An experienced street vocalist of the better kind, upon whose
statements I satisfied myself that every reliance might be placed,
described to me the present condition of his calling. He was
accompanied by his wife.
“I have been in the profession of a vocalist,” he said, “for
twenty-five years. Before that I was a concert-singer. I was not
brought up to the profession; I was a shipping agent, but I married
a concert-singer, and then followed the profession. I was young, and
a little stage-struck,”--(“Rather,” said his wife, smiling, “he was
struck with those who were on the stage”)--“and so I abandoned the
ship-agency. I have tried my fortune on the stage as a singer, and
can’t say but what I have succeeded. In fact, my wife and I have taken
more than any two singers that have ever appeared in the humble way.
We have been street vocalists for twenty-five years. We sing solos,
duets, and glees, and only at night. When we started, the class of
songs was very different to what it is now. We were styled ‘the
Royal Glee-singers.’ ‘Cherry ripe,’ ‘Meet me by moonlight,’ ‘Sweet
home,’ were popular then. Haynes Bailey’s ballads were popular,
and much of Bishop’s music; as, indeed, it is still. Barnett’s or
Lee’s music, however, is now more approved in the concert-rooms than
Bishop’s. Our plan was, and is, to inquire at gentlemen’s houses if
they wish to hear glee or solo singing, and to sing in the street
or in the halls, as well as at parties. When we first commenced we
have made 3_l._ and 3_l._ 10_s._ in a night this way; but that was
on extraordinary occasions; and 3_l._ a-week might be the average
earnings, take the year through. These earnings continued eight or
ten years, and then fell off. Other amusements attracted attention.
Now, my wife, my daughter, and I may make 25_s._ a-week by open-air
singing. Concert-singing is extra, and the best payment is a crown
per head a night for low-priced concerts. The inferior vocalists get
4_s._, 3_s._, 2_s._ 6_d._, and some as low as 2_s._ Very many who sing
at concerts have received a high musical education; but the profession
is so overstocked, that excellent singers are compelled to take poor
engagements.” The better sort of cheap concert-singers, the man and
wife both agreed in stating, were a well-conducted body of people,
often struggling for a very poor maintenance, the women rarely being
improper characters. “But now,” said the husband, “John Bull’s taste is
inclined to the brutal and filthy. Some of the ‘character songs,’ such
as ‘Sam Hall,’ ‘Jack Sheppard,’ and others, are so indelicate that a
respectable man ought not to take his wife and daughters to see them.
The men who sing character songs are the worst class of singers, both
as regards character and skill; they are generally loose fellows; some
are what is called ‘fancy men,’ persons supported wholly or partly by
women of the town. I attempted once to give concerts without these
low-character singings; but it did not succeed, for I was alone in
the attempt. I believe there are not more than half-a-dozen street
vocalists of the same class as ourselves. They are respectable persons;
and certainly open-air singing, as we practise it, is more respectable
than popular concert-singing as now carried on. No one would be
allowed to sing such songs in the streets. The ‘character’ concerts
are attended generally by mechanics and their families; there are more
males than females among the audiences.”