not boys, are almost unknown outside of a few
large cities. This state of affair has led, in many cases, to the
employment of boys as altos, and they have of course sung with the thick
or chest voice. It is an unmanageable and unmusical voice, it is harsh,
unsympathetic, hard to keep in tune, its presence in a choir is a
constant menace to the soprano tone, and were it not for the idea that
there is no recourse from this voice, save in the employment of woman
altos, it would not be tolerated by musicians.

There is a recourse, however, and it is at the command of every choir
trainer whose sopranos have been taught to sing with the head voice
alone. It is to select certain sopranos, and when the voice breaks, let
them pass to the alto part, and _continue to use the head voice_.

The objection which will naturally occur, is, that no singing should be
permitted during the break. Well, let us consider. The period during
which the voice, in common parlance, is breaking, is a period of
laryngeal growth, just as inevitable and natural, as is the growth of
the body generally. The voice may be fractured, but the larynx is not.

Every choir trainer must have observed the preliminaries to this period.
A boy for instance, shows all at once a sudden increase of volume and
finds it difficult to sing unless quite loudly or softly.

This shows that the vocal bands are relaxed. Following this, the
speaking voice will lower in pitch, and show hoarseness at times. As
soon though, as this hoarseness passes away, that is, when the
congestion at the larynx has passed, the voice is better perhaps than
before. Then comes another break, as we say, that is, a period of sore
throat and hoarseness.

After this has passed, it may be that the boy has lost his upper notes,
but can sing the lower ones with ease; the tone too, is changed in
timbre. It has the color of the man's head voice; or it may be that the
boy can still sing his high notes, but that the lower ones are
uncertain. Voice mutation is not one continuous period of growth of
vocal bands and laryngeal cartilages. On the contrary, the periods of
vocal disturbance are separated by intervals when the throat is
comparatively free from irritation. These intervals may be long or
short. It evidently depends upon the rapidity or slowness of the general
growth and development.

There can be no doubt now, that during a time when the voice is
uncertain and hoarse from the irritation of the voc