underwent the Spartan training which produced such notable results. "No
chest voice above F or G" was his rule, and the flute-like voice, which
goes by so many names, and is yet so unmistakable when heard, was
developed in all the choristers. Dr. Buck had an endless number of
contrivances for teaching his boys right ways. Each of them carried
about him a pocket looking-glass, and at practice was taught to hold it
in his hand, and watch his mouth as he sang. One finger on top of the
other was the gauge for opening the mouth transversely, while nuts were
held in the cheeks to secure its proper longitudinal opening. To look at
the boys during this exercise, one might think they had the face-ache!
However, no joking over these matters was allowed; there was a penny
fine for forgetting the looking-glass once, and a twopenny fine for
forgetting it a second time. To prevent the use of too much breath in
singing, Dr. Buck would take a piece of tissue paper, the size of a
postage stamp, hang it by a fine thread in front of the mouth, and make
the boys sing to it without blowing it away. Tongue-drill consisted in
regular motions of the unruly member, until the boys were able to make
it lie flat down at the bottom of the mouth, and raise it to the upper
teeth as required. It was a daily plan to practise certain passages with
the lips entirely closed, this was done to prevent the objectionable
quality of voice resulting from any stoppage of the nasal organs. There
was no sol-faing; various words were used at scale-practice, chosen to
develop the vowels, while a code of troublesome words and endings of
words was drawn up, and repeated daily by the boys in the
speaking-voice, so as to secure clear enunciation. I have more than once
seen and heard it stated that Dr. Buck used to make his boys sing
through the nose, with closed mouth, in order to get the higher
register, but Mr. Gaul does not remember this. Dr. Haydn Keeton informs
me that they had boy-altos at Norwich in Dr. Buck's time, so that he
must have had more boys than usual to train.

SALISBURY.

A conversation with Mr. C. L. South, the organist and choirmaster, shows
him to be a careful and able worker. The boys, who are boarded in the
choir school, come from various parts. They are received at from 8 to 11
years; not over 11 unless the boy is very good and forward in music. The
boys are chosen for their voices, but given two boys of equal voices,
the one who knows most m