THIS IS THE THIRTEENTH INSTALMENT OF THE GREEN SNAKE AND THE BEAUTIFUL LILY

In this instalment all members of the community act together to relieve the plight of the Youth.

 

 



Now we have arrived at the Consonant P

Here we have a subtle sound that comes from both lips being pressed together. This sound has a defining end to it coming to a complete stop.

It is a sensitive sound which supports well the expression of feelings. The characteristics of this single consonantal sound can be both assertive and tentative. The words "persistent' and "playful" with consonant p at the beginning depict these two characteristics. The p in "persistent" has the task of driving the vowel e forward firmly. In contrast the watery, flowing nature of the consonant L that immediately follows p in "playful" requires the p to be light and fluid.

Another important characteristic of p is its ability to be a bridge for other speech sounds. Take the word "important". The p acts as a bridge within the word linking the sounds "im" and "por/tant"

You can experience the same bridging and linking quality in the German language with, for example,
"Uber allen Gipfeln" and "Uber allen Wipfeln", where the consonant p in Gipfeln and Wipfeln (Hilltops and Treetops, respectively) contribute significantly to portray a softness necessary in the overall context of the poem - calmness experienced by a travelling wayfarer at rest in the evening. [Goethe - Wayfarers Night Song]

Every consonant in the English language has its own individual character. There are two main types. One type is where the sound of a consonant is "blown" out of the mouth - air sounds. These include f and s, for example.

The second type is where the sound is "thrust" out. These include p, d. t, b and are sounds of force. There are only three consonantal sounds where both lips have to come together to form their sounds. These are b, m, and p. Each require this conscious physical act for the sounds to be formed fully and heard. Without forming the sounds consciously and fully their potential value and worth in a word is lost.

Rudolf Steiner in his study on the sounds of speech spoke of the inner configuration of the sound of p through visualising the sunflower plant by describing it as "that bold faced annual that lifts itself up to such a height .... the enormous overhanging golden flowers that spread out their centres so conspicuously for all to see."

Exercises to help form b and m have been given in earlier Posts on this Blog regarding these two consonants.

An exercise for p is Piffling fifer/Prefacing feather/Phlegma fluting/Fairground piercing. The words in this exercise created by Dr Steiner do not have any meaning. The consonants and words in the four phrases are formed to gymnastically aid articulation.

Creating our own words, phrases, sentence, text with consonants you wish to practise forming is very beneficial.

This leads to describe an item of recent interest on the news channels in the UK. This has been about a "pod" of whales following a shoal of fish running the risk of being grounded in the shallow waters of the River Thames that flows in and out of London.

Generally, there are few occasions when there is a requirement to use the word "pod". When spoken by news readers they expressed a higher than normal connection with this word. Their forming of the sounds for "pod" and in particular the consonant p was noticeably strong.

The characteristic and quality of the p sound, as visualised earlier in the forming of a magnificent, upright, blooming sunflower plant can be felt in the words "pod" and "plight". This picture image of the sunflower helps drive forming the thrusting impact sound of p when speaking here of the plight of the pod of whales and being rescued through encouraging their return to deeper waters.

Please tell me your discoveries looking out for the significance and value of the consonant p, how you have heard it formed by others, exercised and formed this subtle giant of a sound yourselves.

This consonantal sound is in the attached recording.





THIS IS THE TWELTH INSTALMENT OF THE GREEN SNAKE AND THE BEAUTIFUL LILY

In this Instalment the Man With The Lamp is found to help The Green Snake care for the body of the Youth. The Lily is distraught about what has happened.

It will take a few days from today, the 29th of October, for the audio recording I have made to become attached.

Now to the Consonant n which has a special place in the sounds of the English Alphabet.

This consonant has an intriguing nasal characteristic and quality. The sound n is able to represent strong gestures of antipathy and withdrawal. These can be powerful and sometimes come as a surprise.

N is a lingual sound resulting from the tongue being placed immediately behind upper teeth. Conscious use enables discovery of a dramatic style in the way we speak. 

Lingual sounds have a quality of thinking. This is in contrast to sounds from the lips (labial sounds) which have a quality of feeling and those from the hard palate (palatal) which have a will quality - of action.

Along with b, d,  g, k, m, p, t - n is an "impact" sound. Impact sounds are in contrast to "blown" sounds of - h, ch, j, sch, s, f, w. Dr Rudolf Steiner describes impact sounds as having a "closed form" encouraging us to grow into the sounds when we make them.

N has a quality of being able to be a short sound when at the beginning of a word and longer when at the end. It can also be colder when at the beginning and warmer when at the end. However, the intended meaning of the words containing the n can require these characteristics to be otherwise.

To represent the sound visibly, physically, as in the art of eurythmy, envisage arms outstretched in front with closed hands unfolding outwards fairly quickly.

Create a phrase with a predominance of n consonants. Speak it to experience the above qualities and characteristics. 

Take the first two lines of Sonnet 33 by William Shakespeare:

Full many a glorious morning have I seen

Flatter the mountain-tops with the sovereign eye,

Here, there are many n consonants. Speaking them feel the length and warmth of this sound, particularly the opportunity for an appropriate extended length at the end of the word seen and sovereign (eye). Sonnets arise from inner experiences which give such powerful pictorial forms.

Dr Rudolf Steiner created forms of words, often without meaning as regards to content, to repeat as 'gymnastic' exercises. One is:

"Name neat Norman on nimble moody mules"

Repeating this many times enables us to experiment and work out how best to use our tongue and teeth to make the n sound. In this exercise the length of the n in Name is long.

In the attached recording I give how I form this sound.

Please tell me your experiences.

  

THIS IS THE ELEVENTH INSTALMENT OF THE GREEN SNAKE AND THE BEAUTIFUL LILY

The Lily finishes talking with the Snake about the prophecy of the Bridge and meets the Youth. 

Something terrible happens when they meet too early in their life destinies............



Now to the consonant m whose subtle powerful sound signifies understanding. It is an expression of agreement. It is one of the five basic English consonants - k, l, s, f, m.

It is an evenly balanced, measured sound formed through closing our lips and on our out-breath feeling and hearing the sound. Cecil Harwood in his book "Eurythmy and The Impulse of Dance" describes the sound and movement of this consonant as "continuous, having no beginning and no end." What closes the need for the sound is the need for a different one. For example, 'Moon' where the "u" (oo) sound follows.

Hans Pusch in his book "Who Speaks", a gem, shows where the key consonants originate from within the mouth describing these points as "jumping boards from which the sounds start where they enter the out-streaming breath. We could not start an m in the throat, but on the lips and from there we let it go and move with the breath." Note the importance of the out-streaming breath in the work of these two individuals. The previous Post on Breathing and Speaking concentrates upon this.

There is often a strong gesture associated with m because it has meaning in its own right - of  understanding and agreement. The most common physical gesture is a slight nodding forwards and backwards of the head whilst making the sound. An acknowledgement. Another is an attentive sitting forward or bowing slightly towards someone or something.

Experiment with the sound by speaking the following words:

Map, marble, mediation, mighty, Moon

Assemble, embarrass, climb, accommodate, whom

Calm, team, him, loam, loom

Experience when pronouncing m at the beginning of a word how it helps form the strength, power, understanding, meaning and direction of the whole word. For example, the importance of m in Map, strength in mighty and marble, understanding in mediation and mystical for the nature of the Moon.

In the middle of a word the sound m has a grounding quality. For example, in Assemble, the act of gathering together.

At the end of a word m has the nature of agreed closure. For example, through Calm - peace.

The attached audio recording gives these examples.

 

 

 

Experiment further by creating a phrase or short sentence with a predominance of m consonants and repeating it a number of times. For example: The mighty climb meant immediate honour for him. Experiment with the quality of m for each of these words and then when speaking the whole sentence refine their sounds by taking "each other" into account. For example, the word "meant" and consonant m within it will be subordinate to the words mighty, climb and immediate, either side of it. The audio recording will show this.

Please circulate the phrases and sentences you create via this Blog for others to use.

Dr Steiner created a form of words as an exercise for being conscious about speech sounds. Although not directly addressing the consonant m itself, it has features which, when repeated regularly, help create the sound. The words which are not intended to have any meaning, are:

Dart may these boats through darkening gloaming
Name neat Norman on nimble moody mules
Rattle me more and more rattles now rightly.

The final feature of this consonant is its inherent ability to support potential rhythm. In the sentence The mighty climb meant immediate honour for him the characteristic of understanding in the consonant m supports the rhythm - "mighty climb"/"immediate honour"/"him".

A Post in the near future will develop the previous one on Breathing and Speaking, exploring the nature and characteristics of Rhythm, when speaking.

I wish you every success and enjoyment exploring this very significant consonant whose qualities are akin to a secret!

BREATHING AND SPEAKING

BREATHING and SPEAKING

The first Posts on this Blog concentrate upon the value of creating pictures in our minds from which to speak and appreciate the predominant gesture about what we are saying. The nature and sounds of the consonants in the English Alphabet are being posted. We are up to L. The vowels will come when the consonants are completed.

Making speech sounds would not be possible without consciously using the air around us. This Post explores our breathing to support our speaking.

Notes taken in 1980 by Christine Murphy of a lecture given by Agathe Lorenz-Poschmann, a renowned actress who studied Eurythmy and Speech Formation, are very helpful in understanding the relationship between the air we inhale and exhale and our speaking.

Taking in - inhaling - deep breaths before speaking is neither necessary or advisable.

In contrast Lorenz-Poschmann described the harmonious manner in which ancient Greeks spoke, being a balance between in-breathing and out-breathing. Texts written in this period created a rhythm of speaking, easy to engage with, being measured and deliberate, enabling pictures created in our minds to be put into words and spoken clearly and imaginatively.

Lorenz-Poschmann speaks of aiming when speaking "to be a sculptor of the outer air forming speech on the out-breath."

Breathing today in relation to speaking is often chaotic: through short hurried intakes of breath, part-way through speaking; becoming hoarse and not being heard by running out of breath entirely.

In contrast, to consciously speak and sing well, encourage air all around us to enter our lungs naturally so that we have out-breath upon which to form speech sounds. Envisage drawing air into the whole space of our lungs like filling a jug with water.  Breathing in and using air in this way enables us take command of what we are doing when we speak. We judge how much air we will need to speak a word, phrase or sentence. By doing this we reduce the risk of not being able to finish what we intended to say and generally increase our ability to be heard properly.

Three laws of speech guide us beautifully here:

First - take hold of it

Second - release it, let it go

Thirdly - go with it, follow it

A good principle to follow if you run out of out-breath is to stop speaking! - take in more air (water into the jug) then start speaking again upon the newly acquired out-breath.

A good practice my singing teacher advocates, to help make our lungs become full, is to "think the air down - towards the floor." Imagining this avoids having only partially filled lungs at the top.

I can hear a cry! - I cannot spend all this amount of time thinking about my breathing otherwise I will never do anything else. Yes, very true, yet as with all practices a little time spent, periodically, in being more conscious about breathing remains with us when having to concentrate elsewhere and when this art is most needed. The best way to do imprint this within us is to:

EXPERIMENT!

Take the word "World" and from experience think how much out-breath you will need to speak this word clearly with full meaning.

Take time to speak this single word because the sounds we make for it need to leave us experiencing, imagining the wide endless expanse of what we understand and feel is the "World."

If you take each letter, the 'r' is an air consonant and has the capacity to fly. The 'L' consonant is renown, as described in the last Post but one, for it's potentially lively, vibrant, flowing, watery nature. The consonant 'd' brings the word to a definite close. Preceding these three consonants and following the 'w', which itself shapes all that follows, the vowel 'o' will be all encompassing and fairly lengthy to render accurately the picture of the World held in our minds to imbue awe and wonder in the listener.

There is a lot here for Lorenz-Poschmann's sculptor "of the sound of a word on the out-breath."
.
Practise this "World" word sound. Speak it to another individual - first without giving any thought to breathing then by giving conscious thought to this through your assessment how much out-breath is needed to express the full nature of the word and the consonants and vowels that form it.

Write down what you and the individual listening to you, experience. Listen to yourself and ask for feedback about the clarity, imaginative "accuracy" and impact your speech sounds had on your listener.

Develop this experiment by adding words to make a phrase. For example, after the word "World" add two further words "climate change".

Apply the same preparation for using the out-breath as for the single word "World". Three words will obviously require more out-breath upon which to place the sounds than for one. This will be especially the case as the phrase itself is significant and often creates emotion in both the speaker and the listener. Picture images held in our minds when speaking such a phrase will, as always, play a significant part in the speech sounds delivered. To ground further the importance of speaking this particular phrase imagine speaking it within a lecture being delivered at a major world conference.

The air we use as out-breath for speaking is not ours. It belongs to the universe. As with all natural resources if we look after and use it properly it will reward us. In this arena it will do so with clear, living, imaginative and healing speech sounds.

Please tell me about your experiments.

THIS IS THE TENTH INSTALMENT of THE GREEN SNAKE AND THE BEAUTIFUL LILY

In this instalment the Green Snake and The Beautiful Lily talk about their hopes and expectations for a river Bridge which is to join the world of the Lily with that from where her visitors come from.

The Lily hears again the phrase "The Time is at Hand" - heralding ................



Now to the consonant L - one of the most beautiful and influential of all speech sounds.

Cecil Harwood in his essay "Eurythmy and the Word" speaks of this consonant in the following way: "in L you live in the world of pure creative force. It as a life giving sound that you can almost taste it in your mouth."

L is a fluid, watery "air" sound which helps create and convey a flowing sound and quality within words.

Take the consonant L in the word "flow". The L is an ideal consonant because it bridges the consonant f and the vowel o in such a way the full potential of the sound of this word can support, brilliantly, nouns like "water" and "people". In phrases "the flowing water" and "the flow of the people coming into the arena" the L within "flow" helps significantly make the whole phrase come alive and live.

In these examples full use of the L enables you to speak so your listeners can both hear and feel the full force of the water flowing down the rapids or sense the stream, mass of people coming into an Olympic Arena.

The very beginning of the sound  is "eh" formed through an open mouth following which the forward part of the tongue rises to the front of the roof of the mouth. A particular feature of the L sound is the ability, with sufficient breath, to keep forming the sound for quite a long time. In very descriptive words like 'languish' this is very helpful to create the fullest meaning. For example, to languish is more likely to be an experience over a period of time rather a second or two. Consequently a long L sound supports this meaning well.

We can have amazing control over the length and depth of the sound of this consonant.

Watch for any tendency to make this sound "heavy". It has the capacity and is often required to be very "light" - that is of little weight, not dense. An example is in the word "lept" in the phrase "the child lept into the air". The context is clearly agile movement. Consequently, to replicate this in speech sound the leading consonantal sound L needs to support forming this type of movement by a child.

To physically support practising this sound put both hands in front of your chest, then open and raise your hands and arms in front of you, as if unfurling a circle above your head, then draw your arms down beside you and back up again to the original starting position. Forming this movement as you practise making this sound helps immeasurably to enter fully into the character and mood of the sound.

Cecil Harwood shows how the poem The Lamb by the English poet William Blake "takes its tone and colour from the sound L". Citing the following selection of lines Cecil Harwood speaks of the poem being written "in the Key of L."

                                                   Little Lamb, who made thee.......
                                                   Little Lamb, I'll tell thee.......
                                                   He is called by thy name,
                                                   For he calls Himself a Lamb.......
                                                   Little Lamb, God bless thee.

He concludes "All this wealth of L's is supported chiefly by the light or breath sounds, S, F, W and the meditative sound of M."

In the attached sound recording I paint, in sounds, the various colours and shades of this beautiful and very influential consonant.

Please tell me your experiences. I am now on Twitter as robinblackmore2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



RESUME OF EXPERIENTIAL WORKSHOP on Wolfgang Goethe's THE GREEN SNAKE AND THE BEAUTIFUL LILY

On the 18th of March 2014 nine individuals met at Rudolf Steiner House in London and explored the characters and their speeches in this Fairy Tale.

To help with my exploration of this work I offered this occasion to enable individuals experience being the characters in this work. I created fifteen Playlets and collected coloured fabrics, ribbons, a basket and vegetables to support individuals being the different characters.

There was a complete range of knowledge and experience of the Tale from none to using it within professional roles. Everyone chose characters to explore during the day.

Three of the Playlets were used. The first, early in the Tale, was where the green Snake, radiating new found light from eating gold coins, had a conversation in a subterranean vault with a gold King. The Snake also met the Man with the Lamp for the first time. The second, a while later, was where the Man with the Lamp's wife was trying to pay a debt of vegetables owed to a Ferryman by two "Will-o'-wisps." The third, at a turning point two-thirds of the way through the Tale, was where the Youth meets the Lily and upon accidentally touching each other the Youth loses consciousness.

This reflective inquiry was supported by eleven paintings arraigned upon chairs in a semicircle in the room providing beautiful images of scenes of the Tale, collectively providing a "hemisphere" of light and colour.

Particular features of the day included: collective inquiry and discovery, for example, why the Lamp held by The Man with the Lamp only shines in the presence of another light; how the characters metamorphosed as the story unfolded, for example. the green Snake ultimately sacrificing herself to form a bridge; experiencing, for digestion later, what it actually felt like to be a character at a particular point in the story, for example, the Youth Prince losing his earthly consciousness following he and the Lily touching; consideration of speech formation. for example, the Snake speaking the word "Light" in response to the gold King asking her "What is grander than Gold?"

Working in this way gave the occasion a living quality. Those present said the initiative and "safe" conversation through which individuals "felt free to explore, imagine and speak" was a joy and enhanced enthusiasm for the Fairy Tale.

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has worked with this or other works by Goethe about their experiences.

THIS POST CONTAINS the SEVENTH, EIGHTH and NINTH INSTALMENTS OF THE GREEN SNAKE AND THE BEAUTIFUL LILY Fairy Tale by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

I have put these three separate new recordings on this one Post for those who might want to come to the Workshop in London on the 18th of March at Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Road, (Baker Street)  between 11am and 4pm. At this Workshop we will be exploring this Fairy Tale through the characters and their key speeches.

I have created 15 Playlets for this occasion to help explore the Tale by being able to experience the characters, speaking what they say to each other.

Together, with the 6 earlier Instalments posted on this blog, the three new recordings attached to this Post cover the first half of the Fairy Tale.

At the Workshop we will of course explore the whole Fairy Tale. Between then and the remainder of this Year I will record and post the second half of the recordings so the whole Tale can be heard in this spoken way.

I will continue to alternate these Posts with instalment recordings attached to them - with others exploring, sequentially, each English consonant. The next consonant to be explored will be L.

I do hope you enjoy these recordings. I will be delighted to hear, through my e-mail address: robinlivingspeech@gmail.com  what thoughts, feelings and imaginations they may be creating.







THIS IS THE SIXTH INSTALMENT OF THE GREEN SNAKE AND THE BEAUTIFUL LILY

This instalment introduces us to the dilemma a Character experiences in endeavouring to pay a debt incurred by others. A dilemma many experience.

We meet the Giant!



Now to the sound of the consonant "k"

This is an intriguing sound. Consonant k has two very contrasting characteristics and qualities.

The first is that it can be a forceful key sound in a word where the whole sound of the word depends heavily upon it's qualities. Examples are "kite, king, hike, bake, lock and rock, where the k is placed either at the beginning, in the middle or at the end.

   

The contrast is where there is no sound as in "knowing, knapsack, knave, knee, knife, knock. An incredible contrast.

I referred to the sound "k" in a Post about the consonant "c" I made on this Blog on the 8th of February 2013. I attach to this Post the audio recording I made for that Post. This includes exploring "k".

I described in this earlier Post how this sound is often described as "kicking k" to distinguish between the sounds of c and k.

The k sound is made by the back of the tongue being pressed against the area in the roof of the mouth where the hard palate ends and the soft palate begins.

A good way to develop our ability to speak this sound is to recite words with the "forceful" k sound within them. Examples are as above. Feel the outward nature of the sound.

Create a sentence which includes this type of word. Speak it many times until you feel you are clear and getting the most out of the sound. An example could be: The boy in khaki kit felt like a king when, helped by Kate, he flew the kite.

Going back to earlier Posts on this Blog about imagining in pictures and gestures what you are going to say. Here is a good example of the value of doing this. Imagine, feel the upright robed posture and potential power of a King.

Go to the Post on this Blog which has an audio recording on 15th September 2013 of my speaking the Third Instalment of Goethe's Fairy Tale "The Green Snake and The Beautiful Lily" and listen to my creating the k sound when speaking several times the word King.

Finally, to support releasing the full nature and power of this consonant, as referenced and demonstrated in the audio recording attached to this Post, speak the following exercise several times, periodically: "Come crooked craftiest cur."

Good luck. Please tell me what your experiences are. Tell people what you are doing. See if they can hear a difference and ask them what that difference is. As with the consonant "t", we shall come to in due course, this is a very good consonant for feedback.



I will work with "PLAYLETS" of scenes of THE GREEN SNAKE AND THE BEAUTIFUL LILY

On Tuesday the 18th of March 14 in the Eurythmy Room at Rudolf Steiner House in LONDON at 35, Park Road, - post code NW1 6XT - between 11am and 4pm. The nearest tube station is "Baker Street."

Please come for any or all of the time. There is no need to book. The cost is £1.

Through our reading, speaking, envisioning and playing the roles of the key characters and what they say, experience how their stories in this fairy tale can "meet" and inform our own.

The Posts on this Blog which carry recordings of my speaking scenes give you an insight into the tale.

Full texts are available on the net. The translation we will use is by Thomas Carlyle. I will have paper copies of the PLAYLETS - text and direct speech for each of the different "scenes". These provide what we need.

Come and choose a Scene, play with it and through this gain a real feeling for and insights from this wonderful piece of world literature by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Robin

THIS IS THE FIFTH INSTALMENT OF THE GREEN SNAKE AND THE BEAUTIFUL LILY

Following the conversations between The Green Snake and the kings in the chasm the "Man with the Lamp" returns home to his cottage to find his wife in great distress. The Will-o'-wisps, the Ferryman encountered in the first instalment, had visited her.

This phase of the fairy tale introduces a number of riddles - puzzles - mysterious "facts" - that challenge the reader and which, worked upon, can generate wisdom.

So listen carefully! A recording of my reading this instalment is attached below.

My next workshop on The Green Snake and the Beautiful Lily is in London on 18 March 14. I am holding it between 11 am and 4 pm at Rudolf Steiner House 35, Park Road, (near Baker Street) London. The post code for this address is NW1 6XT

Please come and join me in my exploration of the key characters and their speeches. We will act some of them out as mini "playlets".