What a lesson it was to me of what a person can do as a singer. I had
left a lasting impression upon these people and whenever they heard
these songs spoken of or sung they went back in memory with pleasure
to the singer who sang them long ago and they were pleased to know
they were to hear me once again, even so far from where they had heard
me before, and pleased to make themselves known in this pleasant way.
I was touched deeply by their kindness and I asked Mr. Kohler to allow
me to sing for them Annie Laurie and The Last Rose of Summer. He
recalled Mr. Wand, our accompanist, and I gave them these songs as a
compliment. Such episodes occur in a singer's life and we are reminded
that when work is well done we will always have appreciation, and just
reward, and leave a lasting example for good that others may follow
with safety. These songs were not showy or brilliant, but they were
songs that touched the heart, and left an impression for good. Our
California audiences are metropolitan and changing forever. People are
here one day and in a twelfth month somewhere else and in my time it
was still more changeable than now. No matter what your audience is it
is the singer's duty to please every listener as near as possible and
leave an impression. My advice to the singer is: Make your song a part
of yourself, understand the composer's meaning, have a picture before
you of the situation, of the meaning of the sentiment. Never sing
anything that is beyond your powers, select that which you are able to
understand thoroughly yourself, and when you have mastered every
difficulty and can give yourself pleasure in the rendering of it, you
may be well assured you will make some one else happy. An audience
demands your complete resources, so you must not imagine you can
carelessly give anything but your best efforts. The selections should
always be less difficult than you are really capable of performing, a
safe rule to follow. Then your audience will know you bring authority
to your task, and authority is very necessary to command respect.
He who does not think well of this makes a grave mistake, for while he
thinks people will not know the inferiority of his work, there is
always some one in the audience who _does know_. True artistic work
should mean more to the singer than anything else, for that is what
makes his reputation. No one can afford to be careless in the least
effort if he wishes to become an acceptable singer to all classes that
compose an audience.