco pe for the m ore
subtle mo dul ations O f th e speaking voi c e
H ere are used th e com pound i n flection s
which are a blen ding of th e rising an d falling
i n on
e word
T hese oc c ur in case s Of doubt
in s in cerity or ir ony an d at all time s when th e
sense implies more than the literal words
c o n vey For a n e x a m ple take th e a n swer
to a s i m ple que s tio n
,
.
,
.
,
.
,
.
,
,
.
"”
A re you corrf n
Y e s (definitely )
g
A re you c o ming
Y
if you are
n)
(a quali ficatio
/
v
A re youc o r i ng
Yes (u nc ertai n ty )
“
"
.
'
,
n
.
.
T h e la st
Ye s
i m plies more tha n the
si m ple statemen t
I t i s th ese co m poun d in flection s whi c h
gi ve power an d m eaning to such line s as tho s e
S poken by S hylo ck i n t h e M er chan t of Veni ce
.
.
48
E L O C U TI O N
AN D
V OI CE PR O D UC TI O N
/
you are won
dTous condescen di n g
Wh at s hould I s ay to yo u
S h o uld I
not say
H ath a dog money " I s it pos s ible
A c ur c a n le n d three thousand ducats
Oh
,
s ir ,
,
Numerou s variation s ca n al s o be m ade b y
altering the rate O f speech an d th e pit c h of the
voice A whisper may be more e ffective than
a shout and it is easy to reali z e that gener
ally speaking th e e fl ect of a Soliloquy wo uld be
lost if taken at t op speed
E nough h as been s aid to s how th at varia
ec e ssit y
tions are n
ot only a possibil ity but a n
in speech before the full meaning of the word s
can b e conveyed A helpful practice is to
rea d aloud Choosing a wide variety of subj e c t
matter in prose verse an d dr ama While
readi ng we should t ry t o get into the mood
of the author or ch ara cter
gettin g th e righ t
atmo s phere gi ving lightne s s Of tone or b eavi
ness rapi di ty of speech or slown e ss simplicity
yet with all n ever
of inflection or subtlety
losin g th at underlying rhythm of b oth poetry
.
,
,
.
,
,
.
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
E
XPR ESS I O N
49
and prose By these mea n
s all tendency t o
mono t ony and over —
emphasis will disappear
"
and our voices ma y be said to be in t une
wit h t he matter we are re a din
g.
.
,
D
CH A P T E R V I I
R E A DI NG AN D THE
M U SI C O F W O R D S
N O WADA Y S few books are written t o be read
aloud ; yet language was made for speaking
To human beings alone in creation is given the
power to express t o others their thoughts their
hopes their fears that each may add his quota
t o the sum of life s expe ri en ce
S elf expression is the crown Of man s gifts ;
it is also his most urgent need Yet in the
modern rush of life books and papers are
written to be glanced at to give news or
information or sensation quickly to
ge t
right home in the pithiest manner possible
little indeed is written to be spoken
I t is
left to the lover of words whether writing in
prose or verse to treasure their beauty an d
t o keep burnished the ri ch E nglish language
lest it should rust in a scabbard of colloquial
slang like a useless sw o rd
.
,
,
,
’
.
’
-
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
.
,
.
50
52
EL O C U TI O N A N D V OI CE PR OD UC TIO N
Word s are like bright butterfli es
A bove the wheat -y i eld ;
Words are like thick snow
H iding a scarred field ;
Words are sweet to say
S oftly underbreath
There are lovely words
O ne is Death
.
This is not great poetry but it was Ob vi ously
wri t ten by one c o nsci ous of word music ; it
is incon ceivable to think Of it as read n o t
spoken
Words gain their power an d their b eau t y
from the very s o und th ey make in speech
“
t hus
mellow 3 is a more pleasan t sounding
”
“
wo r d t han shrill
an d they gain from the
associations they bring to our mind thus we
“
”
migh t prefer
sunshine
to
mud
L et
us experiment wi t h tw o S imilar words such
”
”
“
“
as
moon ligh t
and
moon li t
If we
moo n-light conveys
as k people t o s a v what
t o their minds the maj o rity will give a vague
”
shadowy answer
a seascape
a q uiet
,
,
.
“
’
.
-
-
.
.
,
,
RE AD I NG
AN D
T HE
O F W O RD S
M US I C
53
night scene
di ffused light
an
d s o on;
“
wh ile
moon -lit
will be more de fi nite
”
“
something lit up
a
bright reflecte d
”
light etc The di fference lies in the words
light and lit and their di fference in the
long and sho r t vowel sounds
L ight
gives a vague br o ad sustained sound while
“
lit with its short v o we l and sharp t is
more clear cut A n a r tist in wo r ds such as
was Milton o r Keats kn o ws this at least
subconsciously and therefore changes al t ers
polishes his work until the right sound t allies
wi t h the mental image he is trying t o convey
Before we can t r uly apprecia t e such Of o u r
great writers as S hakespeare J
ane A usten
or C onrad we must have heard the rhythm of
their h a rm onv as well as followed it in prin t
for it re q uires a highly trained inward ear
to be able t o enj oy all their beauty through
sight alone R eading aloud is an art t hat h a s
alm o st entirely disappeared
A n appeal t o
the sight ha s superseded soun d a s a form o f
expression as modern advertising methods and
the cinema and tele visi o n S how
"
”
,
,
,
.
,
.
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
.
.
,
.
,
54
E LOCU T I O N
A N D V O IC E
P R OD
UCTI O N
H owever even the best pictures are inade
qua t e without w o rds a s w ell an d both fi l ms and
television pr o grammes are Often made or
marred by the quality of the dial o gue or
c o mment ary that goes wi th them
A g oo d r eader the r efore has many q ualities
t o cultiva t e t hough it may seem somewhat
discon certing to be told that the first prin
CI ple
t o be Observed is to read sense
Th o ugh read
ing to oneself a passage will Often convey
meaning and beauty it is surprising how it
may l o se all coherence of thought when S po ken
C hapter I I I has already pointed out on
e pit
fall —a lack of good phrasing —C hapter V
showed h o w monotony or wrong emphasis or
in flections not only rob a sentence O f beauty
but destroy its meaning These technicalities
need to be mastered s o that ultima t ely they
become a sub conscious mechanism which
leaves the mind free to draw the most out of
the words themselves —only then can we rea d
or speak verse intelligibly
The r efore it is not di ffi cult to realize t hat
t he works Of t he greates t au t h ors are t he eas i
,
,
.
,
,
,
.
,
.
.
,
-
.
RE ADI N G A N D T HE
MU S I C
O F WO RD S
to read aloud Th i s is due partly to the
fitness O f the w o rds they ch oo se an d partl y
t o a rh y thm which pu l ses thr o u g h their work
S O that in the fi nest writings whe t her poe t ry
the stress will aut om a t ic a llv fal l on
or pr o se
the right word S ense soun d and rhythm by
the very impetus o f their agreemen t will carry
us along to ful fi lment satisfyi ng we know not
what va g ue desires of beauty
The simplest way to un derstan d this is to
study a few examples
C argoes
by J
ohn
Ma sefield and then three short prose extracts
-remarking how the beauty lies in the wo r ds
themselves —sense sound and rhythm —
and
how the atmosphere is produced whether in
prose or verse by the arrangement and choice
of words
C A RG O ES
ire m e of N ineveh from dis t ant O phir
Q uin
qu
R owing home t o haven in sunny P alestine
With a cargo of ivory
A nd apes and peacocks
S an dalwo o d cedarwood and sweet white
wi ne
es t
.
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
.
56
EL O C U TIO N
V OI CE PR OD UC TIO N
AN D
S tately S panish galleon c o ming from t he
Isthmus
Dipping thr o ugh t he Tropics by t he palm
green S hores
With a carg o of diamonds
E meralds amethysts
Topazes and cinnam o n and go l d moidores
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
Dirty British coaster with salt caked smo ke
stack
Butting thr o ugh the channel in the mad
March days
With a cargo of Tyne coal
R oad rails pig lead
Firewood ironware and chea p tin trays
-
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
E ach verse b r ings be f ore our imagination a
distinct yet di fferent picture I n the fi rst the
pace is sl o w and even as t he movemen t of the
”
ro wers The long vowels the repeated n
”
“
s
In
and sustained
soun ds give rich
ness ; the pulse of the rhythm seems lazily
r egular a s the dip Of the long P hoenician oa r s
with the sof t swish a s t h e v lea ve t h e water
.
,
.
,
,
,
RE
ADI NG A N D T HE
O F WO RDS
MU SI C
and the boat glides forward
S andalwood
"
ceda r w o od and sweet white wine
The second verse has the swifter movemen t
O ne fee ls the curts y i n
g
O f the sailing vessel
”
“
dip Of this
stately S panish galleon
sails
bellying before the T rade Winds as sh e meets
the lift of the waves
H er cargo g l itte r s
with its antithetical array of lo ng -drawn
and sharp d s an d t s
dia
m s
"
monds emeralds amethysts topaz es
in a
ph o sphorescent tropical sea
The third verse has the j arring force Of t he
st eam coaster : quick harsh fighting There
o long drawn vowels or consonants to
ar e n
give richness of c o lour but the sharp grating
”
s t d k and short clipped vowels givi ng
a realistic picture Of the blustering salt -laden
wind t he grey sea the still bat tle against cold
wi nd and weather fought for the hardly -w o n
ri c hes of British commerce :
R oad rails
”
pig lead and cheap tin trays
R h yth mi call y the four strong bea ts becom e
more emphati c with ea ch verse until we reach
the deliberate harshness of th e third
The
,
.
.
,
,
.
’
’
’
,
,
,
,
.
,
.
,
-
,
-
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
.
58
EL O CU TIO N
VOI CE PR OD UC TIO N
AN D
de fi ni t e fa ll ing r hythm with each verse begins
being held up b y the sudde n change i nt o t he
f
ri s I n
m
o
vemen
t
O
t he t wo s t r ess l i nes and t h e
g
”
t h r ee leve l bea t s O f sweet white wine
palm
”
”
green S h or es and mad March days
The
fi rs t giving t he idea O f a leisu r ely h o mec o ming
the sec o nd a s o lid richness O f col o ur in con
tras t t o t he m o vemen t Of the ship the third
“
"
which is repea t ed a l s o in
chea p tin trays
bu t adding t o the j a r o f bat t le
I n p r ose we shall fi nd pictures as vivid an d
wo r ds as right s o unding as in poe t r y
The
las t verse O f Ma s e field s p o em may be com
pared wi t h t he Opening sen t ences Of a nessay
by George S an tayana
War
-
,
,
“
.
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
-
.
’
,
“
T o fight is a radical instinct if men have
nothing else to fi gh t over they will figh t
o ver w o rds fancies or women or they
will fi ght because they dislike each other s
lo o ks o r because t hey have met walking
in Opposite di r ec t ions TO knock a t hing
,
,
,
’
,
.
"E ss a s o To-da
y
f
y I Ta rr a p Li b r
-
,
a
r
y.
60
EL O CU TI O N
AN D
V OI CE PR O D UCTIO N
and so t hr o ugh a whole para g r aph till we reach
the climax :
L eaping in the sunlight careless en
twining clamorously j oyful the waves
”
riot ontowards the verge
“
,
,
,
,
.
Lastly though differing in period and scene
the long slow sounded words describing
Uffdow n Manor (P ortrait Of C lare by Francis
Brett Young ) give the same serenity though
n ot the same s unlit clarity that we foun d in
”
the first verse of C argoes
,
,
-
,
,
.
The house stood as it had
been built the creation Of a wise and
cultured taste and the trees that sheltered
it chestnut elm and sycamore had kept
their distance as though respecting its
integrity l eavin g it to emerge alone and
unsullied from lawns as smooth a s water
From every line Of it there
brea thed an air of peace of benevolence
”
of wise and settled happiness
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
.
TO
appreciate to the full the q uality of these
brief extracts we must read them aloud
,
,
RE AD I NG
AN D
TH E
MU S I C
O F WO R D S
m
and let the imagination paint them for us
in a ll their beauty A ppreciation is the fi rst
step in overcoming our defects ; if theref o re
we can bring an appreciation Of beautiful
language in to our lives it canno t but result in
a rebellion against a ll that is ugly in tone or
defective in speech E very human being h a s
some conception of beauty though many
di sguise it with a pose o f self cen tred ih
difference
E a gerly or with reluctance each
will recognise beauty in some form or other
consciously or unconsciously each will react
to it and fin d in developin g this des ir e for
b e au t y h is f ulles t s el f -e x p ression .
.
.
,
-
.
,
,
C H A P TE R VI I I
G E S T URE
G E S T U RE is l a r g el y a m at ter o f t em peramen t
d s o v ar i e s accor d i ng t o n
an
a t ion
a li t v
p l a ce
an
d per i od
N o t un
like dress it seems to
f o ll o w c y cles Of fa shion A Clue to the spiri t
of t he age is generall y to be found in its dress
its dances and it s plays "
Vhen S hakespeare
lived w e imag ine that gestures were broad
an
d defini t e ; a man was n ot ashamed Of show
in
g h is feelings n or did he cloak them wi th
ar t i fic ia li t y
as in the more S ophi sticated
eighteen t h cen t ury
There we fin d tha t
gestu r es had become complex even grotesque
ufl b o x the h andk e r
t he right use of the sn
chief an d t he fan ha d developed into the
de t ai led p erfection Of a fine art
"
The s t age w h i ch
ho u
rs a m i rror up I O
nature has on the whole faithfully depic t ed
the S p irit Of the time
A s we look back
,
.
.
.
,
.
,
.
,
,
.
62
GE ST U RE
63
through the h is t o ry Of th e E nglish d rama from
the simple religious pageant throu gh mas q ue
to poetic tragedy through t he scurril o us
drama of the seven teen th cen tury and t he
mannered comedies of the eighteenth cen t ur y
through the more sober and sentime ntal plays
“
thrillers
of the la s t c entury down to the
an d se x dra mas of to day we glimpse as it
were a se rie s of cameo pi c tures each di fferen t
each typical o f its t im e each s howin g subtle
c ha nges of gesture
,
,
,
,
,
,
-
,
,
,
,
,
.
The m odern a c tor uses the minimum of
gesture
N ow in plays which aim more a t
ps ychologi cal correctness tha n dramatic inci
dent t o depict the men ta l sta t e of a charac t er
is Of the first im por t ance This limitation o f
gest ure to the essent ial is akin to th e im pres
In place of the detailed
is m in pain ting
sion
an d rather stereot yped gestures in vogue
during the last c en tury we find sub t le S hades
Of movement and facial expression which leave
more t o the in tuition of the audience
In
s t ead of the empha tic gestures we rea d i n
.
,
,
.
.
,
.
C H A P T E R VI I I
G ES T URE
G E S T U RE is lar g el y a ma t ter o f temperament
d s o va r i e s accor d i ng t o n
an
a t ion
a lit v
p l a ce
an
d per i o d
N ot unlike dress it seems to
fol l o w cycles O f fashi o n A clue to the spirit
O f t he age is generally t o be f o un d in it s dress
its dances and i t s plays When S hakespeare
lived we imagine that gestures were broad
and definite ; a man wa s not ashamed of show
ing his feelings nor did he cloak them with
as in the more S ophisticated
a r t ifi c ia li t y
eighteenth century
There we fin d that
gestures had bec o me complex even grotesque
the right use o f the snuff box the h and k e r
chief and the fan had developed into the
deta iled p e rfecti o nOf a fi ne art
"
h e i d s a m i rror up t o
The S t a g e Wh i ch
nature has o n the whole faithf ul ly depicted
t he spirit Of the time
A s we lo o k back
,
.
.
.
,
.
,
.
,
,
.
62
GE S T URE
,0
03
through the his t o ry of the E nglish drama from
the sim ple religious pageant thr o ugh mas q ue
to poetic tragedy through t he scurril o us
drama of the seventeen th cen tury an d the
mannered comedies Of the eighteen th centu r y
through the more sober and sentime ntal plays
“
th r illers
of the last century down to the
an d sex dramas Of t o day we glimpse a s it
were a series of came o pictures each di fferent
each typical o f its time each showing subtle
changes of gesture
,
,
,
,
,
,
-
,
,
,
,
,
.
The m odern a ctor uses t h e minimum o f
gesture
N ow in plays which aim m o re a t
psych o logical correctness than d r amatic inci
dent t o depict the men tal state of a characte r
This limitation o f
is of the first importance
gesture to the essential is akin to the impres
In place of the detai led
is m in painting
sion
an d rather stereotyped gestures in vogue
during the last century we fi nd subtle shades
of movement and facial expression which leave
more to the intuition of the audience
In
s t ead Oi the empha tic gestures we rea d i n
.
,
,
.
.
,
.
64
DI OC UT I O N
AN D
V OI C E
PR O D UCT I E N
stage directions of fi fty years ago more is
l e f t to the in dividualit y o f the act o r Indeed
t h e pendulum may be said to have swung to
the other extreme for the cult of naturalness
has developed in many cases into a h abit O f
on
walking through a part
with a n
ch a l
a n ce verging onbo r ed o m
A mong reciters however the cutting down
Of gesture h a s been t o the good
I t is n o
longer considered good style literal ly to suit
the action to the word With the revival Of
an interest in poetry the dramatic ballad
be c omes yearly more rare an d l yrics Odes
an d sonnets in which gestures would be quite
ou
t Of place are being spoken for th e beauty
Of the verse alone
I t will be interesting to
note whether in the cycle Of time c o mmunity
singing wi ll lea d to the rebirth of the ballad
and if so whether the universal study o f
psych o logy will pr o hibit a return to that
superab undan c e of gesture such as our grand
fathers knew
In these days H amle t s advice t o playe r s
"
Do n
ot saw the air with your ha n
ds t hu s
,
.
,
,
,
.
,
,
.
.
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
.
'
,
,
66
E L O C U TI O N AN D
VOI CE P R O DUCTI O N
Of
spontaneity in gesture a s in spee c h That
the speech has been prepared does n ot detract
from its appeal similarly that the gesture has
been prepared should not take from its appa
ren t naturalness A s we shall see in the follow
ing chapter the pr o per use of gesture is but
part of that studied mechanism which produces
the e ffect Of perfect naturalness
In the study Of gesture this idea Of a per
fec t ed mechanism should be remembered
The beginner as a rule is sti ff S O the first
lesson must be t o relax t o be able to stand
to walk to sit to turn easily and with grace
M ovements unless the Character portrayed
is nervous or awkward should be slow and
broad —that is n
ot a hurried cramped gesture
from the elbow but a de fi nite movement
of the whole arm
N ervousness makes the
beginner half hearted
should h e have suc
c e e d ed in rai sing his arm he will q uickly drop
it again whe r eas to hold a gesture through a
pause is Often most e ffective The following
instance may serve as an illustration of the
pow er of a sus t a ined g esture I t was a S atur
.
,
.
,
.
.
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
-
,
.
.
67
GE ST UR B
day night in a provincial music —
hall
The
audie nce were very rowdy and when the turn
came for a dramatic sketch there seemed no
h 0 pe of order being restored
A fter a wait
the first few lines of the sketch were spoken
but it was obvious that the words could n
ot
possibly be heard above the clamour
An
actor who was taking the part of an old priest
at le ngth came d own to the footlights a nd
raised his ha nd H e kept it thus raised u ntil
bit by bit silen ce fell up onthe theatre then
whe nall was quiet he made a short appeal for
order and the sketch was performed without
any further interruptions
A t such a moment the full value of whole
hearted ness in a gesture is realised
I t is
true that this gesture was quite u nstudied a nd
spo ntaneous but it requi res the fi nished
artist to rely onthe impulse of the moment
“
”
Ma ny excellent
gags
often creep into a
play duri ng the course of its run the twitch
or a glance which may have been
of a skirt
almost an accide nt in the first i nstance
remains as part of the recognised business of
.
,
.
,
.
.
,
,
,
.
,
.
,
,
66
E ras
ur rou AND
P R O D UM I C I T
v orc :
the scene But the expe rie nced actor wi ll be
the first to ad mit tha t such gestures are indeed
lse of the moment an d not to
on the imp u
be relied upon O ne can have n o sympathy
g persistently
for the amateur who whil e bei n
bad at rehearsals declares that it will be a ll
”
right on the night
I t is whe n faced with
the emotio nal nervous ness of a first perform
ance that the studied e ffect a nd the practised
gesture give the only solid f oundation
A nother fact to be remembered in studying
gesture especially instro n
gly emoti onal parts
is the power of restraint
Just as over
emphasis in speech kills the se nse a nd defeats
its ownends so to over gesticulate will turn
pathos i nto farce
To clasp one s heart at
the word love or to poi nt upwards at every
mention of heave n is obviously ludicrous
A s has bee nsee nabove gesture for gesture s
sake is agai nst all modern ideals of natural
ness N ow that we are on the wh ole more
open with each other for a ll our dread of
displayi ng emotion a nd now that a more
widespread study of psychology tells us the
.
.
,
,
.
.
,
,
.
-
,
’
.
,
.
'
,
.
,
,
,
,
6o
GES T UR E
whys and wh erefor e s of our em o t ional re
ac t ions we may more easily study o thers a t
times of great j oy or great sorrow W e shall
soo n re al i z e that strong emotio n ten ds to
quietness and restraint rather tha n to noise
an
A t such times we ofte nfind
d movement
that the incomplete almost dis c o rda nt gesture
d the j a rring t one will be m ost t rue t o life
an
The key to gesture therefore as t o a ll artistic
expressio n is a submerge nc e of self i nto the
part The actor should study the whole play
tial devel opme nt
an
d then his part as an esse n
of the plot
C ertain stu dents fin d it helpful
to rehearse the movements of a scene with out
the words rather a s though acting for the
sile nt films thus meaningless and needless
gestures are elimi nated
This may be do ne
with or without a mirror as the in dividual
prefers
S ome students find t h e mirr or an
asset whil e with others i t o nly empha s i ses
their self co nscious ness The i deal ingesture
is for the ac t or so to be on
e with the atm o
sphere and e nvironment of the pla y t h a t hi s
m ov e m e nt s will be c ome part of h is a c ti ng
,
.
,
.
,
,
.
,
,
,
.
‘
.
,
,
.
.
,
-
.
,
EL OC UTIO N A N D V OIC E P RO DU C TI O N
70
ne with his whole conception
of
the character
he portrays
H is gestures will then come
spo ntaneously and be modified afterwards
by trai ning and experience to give the e ffect
of perfect naturalness
Much of this chapter has seemed applicable
o nly to the actor but it may be applied with
equal force to the orator or the preacher A
superabu ndance of gesture will kill the most
reasonable argument ; a stilted constantly
repeated gesture may be so irritatin g as to
become an obsession to the spectator who will
cease even to hear the words spoken Many
insta nces of these faults w ill readily come to
one s mind
if not we have only to visit on
e
of the Londo n parks and listen to the many
speakers who by wildness of gesture try to
cloak the weakness of their argument
We
s hall have an obj ect lesson in restraint
A
single gesture at the climax of a speech will
be far more effective than a multiplicity of
movemen t throughout .
o
.
,
.
,
.
,
,
.
’
,
,
.
.
CH A P T E R I
How
ro
OR
T RA I N "
"
THE
ST AGE
n the mo dern
How to prepare for success
o
stage is perhaps on
e of the
most diffi c ul t
problems T o the maj ority of those who have
to earn their livelihood and who to use the
”
stage struck on
old-fashioned phrase are
e
”
might say get over it
The theatrical pro
S ociety and F ina nce
fes sionis overcrowded
have taken up the sta g e and the ol d order
changeth
stage struc k
is perhaps a
Y e t to be
natural enough state since actin g is a n atural
art
In a certain sense people may be said
to act all their lives from the time when the
"
little boy pu ffs along the road as an engine
till old age poses as an oracle
"
or actin g is but the gro w n u
p game of
”
let s pretend
though in the theatre the
player must bewitch the audience as well as
.
,
,
-
,
,
.
.
,
.
-
,
.
,
,
.
,
’
,
71
E L O C U T I O N A N D VOIC E PR OD UC TI O N
72
h imself
Wh y then cannot every
n
be
a
great actor " I t is the fault of the audience
F rom that fatal day when the child reali z es
that someone is watching and criticising the
game of pretence does not qui te rin g true
—the fear of
S elf conscious ness has crept in
a ppeari ng a fool —an d though the pretence
will continue in evitably there is never the
same na i ve whole -heartedness we are uneasily
c onscious of an i n
sin c erity
This perhaps
m igh t suggest that members of the theatrical
profes sion are immune from self-consciousness
when we know them t o be j ust as self
conscious as the res t of us often more so
k it is that if they are really great they
I thi n
have the imagination and sym pathy which
enable them to get outside themselves an d
into th e part he nce readily to share the game
with the audience
This power to share may be what is implied
"
in the t erm a b o rn actor yet even so the
game of acting has m an
icalities
v rule s tech n
ts
W i th out trai n
an d requireme n
s o t hat
ing
even a b orna c tor will n
ot g o far
o e
.
,
,
.
-
,
,
.
.
,
.
,
,
,
.
E L O C U T IO N A N D VOI C E
74
P
R O DU C T IO N
number of teachers of stagecraft and elocution
T he stude nt is thus able t o study and rehears e
a greater variety of parts than would otherwise
be practicable an d so acquires a naturalness
and ease which only come from perfected
mechanism ; a perfection which exp erie nce
d practice alone can bring The great di ffer
an
e nce between the performan ce of a namateur
and a professional actor is that in the former
the mecha nism is appare nt while inthe latter
i t is so perfect as to appear naturalness
The theatre is a thoroughly unnatural en
m en
it is the artistry which makes the
t
v iron
em o tio ns portrayed seem natural
The true
emotio nof l ove seldom calls forth the beauty
d in R omeo s speeches
of poetry such as we fi n
the real l over is often ba nal ; similarly real
a nger frequently dege nerates in to vulgar
abu se whereas with what fl ow of scorn does
n ot Brutus de nou nce C assius
Y e t with a ll
this to co nvey an atmosphere of probability
d naturalness is the ideal of every actor
an
To do this te c h nical knowledge a nd experience
tial I t is not e nough for the actor
a re e sse n
.
,
.
,
.
.
’
,
,
,
.
,
.
HO W
T O T R A I N "O R T HE S TA GE
to feel his part he must be able to portray
i t t o the audience ; it is not enough for the
actor to lose himself in the part the audience
"
or
must lose themselves t oo
however
intensely an actor mentally lives his part
if his speech is i naudible his movements
muddled his gestures cramped and i ndefi nite
the n unless some other motive restrains
the audie nce will leave the theatre
It will
be of little avail to blame them for after all
the audience have paid for their share in the
game
C uriously enough this consideration
for the audience is on
e of the hardest facts to
make the dramatic stude nt reali z e —that the
player is the serva nt of the public and n
ot the
public the servant of any man or woman who
”
wants to show off
W hat then are the essentials of successful
acting which trai n
i ng will help us to acquire
To begin with the business of the actor is to
portray a certain character through speaking
certain words and doing certain actions
P rimarily the audience therefore must hear
and un derstan d a ll that is said Their artistic
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
.
,
,
,
,
.
,
.
.
76
E
L O C U T IO N
AN D v orc rz
PR OD UC TIO N
sens e should not be o ffe nded by mis -pro
nun
ciat ion
s or by Cockney or other dialects
u nless it is a dialect part There should be
no need to strain to catch words or sentences
nor should the actor speak too qui ckly
A
pause is of gr eat use and e ffect and though the
wait may seem interminable t o the actor
from the audie nce s point of view it may be
imperceptible In the same way to move too
quickly j erkily or sti ffly tends to destroy the
illusion of the play The actor must be able
to look at ease to move gracefully to walk
naturally about the stage without interfering
with the other characters to stay in on
e
positio nduring another actor s speech without
fi dget in
g I t is pitiful to se e a pretty amateur
looki ng a mere gawk upon the stage or moving
about like the proverbial cat onhot bricks
S uch apparent t rifie s as the right pitch or
i nfl ecti on in speech or the correct hand move
ment in gesture may appear of no imp orta nce
but experie nce proves that they will make or
Man
y a n a c tor is remembered
s poil a part
for his speaking of a phrase many a c omedian
,
.
,
.
,
,
’
.
,
.
,
,
,
’
.
,
.
,
,
.
,
now T o T R A I N "O R
T HE
.
s
ues
77
makes the aud i ence laugh by a s mgze
gesture
The cause and cure of the i naudible and
monotonous voice have b eeendiscussed in the
earlier chapters of this boo k : gesture an d
movement have bee n treated rather fully in
Chapter V I I I but with a view to stage train
ing it may be well to add here a tribute to the
be nefit many stude nts have derived from a
short course of G reek D anci ng or M imi ng
In many instances stude nts wh o proteste d
”
that their hands were terribly inthe way
found such a course where gesture is the only
form of expression of incalculable help
The next esse ntial to co nsider is the actual
portrayal of the character
The lack of
imaginative sympathy which prevents an
actor from submergi ng himself adequately in
the part is largely overcome by experien ce
I t is true to say that every new part learned
every new character depicted is a nother step
on the ladder of artistic devel opme nt which
leads to success The chorus girl w ill be the
better for hav in g studied S hakespea re s he ro
.
.
,
,
.
,
.
.
,
.
-
’
78
E
L O C U T IO N
AN D
VO I C E
P
R O D U C T IO N
the study of parts whic h on
e
may never be call ed upon to play is far from
being a waste of energy for it lays that stron g
foun dation of knowledge and assurance upon
which the lighter work can be b uilt
Light
work must have a depth behind it or it will be
only froth O ften the young actor fails j ust
at that critical momen t in a play where he has
his cha nce ; the opportunity for
the little
”
bit of emotion inshort that moment which
makes the par t and the play
S hould the
a ctor fail then n o amount of lightness and
sparkle and charm will retrieve his suc cess
O nly by comprehensive and varied study of
parts does an actor learn to get his e ff ects
whether in tragedy or c omedy ; an d such a
study will be especially profitable under the
div i
critical guidance of a teacher who gives in
dual attention to each stude nt and who has
personal experience of acting
All art is
e
essentially in di vidualistic and on
personal
tussle with a big part such as
N ina
in
H is H ouse in O rder by P inero or O scar
”
“
W ilde s
D uchess of P adua
wi ll achi eve
ines .
I ndeed ,
,
,
,
.
.
,
.
,
.
,
.
,
’
,
HO W
TO T R AI N F O R T H E
ST A GE
79
'
more than the most careful study of another s
efforts or many years experience of walk in g
”
on
I t is true to say that a charming personality
is the greatest asset To have training with
ality may pass muster but to have
ou
t perso n
perso nality without trainin g is to waste a
precious gift
A charm of personality with
training is the key to success N ot eve ry part
is a good part but an experienced and compe
tent actor will be able to make the most of poor
material while on the other hand the ini
t ia t e d spectator will often see what is known
inthe profession as an actor -proof part pa ssin g
with the uninitiated as a fin e bit of acting
whereas he k nows that if the part were rea lly
well played the actor s success would have
been overwhelmi ng F or an example of this
we may look back at Meggie Alb a nesi s per
form a n
Bill of D ivorce
ce of S idney in the
”
me nt
A lthough this was a mag n
ificen t part
it was un doubtedl y training on top of her
natural ability that allowed Miss A lba nesi
to sh ow t ha t restr ain t inh e r dis p lay of emo
’
,
.
.
,
.
.
,
,
,
,
,
’
,
.
’
.
,
E L O C U T I O N AN D VOIC E P RO D U C TI O N
tion that sli g ht gesture or turn of her body
which made her live the part when even not
in the ce ntre of the stage I t made her act
ing irresistible and caused her to give that
unforgettable performance which placed her in
the forefront of her profession
I t is a n interest ing point to notice that
three of my mother s pupils have played inthis
clever play of C leme nce D ane s at vari ous
places and have se nt us the P ress criticisms In
one the critic spoke of it as being a play depic
ting the intense emotional struggle of the
mother between her love and what she feels
may be her duty
S idney Miss Alb an
es i s
part was hardly mentioned
O n another
occasion the part of the father was stressed
A nd on yet another occasion the girl playi n
g
the part of S idney again swept all before her
I t is interesting to see how the balance of a
play containing three such stro ng parts can
be so a ffected by the ability a nd sm ce rit y of
t he actors
80
,
,
.
,
.
’
’
.
,
’
.
,
.
,
.
.
.
8:
E LO
C UTI O N
AN D
VOI C E
PRO D
U C T I ON
naturalness in harmony with his tempera ment
and capabilities
A s has bee nsho wn in the foregoin g chapters
speech fa ults may be grouped under three
headings —faulty breathi n
g faulty dictio n
faulty tone I t is probable that a student will
fail in a greater or less degree in all three "
or
i nsta nc e if the breath control is slack the tone
will be thin a nd j erky wh ile there are few
whose pronu nciation and diction may be said to
be perfect Therefore while there can be no
hard and fast scheme of study applicable to
every stude nt certain exercises scenes and
speeches may be practised for a variety of
defects and so will be useful to many
A s an example of su c h an exercise we m ay
co nsider E dgar A llan P oe s well known poem
”
The Bells a nd see how in th e study Of it
ma ny O f the m ost common speech faults may
be ove r c ome W he nspoke nby a reciter with
d melodious voice this poem c a n
a powerful a n
o
g a nd dramatic but it is by n
be m ost movi n
mea ns easy and its very i ntricacie s and art icu
d r a t e ma ke it a
d variati on of tone an
la tiona n
,
.
,
,
,
.
.
,
,
,
.
'
,
,
,
.
,
,
’
-
,
.
,
,
HI N T S
O N VO I C E T R A I N I N G E "E R C I S E S 83
plendid exercise for many who would n ev er
be able to recite i t in public
By an arra ngemen t Of long and short lines
and by his choice of words P oe has co nveyed
in this poem the sound of the bells —sledge
bells wedding bells the fire alarm the passi ng
be ll
T herefore the reciter must endeavour
by change of tone pitch and pace to convey
the di fferent sounds so that the effect on the
listener is to hear the tin k ling chiming cla n
g
ing or tolling rather than to follow the literal
sense of the words
O n the other hand the words themselves
must be articulated carefully a nd clea rly the
m ost being made of their tone colour and
im a ginative association
This in itself is an excellen t study for gai ni n
g
variety power a n
a nce
while the
d reso n
di ffi cult arrangement of the consonant a r t ic u
la t ion
s
together with the rapidity of speech
required incertai npassages will if practise d
co nscie ntiously give ease firm ness a nd flex i
s of arti c ulati on
bilit y to the orga n
I n the first ve rse we hear the s ledge bells
S
.
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
-
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
.
E LO CU T I ON
84
AN D VO I C E P R O D U CT I O N
This ve rse is I c onsi der the m ost di fficult for
the stude nt to tackle an d gai ns by bei ng
studied between the third a nd fourth verses
that is between the alarm bell a n
d the fu n
eral
bell A lways let it be remembe red that this
study of The Bells is primarily a nexer c ise
Thus the first verse should be take na s a study
in Clear articulatio n The t one sh ould be light
the words clear cut and delicate and placed
well forward onthe lips
The pace of the verse is quick but it is well
to study slowly at first such li nes as
W hat a
world of merrime nt their mel ody foretells
and To the tinti nnabulatio nthat s o musically
”
wells
so that every syllable is clear and
distin ct
S uch cons ona nt combi n
ations as
from
”
”
”
the
with the
while the will O ften be
stumbli ng bl ocks
In all the verses the t e
ll sou nd u nl e ss c arefully pra c tised
pea t e d
"
”
will te nd t o be c ome eu
beu i nstead of
”
“
bell espe c i a lly whe nrapidly repeated as at
the e n
d of the first verse
,
,
,
.
.
.
,
-
.
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
.
,
,
t
,
,
,
,
.
H I NT S O N
VO I C
E
T
R AI N I N G E "E R C I SES
85
I
Hear
the sled g es with the bells
Si lve r bells I
What a world of me rr iment thei r mel od y foretell s
kle ti nkle tink l e
How they ti n
I nthe i c y a i r O f n
i g ht
While the star s that ove rsp r i nkle
A ll the heave ns seem t o t w m kle
With a c ryst a lene deli g ht
K e e pm g time time time
I na s or t o f R u n
i c r hyme
ti nnab ulati onthat so musi c al ly wells
To the ti n
From the bells bells bells b ells
Bells bells bells
From the "
i ng ling and the tink l ing of the bells
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
I n the seco nd verse we hear the wedding
peal
A careful study of this verse will do
much to soften the voice an
d make the tone
mellow and full
Though the pace is medium the lo ng drawn
“
”
“
”
m
and
n
sounds a nd the li ngeri ng
legato will require a steady control of the
breath for the da n
ger in this verse is to become
breathless a nd j erky
The harmo ny of the wh ole is given by the
round and sustained vowel sou nds
mel
”
”
”
low
molten golden
notes
tune
”
moon and so on any badly shaped vowels
.
.
-
,
,
,
,
.
'
-
,
,
,
,
86
or
E LO C U T I O N
Cockney
AN D V O I C E P RO D UC T I ON
in tonations
will
be
appar en t
immediately
The wedding bells Should be regarded as a
musical peal rhymi ng and chimi n
g swinging
an d ri ngi ng delightful to listen to and a direct
co ntrast to the alarm bell in the subseque nt
verse
In a ll the verses the repetition of
bells bells bells
in the last lines
should be treated as the climax of the w hole
Thus in the secon d verse the best e ffect is
obtai ned by the suggestion of a chime letting
the variati o ns of tone descen d a scale almost
as in Sin gi n g .
.
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
.
,
,
II
the mell ow we d ding be ll s .
G o lde nbells I
What a world of happ i ness thei r ha rm ony forete ll s
T h ro u g h the balmy a ir of n
i g ht
How they r i ng out the i r del i g ht "
F ro m the m o lte ng o lde nn
o t es .
d all I ntu n
e
An
What a li q u i d ditty floats
s while she g l oats
T o the tu r tle d o ve that listen
O nthe m oo n
di ng c ells .
O h fro m o ut the so u n
What a g ush O f eu phony v olum i no usl y w ell s
How i t swells l
Hear
-
,
,
,
,
HI N T S O N
VOI C E T R A I N I N G
E
X E RC I SE S
How it d wells
How
O nthe F utu re
it te lls
O f the raptu r e that impels
g i ng a nd the r inging
To the swi n
O f the bells bells bells
O f the bells bells bells be ll s
Bells bells bells
g a nd the c himi ng of the b ell s
To the rh ym i n
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
I n the third verse in order to suggest the
bra z en alarm bell the tone must be hard a n
d
metallic The resonance Should be well for
“
”
ward in the mouth and
face mask
On
no account should a nasal tone be used (which
is really produced at the bac k of the nose in the
throat ) but the nasal and head resonances
should be freely used and developed
The student must n
ot be afraid of lettin g
the tone appe ar hard and ugly at times
Too much horrified to spea k they can only
”
shrie k shriek out of tune
This verse will do mu ch to stren g then the
organs of articulation
The hard consonants
t d b should be a rticulated firmly and
emphatically ; this in conj unc t ion with other
exercises for stren g thenin g the tongue will
Th e
e
grea tly a id in the s tudy of verse on
,
,
.
.
,
.
.
,
.
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
.
86
or
E LO CU T I O N
Cock n
ey
AN D V O I C E P RO D U CT I O N
intonations
will
be
a ppar en t
immediately
The weddi n
g bells should be regarded as a
musical peal rhyming and chimi n
g Swin
ging
an
d ri n
ging delightf ul to listen to and a dire c t
c ontrast to the alarm bell in the subseque nt
verse
In a ll the verses the repetiti on of
bells bells bells
in the last li nes
should be treated as the climax of the whole
Thus in the second verse the best e ffect is
obtained by the suggestion O f a chime letti ng
the variati ons of tone descend a s ca le almost
as insin gi n g .
.
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
.
,
,
II
the mell ow wed d ing be ll s
G o lde nbells l
What a world of happ i ness the ir harm ony forete ll s
T h ro u g h the balm y a ir of n
i g ht
g out the i r d e li g h t l
How they r i n
F ro m the m o lte ngo ldenn
ot es .
d all intu n
e
An
What a li q uid ditty floats
s while she g loats
To the tu r tle d ove that liste n
O nthe mo on
di ng c ells
O h fro m o ut the so u n
What a g ush of eu phony v olumi no usl y w ell s
How it swell s l
H e ar
,
-
,
,
,
,
,
88
E LO C U T I ON
AN D VO I C E P R O D U CT I ON
d m ore
pace of this verse sho u
l d be quicker a n
varied than that of the wedding bells a nd there
is more O ppo rt unity for imaginative expression
,
.
II I
the l ou d alarum be l ls
B ra enbell s I
Wh at a tale o f te rror now thei r tu rbul enc y tel ls l
I nthe star tled ea r o f n
i g ht
How they s c r eam out the ir affr i g ht
T OO mu c h h orrifi ed t o speak
T hey c a non
l y shr iek sh r iek
Out o f tu n
e
I na c lam oro us appeali n
g t o the me rc y of the fi re
I na ma d e x p ostulati onw ith the deaf an
ti c
d fr a n
He ar
z
,
,
,
,
,
,
fir e
Leapin
g
.
hi g her hi g her hi g her
With a des perate desi re
An
deav ou r
d a r es o lute e n
N ow —n
ow t o sit o r n
ever
By the side of the pale fa c ed moon
O h the bells bells bells
W hat a tale their terror tells
O f despair I
HO W they c lan
g a nd c rash and roar I
What a horr or they o utpo u r
Onthe bo s o m of the palp i tati n
g air
Y et the e ar it fully k n
ows
By the twa ng i ng
An
d the c la n
g ing
How the da n
g er ebbs a nd fl ows
Y e t the e a r dist in
c tly tells
I nthe "
ang li ng
An
d the wr a n
g ling
How the dan
ks a nd wolls
g er sin
,
,
,
,
,
-
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
s
.
HI N T S
ON
V
O I CE
T
R AI N I N G E "ER C I SE S
89
By the Si nk i ng and the swelli ng inthe ang er of th e
bells
O f the bells
O f the bells bells bells be lls
Bel ls bells bells
d the c la n
gou r o f the bell s l
I nthe c lam o u r a n
,
,
,
,
,
,
The fourth verse depicting the passing bell
sh ould be taken very Slowly th e t ones bei n
g
deep a nd prolo n
ged and all possible reso na nce
bei n
g ob tai ned In s ome respects this is the
easiest of a ll the verses to recite The effect
depends largely on the power and depth of
voice and the imaginati onof the reciter
D urin
g a rece nt Visit to Belgium I had
the opp ortunity of hearing C h opi ns F uneral
March played on the carillon at Gh en
t
The
effect of the heavy stumbling chords rhyt h
mical yet not truly in time now fadi ng as the
l
wind caught the s ou nd nOW ov e rw he lm in
gy
near seemed to ca tch on
e by the throat a n
d
convey all an d more tha nall that E dgar A llan
P oe has depicted in the las t verse of th is poem
,
,
,
.
.
.
,
,
’
.
,
,
,
,
'
,
,
.
90
E
L O C U TIO N A N D VOI C E
P
R O D U CTIO N
IV
the tolli ng of the bells
l ro nb l ls 1
Wh at a wor ld of s o lemn thou g ht the ir m onod y
c o m pels
I nthe sile n
c e o f the ni g ht
Ho w we sh i ve r with a ff r i g ht
A t the mela n
c h o ly me nac e o f their t one I
"or eve ry s ou nd that fl oats
From the r ust withinthei r thr oat
I s a gr o a n
An
d the pe o pl e —
ah the peo ple
T hey that dwell up inthe steeple
All al one
g t olli ng to lli n
g
An
d w h o to lli n
I nthat mu ffl ed m o n
o to n
e
F ee "
a g l o ry inso roll i ng
O nthe humanhea rt a st on
e
T hey a re n
e i the r m a nnor wo ma n
T hey a re neithe r b rute n
or human
T hey a re g ho uls
An
g it is w ho tol ls ;
d the i r k i n
An
d he ro lls rolls rolls
R o lls
A p aea nfro m the be lls I
d his me r ry bo so m swells
An
W i th the p a a nof the bells l
d he da n
c es a nd he yell s
An
g time time time
K eepi n
i c r hyme
I na so rt o f R u n
T o the p ma nO f t h e bells
O i t h e bells
g time t i me tim e
K eepi n
i c r h ym e .
I na J I o f R u n
T o t h e th ro bb i n
g O f the bell s
O f the bells bells bells
To t h e so bb in
g o f t h e be ll:
H ear
e
,
s
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
'
,
,
,
.
.
,
,
.
T
,
,
E LO C U T I O N
AN D
VO I C E
ess
Love is m erelv a mad n
P
R O DU C T I O N
I )
to
"
0
there shall not be a Spot of love in t is an
exe r cise in light ness a nd fl exibility
S ce nes
fr om old comedy are helpful for moveme nt
and ges t ure
But it must be remembered that these are
ly preliminary exercises The seco nd part
on
dividual
of the tea c her s work is to study i n
requireme nts I t would be Obviously useless
to develop the same scheme of w ork for an
actor a clergyman a nd a scie ntifi c lecturer
Y e t actor preacher an d lecturer have this
eed exercises in
in common that they will n
order to gain power con trol and fl exibility of
“
voice I t is for thi s that such verses as The
Bells may be used with adva ntage by each
A part from their interest to t h e stude nt
on
e
they will prove valuable as studies in expres
sion and a far keener spur to progress tha nthe
lists O f meani ngless sounds an d phrases whi c h
form the maj ority of exercises for tone a nd
speech
In conclus i on I ca nnot do better tha n
reiterate what has alr eady be e n written in
”
’
,
.
.
.
'
.
.
,
,
,
,
,
,
.
.
,
,
.
,
H I N T S O N V OI CE T RAI N I NG EXE RC I SE S
the ultimat e improveme nt rest s
wi t h the studen t
N o scheme of w ork ca n
succeed unless the stude nt c o—
operates by
constant practice and a sincere desire to
overcome di ffi culties a n
d faults
C ha pter I
:
.
.
P ractise "P ractise "P ractise 1
chie fly depen ds onour owne fforts
S uc c ess
.