British Singers and Players: V. Robert Radford Author(s): C. Source: The Musical Times, Vol. 63, No. 951 (May 1, 1922), pp. 307-310 Published by: Musical Times Publications Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/910160 Accessed: 23-12-2015 14:35 UTC Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/ info/about/policies/terms.jsp JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Musical Times Publications Ltd. is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Musical Times. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 141.233.160.21 on Wed, 23 Dec 2015 14:35:59 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE MUSICAL TIMES-MAY I 1922 307 AT THE ACADEMY AND THE FESTIVALS m Q. 'What is yourage, birthplace,hereditary he usical Times musicianship, nationality past and present, AND SINGING-CLASS CIRCULAR and so on ?' A. 'In spite of all temptation,an English- MAY I 1922 man. Nottinghamborn and bred. A deserter fromthe honourable vocation of accountancy. A climber, who rose to the height of the BRITISH SINGERS AND PLAYERS: Royal Academy of Music doorway by means of the step-ladderof accompanyinga pseudo- V.-ROBERT RADFORD nigger minstrel troupe. My mother was musical, my fatherhad a good voice. As a It is the executive musician's lot to win the boy I was a treble soloist. My voice broke, brightest but the soonest withering wreaths. and I accompanied and conducted the Theirs are plaudits and notoriety such as a minstrel troupe in spare time from office- composer hardlycomes by. But theirnames are work. Miss Agnes Larkcom thenadays mostlyephemeral. Still a memorydoes now and used to come to Nottinghamto teach. She then emergefrom the tides of time. Acclaimed gave me an introductionto Mr. Randegger. names of the 19th century,such as John Braham His encouragement meant my farewell to and Charles Santley, still have a meaning. books and figures. I entered the R.A.M. They speak to us still of the best achievementand in Mr. Frederic King's class. From the best taste,in that particularline, in a given period, firstmy voice as a man has been a real bass, and Mr. Henry Davey, the historian of English but I rememberat the R.A.M. opera class music, surelyis rightin insistingthat the taste to singingCarmen's Toreador-transposed down. which an outstanding singer appealed, the taste While I was still an Academy student I was which at the same time he helped to form and given a small part in Berlioz's Faust at the refine,is part of the matterof history. Norwich Festival of 1899-1 sang alongside Robert Radford, our English 2oth centurybass, Albani, Lloyd, and Black.' appears to us such a singer. What he has done 'What was the real starting-pointof your and sung in the past twentyyears speaks for what public singing?' the English taste of the time has most requiredof 'Percy Harrison, of Birmingham, a a singer,and at the same time his taste and art powerfulimpresario in those days, engaged have had theiraction on what we like sung and me for his subscription concerts. But for how we like it sung. Posterity then will kindly a time things were hard. I had the usual note the name of Radford in its records; the little humiliations of a young singer who typeof the good Englishsinger, who startsby doing wants to be a really commanding figure the things that are expected of him, only rather straightaway,but has to be glad enough to better, and then proceeds to do other things, accept little engagements for-well, for the enlarging his field withoutat all abandoning the smallest possible number of guineas, if firstplot. In the unexpected achievement is the guineas are in the plural at all! My first preservativetouch against time. The thoughtof Covent Garden year was i9go5. It was the Santley sticks in the mind-the great, the one opening night-Don Giovanni under Richter, Elijah of the Mendelssohnianheyday, and at the with Destinn, Renaud, and Journet. I was same time the first English Vanderdecken, and the Commandatore-not a small ordeal, I the most brilliant. Similarly Radford, the ratherseem to remember. established bass soloist of Handel Festivals,steps ' The next year(19o6) was my firstHandel out as the first English Boris and Ivan, and a Festival. I sang Judas Maccabaeus. I was zealous mason in the new rebuilding of English the " kid " of the Festival, and at the public opera. rehearsalthings went swimmingly enough. But Robert Radford, at this moment when we before the performanceI had not been par- approach him with our little catechism,stands at ticularlywell, and in Arm, arm ye brave I the top of his half-completedarch of life-work: " cracked" on the top E. Dreadful moment! twentyyears of public singing well and soundly I felt that the sound of that note at such an built-twenty more to be done. But how august ceremonymust have gone forthto all peripatetic is the job of these modern master- the nation, and certainlyI wasn't allowed to singers! They are wondrousstores of lore about forget it by chaffingfriends. But anyhow railway routes and hotel accommodation, and the everybodystill remained quite kind, and I catechiser'swell-nigh only chance seems to be in was applauded charminglyby the chorus and an express dining-car. Linger elsewherewith your audience, and in spite of that E I have sung questioning,and yourbusy mastersinger is probably at the other Handel Festivals since.' risking the missing of a train or defrauding an ' At how many Festivals all told have you audience of its Judas Maccabeus or its Sarastro. sung ?' Mr. Radford, however, is one day cornered, and Sorry! But it is so long since I gave up then cheerfullysubmits. being an accountant. Roughly,say thirty.' This content downloaded from 141.233.160.21 on Wed, 23 Dec 2015 14:35:59 UTC All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 308 THE MUSICAL TIMES-MAY I I922 'And how often have you sung in The The gramophoneis undoubtedlymaking rapid Mfessiak? ' changes in the musical world. Apart from ' Sorryagain! But, at a guess, two hundred opera, it is changingthe teachingof music in times. And certainlya dozen to fifteentimes schools. Take Oundle; I suppose it is one in many years.' of the most progressiveof our public schools. 'And how oftenhave you sung in public ?' Full-dressoratorios are performedthere, and the is a means of musical The question has Mr. Radford thoroughly gramophone regular instruction.' beaten. He diffidentlyventures the estimate'three thousand.' THE SINGER'S TECHNIQUE THE ENGLISH OPERA-SINGING REVIVAL 'Is opera-singingcalculated to improvethe 'Discuss [so the catechismproceeded] one English oratoriostyle ?' or more new musical influencesof your time.' 'We often hear now that it does. It is true of course. It is also true that to me to have been a new enough, 'There appears a oratorio is useful for It is dawn of of The good style opera. appreciation opera. English fair to oratoriotradition to remember of Richterfourteen English Ring performances years that Richter enlisted of his followed Denhof's seasons and verymany English ago, by then, fromthe oratorioschool. A of Sir Thomas are bound Ring performers course, Beecham's, of Bach and Handel is in to be historical. I must I am an enthusiast good singer already say no small for for I think it is a branch of part equipped singing Mo?zart, opera myself. and After some of the music that a cannot do Verdi, Wagner. all, country properly demands are the same. The of Bach without. There are for whom singer people and Handel has learntto so to it is the avenue to music. I think a carve, speak, only a formed and decided and vocal national school of do not eloquent opera singing (I line. That too is wanted if a voice is mean a "4National School" in is going capitals) effectivein a theatrewith a if are to be to be large large necessary singers complete orchestra at Now there is a artists. All thisis rathermore a faithof mine storming you. modern type of quite artisticsinger who is a than just a professionaloutlook. I mean to failure at both. This is the type of singer say thatas thingsare at present opera is not who has never learntto use a big brush.' exactly an overwhelmingpecuniary lure ! - I type, then, is something new since might even hint that a good many English 'This own studentdays ?' singerswho have giventhemselves to opera in your anyhow I seem to come the past dozen years or so werefar fromdoing 'Apparently; across more youngstersto-day whose one and the best thingpecuniarily for themselves. But ambition is the singingof "art songs," opera has a lure-a permanent lure both for only and remarkablyintelligent and musicianly singersand for the public. There are other they often are. But there is a musical formsas good, of course, but nothing youngsters tendencyamong them to mix their tastes in that quite takes its place.' general music withmatters of vocal technique. The talk was inevitablydrawing near the subject They wish at all costs to sing the music of in of the recentsuccessful launching the North of certainmodern composers, and certainmodern this the British National Opera Company, which composers seem to me to have the fault of May is takingthe boards at Covent Garden.