lished, being found to be too expensive. Now
the boys are selected from schools in and near the parish, and Mr.
Sergison finds the ordinary London boy equal to all the demands of the
church. When the choir-school was given up he was able within a month to
prepare an entirely new set of boys, so proficient that the congregation
scarcely noticed a difference. The vocal practice of the boys includes
"Concone's Exercises," and their phrasing in the service music is very
good. The full choir sings on Sundays and Saints' Days, and their
rehearsal takes place once a week in the church, Mr. Sergison being at
the organ. In the chapter on the management of choir-boys I have quoted
some wise remarks by Mr. Sergison, which explain his success as a
choirmaster.

ST. MARK'S COLLEGE, CHELSEA.

This is a Training College for schoolmasters, which has long been noted
for its musical services. Mr. Owen Breden, the present organist and
choirmaster, is the successor of Dr. Hullah, Mr. May, and the Rev. F.
Helmore. The choir-boys, who number 26, only sing on Sundays. They are
drawn from the practicing school, which contains 800 boys. They enter
the choir at nine years of age, and there are always six or eight
probationers, who attend the practices and are ready to fill vacancies.
Thus a good style of singing is maintained. People say to Mr. Breden,
"There is no telling one voice from another, your boys are so much
alike." At the bi-weekly practice with Mr. Breden the boys have
voice-training. They sing to _la_ and sol-fa syllables scales gradually
rising. They are not trained above G, but if a boy has a good G he can
always go higher. The boys can all read from the Sol-fa modulator, and
Mr. Breden gives them ear-tests. The alto part is taken entirely by boys
at St. Mark's. The choir-boys, past and present, perform an operetta in
costume every Christmas. Anthems like Macfarren's "The Lord is my
Shepherd," Bennett's "God is a Spirit," Goss's "O Saviour of the world,"
&c., are sung unaccompanied. In fact, whenever the organ part merely
duplicates the voices, they take the opportunity at St. Mark's to enjoy
the pure chording of human voices.

ST. MARY'S CHURCH, BERLIN.

My friend, Herr Th. Krause, the organist and choirmaster of this church,
allowed me to attend a rehearsal of the eighty boys and twenty men who
form his fine choir. The large number of boys is explained by the fact
that nearly half of them are altos. The motet of the Luth