THIRTEENTH STEP IN RENDERING. VOLUME OF VOICE. Volume of Voice comes from volume of thought and feeling. It has to do with noble emotions: sublimity, reverence, adoration, grandeur, poetic fervor, patriotic sentiment, when uttered with a deep under-current of feeling. Unlike the Conversational and the Dramatic Styles which deal with the commonplace, Volume of Voice is used in exalted, dignified expressions, therefore is used in the Oratorical Style. 66 Oratory comes from "orare," ( to speak in a pleading manner.) The emotional element makes it truly eloquent. Oratory is the flowering, the culminating of all the graces of expression, the flowering of the virtues. Oratory may be compared to the discoursing of grand music, to an organ with a thousand stops, moving the profoundest of human emotions. " Oratory requires a knowledge of expression of body and the arts of voice, gesture, and mastery of the same, beside, a soul well stored with burning thoughts and feelings. The expression must be simplicity itself, suggesting and awakening thought and feeling in the subtlest, simplest manner, concealing all effort. Oratory requires concentrated energy and skill such as is used by the singer who renders grand and noble music with few but dignified outward movements. The highest art is to conceal art. It has been said of Orators:- Cicero,-a conflagration. Demosthenes, a hurricane. Saint Paul, a god of eloquence. Clay,-fiery, magnetic. Spurgeon,- voice fine, magnetic. Webster, while perspiration ran down his face; his body was in comparative quietude— his eyes burned, yet repose seemed the normal condition. Lacardaire, voice at first feeble- clear, massive, susceptible of force and passion, grew more fervent, deepened and strengthened to a wonderful degree. He began simply, suddenly took a turn like lightning; he was seized and the listener carried with him. Not learning by heart, it was a soul that broke forth like a tide through the walls of flesh, and cast itself reckless and desperate into the soul of another; this is greater than speech. Eloquence is the soul which takes the place of our own. Extemporaneous speech takes the head from the shoulders. STUDY FOR VOLUME OF VOICE. We may have wondered why the charming gift, as it is called, of Oratory is so rare that only two or three real and truly great Orators appear in a generation. Something may be wrong. The seed for producing this choice species may be planted wrong-side-out. We do know that when the average student - they with graduating orations not excepted attempts to render the Oratorical style, he stiffens his muscles and assumes a swollen appearance which can be compared to nothing in all the field of nature and art but a turkey gobbler on parade. He declaims in a loud, strained voice, destitute of that which charms. Nor is the student alone deluded into the "wrong-side-out" style. It is much to be regretted that finished scholars thus abuse their mother tongue. The man of holy orders too often voices the sacred message in a most unholy way. We are all familiar with what is known as the ministerial tone." (They who employ such tones, as a natural result are often afflicted with "clergyman's sore throat. ") It so happens our best examples are poor guides to imitate. The best guide must come from within yourself. In the practical drill for Volume of Voice, much depends on getting the right start. The point of difference between the right way and the wrong way is apparently so small at the start, one may easily miss the right way. Here, as in the other studies, let the mind not only lead but let it compel the voice. Make no effort to use a large voice. Only as the sublime ideas possess the soul causing it to respond, will the voice respond and expand naturally. Volume can not be "put on " without positive injury. 66 Let us illustrate somewhat the mental side of our work for volume, using for our study "The Ocean, " by Byron, which follows. First go through it contrasting the ordinary, commonplace ideas with the grand, sublime ideas; the limited with the limitless. The "drop of rain, snowy flake," etc. limited. Send the mind out in an effort to take in the "glorious mirror where the Almighty's form glasses (reflects) itself." Try to see the limitless ideas reflected in this boundless mirror. Then the mind must reach out still beyond the vast deep to the unknowable," the image of eternity," "the throne of the Invisible. " Make vast and limitless all that refers in any way to the Ocean,- the pronouns and all. Concentrate the mind many times on the pictures before attempting to read it aloud, then read ideas instead of words, letting the voice respond naturally. As the mental grows in ability to expand and respond will the voice expand and grow in volume. Do not force the voice; let the mind lead; be content to take time to grow; repeat, repeat, repeat the concentration of the mind on the sublime pictures then respond honestly as you are impressed. Volume of Voice may be cultivated in another way in connection with the foregoing study. Impersonate, in the private study, some great, dignified character, orator or statesman with some grave or noble feeling dominant. For example: with costume, manner and voice play Brutus in the orchard scene in 66 Julius Cæsar. " Try to comprehend the dignity and majesty of his noble character and the deep emotions ruling him as he contemplates, for the good of Rome, the assassination of Cæsar. Let the mental conception of the character dominate the voice. The student may gain a point of advantage in practice for Volume of Voice by getting first the pitch, as in singing. For low pitch say "awe, awe, awe," prolong, feel the vibration in the chest by placing the hand there. Get the pitch very gently. Do not force the voice. By making use of only the two studies named-"The Ocean "and" Brutus in the Orchard " as a drill exercise, voices have been wonderfully improved. This drill must always be more of a mental than a vocal gymnastic. Ever aim for INTENSITY RATHER THAN LOUDNESS for herein lies the secret of success. This order reversed defeats either the novice or the sage. After the student is once sure that he has made the right start training the voice for volume, while he should continue the drill on the first studies, he may take up new studies. Look for the sublime in nature, ideas of the Deity, abstract, limitless ideas of Patriotism, Love, as in I Corinthians XIII, Judgment, Conviction of Sin, Sense of Duty, etc. Expressions of ignoble passion is never allowed in Oratory. As Oratory is the highest form of human expression, the student can well afford to pay the price of earnest effort. Grand, sublime thought and feeling given out with a deep mellow voice and with intensity behind it has power to ennoble. Deep voice moves like the deep toned organ. THE OCEAN. Roll on, thou deep and dark blue Ocean - roll! The armaments which thunderstrike the walls Thy shores are empires, changed in all save thee-- Thou glorious mirror, where the Almighty's form Calm or convulsed-in breeze, or gale, or storm, |