ers, singers, _et cetera_, that seventy-nine persons out of one
hundred fifty-two stated positively that singing through the period of
puberty "causes certain injury, deterioration, or ruin to the after
voice." In the same book are found also (pp. 85 to 90) a series of
extremely interesting comments on the choirmaster's temptation to use
a voice after it begins to change.]

Let us now summarize the advice given up to this point before going on
to the consideration of our second problem:

1. Have the boys sing in high range most of the time. The
actual compass of the average choir boy's voice is probably
g--c''' but his best tones will be between e' and g'' [music
notation]. An occasional a'' or b'' or a d' or c' will do no
harm, but the voice must not remain outside of the range
e'--g'' for long at a time.

2. Insist upon soft singing until correct habits are
established. There is a vast difference of opinion as to
what soft singing means, and we have no means of making the
point clear except to say that at the outset of his career
the boy can scarcely sing too softly. Later on, after
correct habits are formed, the singing may, of course, be
louder, but it should at no time be so loud as to sound
strained.

3. Train the voice downward for some time before attempting
upward vocalization.

4. Dismiss the boy from the choir when his voice begins to
change, even if you need him and if he needs the money which
he receives for singing.

[Sidenote: THE BOY HIMSELF]

The second special problem mentioned at the beginning of this chapter
is the management of the boys owning the voices which we have just
been discussing; and this part of the choirmaster's task is
considerably more complex, less amenable to codification, and requires
infinitely more art for its successful prosecution. One may predict
with reasonable certainty what a typical boy-voice will do as the
result of certain treatment; but the wisest person can not foresee
what the result will be when the boy himself is subjected to any
specified kind of handling. As a matter of fact, there is no such
thing as a _typical_ boy, and even if there were, our knowledge of boy
nature in general has been, at least up to comparatively recent times,
so slight that it has been impossible to give directions as to his
management.

[Sidenote: HOW TO HANDLE BOYS]

In general, that