This talk consists of my reading a paper that I presented at a meeting of the New York Chapter of the American Musicological Society. The title speaks for itself, but the issues raised are fascinating ones that you don't need to be a musicologist to understand or find relevant. In brief, why was it that in the late 19th century so many sources decry the use of vibrato when we know that everyone was using it frequently? Have a listen--it may surprise you!