"The singer should breathe as easily and naturally as animals and people
do when they sleep," he began. "But we are awake when we sing; correct
breath control, therefore, must be carefully studied, and is the result
of understanding and experience. The best art conceals art. The aim is
to produce tones with the utmost ease and naturalness, though these must
be gained with patient toil. A child patting the keyboard with his tiny
hands, is _unconsciously_ natural and at ease, though he does not know
what he is doing; the great pianist is _consciously_ at ease because he
understands principles of ease and relaxation, and has acquired the
necessary control through years of training.
"The singer acquires management of the breath through correct position
and action of his anatomy. The body is held erect, chest active; the
network of abdominal muscles constantly gain strength as they learn to
push, push, push the air up through the lungs to the windpipe, then
through the mouth and nasal cavities." Mr. Bispham illustrated each
point in his own person as he described it.
"When the manner of taking breath, and the way to develop the diaphragm
and abdominal muscles, is understood, that is only a beginning.
Management of the breath is an art in itself. The singer must know what
to do with the breath once he has taken it in, or he may let it out in
quarts the moment he opens his mouth. He has to learn how much he needs
for each phrase. He learns how to conserve the breath; and while it is
not desirable to hold one tone to attenuation, that the gallery may gasp
with astonishment, as some singers do, yet it is well to learn to do all
one conveniently can with one inhalation, provided the phrase permits
it.