His method included deliberation in taking breath, thorough opening of
the mouth, practice before a mirror to produce a pleasing effect, and
to avoid facial contortion; he would not allow any visible effort, the
aim being to sing as naturally and spontaneously as a bird. His wife
played the accompaniments, so that the master could give his whole
attention to the attitude, production, and facial expression of the
pupil.
Signer Caravoglia only consented to teach her on the express condition
that she would not sing in choruses, on account of the danger of
strain and overexertion. She practised regularly, chiefly exercises,
two hours a day in separate half hours. Her talent was soon recognized
at Malvern, where she lived before her marriage, and her assistance
was in great demand for amateur charity concerts.
I have a book full of newspaper reports of my wife's performances,
containing notices of concerts at Malvern repeatedly, Kidderminster,
Worcester, at Birmingham under the auspices of the Musical Section of
the Midland Institute--a very great honour before a highly critical
audience--Alcester, Pershore, Moreton-in-the-Marsh, Evesham, Broadway,
Badsey, Wallingford, and a great many villages in the Evesham
district. At Moreton she sang for the local Choral Society, taking the
soprano solos in the first part of Haydn's _Spring_, and the local
paper reported that her "birdlike voice added much to the beauty of
the cantata.
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