Vox Populi: a Sequel to the “Philosophy of Voic.”

Abstract

WE are told in the preface that “the present work is a reprint of articles that appeared in the Orchestra” and that “now it has been discovered Galen (A.D. 180), ‘the father of physicians,’ as he is called, advanced the same physical views as those for which I (Mr. Lunn) have contended, my controversial work is ended:—it is scarce worth while to re-write.” Was it then worth while to re-print? In the introduction the author tells us that his articles were written “to clear up some ambiguous points in my (Mr. Lunn's ‘Philosophy of Voice,’” and that “this without the former work is incomplete, as that without this.” Some time ago the present writer honestly-endeavoured to understand Mr. Lunn's “Philosophy of Voice” and utterly failed in his attempts. He cannot find any assistance towards understanding it in the present little tract (pp. 88) of loose writing, wonderful reasoning, and jumping exposition. Let us hope that Mr. Lumn's teaching is better than his preaching. His axioms are however rather startling, especially the second (p. 7), “All voices are naturally beautiful. All ugliness in vocal tone is the result of transferred habits acquired by the artificial use of voice in speech.” If this use is “artificial,” what use is “natural”? But attempts to understand and criticism are all thrown away. Notwithstanding Mr. Lunn's initial confession that he is a mere follower of Galen, he declares in his introduction (p. 1): “It is a fait accompli. I have founded a New Profession standing midway between the Musical and the Medical worlds, with Art on its one side, Science on the other; firm and irrefutable.” In this state of suspension, like Mahomet's coffin, “midway between” two “worlds” and belonging to neither Science nor Art, which seems fitly to describe the nature of the book, we are content to leave it to the happy conviction of the author that what he says (of course when others can find out what it is) is “firm and irrefutable.”

Vox Populi: a Sequel to the “Philosophy of Voic.”

By Charles Lunn. (London: W. Reeves, 1880.)