How to Make a Singer Sing

There are many ways to persuade a stubborn singer. John Abell—famous tenor in the time of Charles II—learned one of the more imaginative ones.

A born spendthrift, Abell traveled through Europe trying to repair his finances. When he arrived in Warsaw, his reputation had already arrived ahead of him, and he was ordered to sing before the king and the court. Abell refused.

The king commanded him to appear the next day, on pain of imprisonment. Abell came—where he was politely seated in a chair in the center of a great hall.

Then, without warning, a mechanical device hoisted the chair high above the floor. The king and courtiers watched from a gallery, and several bears were released into the room below.

Abell was offered a choice: sing, or be lowered among the beasts. He sang—so well, the story says, that in a kinder venue it would have made his fortune.