School of Music

Emotion and Its Control - For and Against the Use of Gesture - Practice Before a Mirror - Individuality a Determining Factor - Should Music Accompany Recitations ? - Some Good Anthologies - Concentration - Experiences Grave and Gay - Hints to the Novice - How the Reciter Should Dress

There is a popular delusion that emotion is the chief thing required to make an audience sway this way or that as the reciter wishes, but this is a fallacy ; in point of fact, too much feeling on the part of the elocutionist is more than likely to leave the audience cold and uninterested.

To take the picture again as a simile, a man may be full of inspiration, may have, indeed, the finest idea of a picture in the world, but if he has not the technical skill to place his idea on canvas in such a form as to portray it to others, his idea is but a nebulous fantasy, and worth nothing to the world at large.

So it is with a reciter : she may grasp the hidden beauties of poetry or prose, may give a rendering full of emotion, but if that emotion is not curbed by a thorough knowledge of the technique of her art, it will but be a wasted effort on her part.

Controversy, therefore, rages fierce and strong over the use of gesture in recitation.

On the one hand, there are people who maintain that action helps to make clear the meaning of a piece.

On the other hand, there are those who say that the only legitimate methods lie in the use of the voice and in full play of facial expression.

The Use Of Gesture

There is much to be said in favour of both factions. When reciting purely lyrical poetry, it is well to abstain from anything that is likely to detract from the beauty of the words and the rhythmical flow of the metre ; but when the piece in question is either dramatic verse or prose, then the use of restrained gesture is permissible.

The use of the word " restrained " may give rise to comment, but its meaning in this case is not that of " holding back' when gesticulating, thereby making the movements stiff and lacking in grace, but rather of " holding back" any tendency towards too much action, which might thus usurp the foremost place due to the words.

It is well to remember, however, when this vexed question of " gesture or no gesture " is raised, that gesture came before speech, and by its aid people made themselves understood for many a long age. Of this truth examples may be seen every day. A foreigner, not knowing the language of the people with whom she comes in contact, by expressive actions can make herself understood until she has sufficient knowledge of the speech to convey her meaning in words.

An important point for the reciter to realise is that, no matter how advanced in her art she may be, she should never leave anything to chance inspiration, but should know the place and time for each gesture she uses.

Practising Before a Mirror

The best way to practise is before a full-length mirror. By its means one can criticise minutely every movement, studying many different gestures for the same words in order to arrive at the one which is most telling.

As soon as the mirror practice is begun, the student may find that she has many little nervous tricks, such as clenching the hands, maintaining a strained position, plucking at her dress with her fingers, playing with any chains or charms she may be wearing, of all of which she was previously unconscious. These habits are disturbing elements, and must be conquered if success is to be achieved.

She may also find that her movements are awkward and stiff, her wrists, elbows, and shoulders as difficult to move as if they were set in vices. To counteract this stiffness certain relaxation exercises should be practised, such as the following : Let the hand hang limply, then shake it quickly backwards and forwards, and from side to side, until it feels unrestrained. Then swing the whole arm round in a circle, starting from the side of the body, bringing it forward and upwards till the hand points at the ceiling. Continue the circle backwards, taking care that all the joints are loose.

If these exercises are intelligently performed, the student will be rewarded with flexible, graceful gestures in lieu of halting, stiff actions.

The ability to move gracefully creates also the power of standing still, and cultivates a perfect poise of figure.

The Power Of Individuality

The determining factor of the whole question is individuality. With some people gesticulation is spontaneous and beautiful, whilst others who attempt it are bound by the chains of 9elf-consciousness, and there-' fore their gestures looked forced and unnatural. The wisest course of these latter is to be sparing of gestures, but when using any to let each one be forceful and apt.

In closing this subject one can assuredly say this : that too much gesture is confusing, and does not conduce to a clear understanding of the piece in hand. Even as in dress too much trimming detracts from beauty, so in elocution too much movement detracts from the simplicity of style which should be the aim of every reciter.

Another moot point is whether music should be used in conjunction with reciting. Sometimes music helps to convey the atmosphere of a piece in a marvellous way, but at other times it seems to act in a contrary sense. In any case, the reciter and accom panist must be in sympathetic accord, otherwise the result is chaos.

Several charming recitations have been set to music by Stanley Hawley, published by Bosworth and Co.

Some Useful Anthologies

This reminds one of the difficulty often experienced in finding pieces. A very good anthology is " The Reciter's Treasury of Verse," by Ernest Pertwee. His " Reciter's Treasury of Prose and Drama " is also useful. " The Oxford Book of Verse" and " Dainty Poems of the Nineteenth Century " contain many beautiful poems.