"To my pupil Vernon Mackie: A reminder of a cordial constructive collaboration. And may he continue to contribute to the tablets of vocal truth as few indeed can in this decadent era." E. Herbert Caesari, London 1963

Maria Callas had the good fortune of studying with Elvira de Hidalgo in Greece during the Second World War (1939-1945). She was an exponent of the Old Schooling which, as Callas said, “does not exist any more”.

Elizabeth Schwarzkopf is reported to have said, on listening to the old recordings, "We have a long way to go to reach the standards set by the great singers of yesteryear".

The judgement of these divas would appear to be justified, by the general standard of performance, particularly of men, that one hears today. This implies that the modus operandi of the Old School no longer exists.

Nature's laws exist forever. However, it seems the vast majority of singing pedagogy has scant knowledge of these wonderful laws.

This is not a 21st century phenomenon. E. Herbert-Caesari almost 100 years ago searched throughout Italy for the source of this already disappearing knowledge. Through sheer perseverance he was accepted as a pupil by Ricardo Daviesi, the greatest Sistine Chapel singer of 19th Century.

In Daviesi, abided all the knowledge of the Old Italian School, Caesari absorbed and forever recalled Daviesi’s instructions and committed his life to the preservation and promotion of these teachings to enhance noblest of all arts. This is available to all searchers of vocal truth, in his five publications.