r the sake of change during a long rehearsal, the boys sit, let it
be remembered that there are many ways of sitting, and that the upright
posture hinders the breath less than lolling and a crooked posture.
Rigidity is the enemy of all good singing. Let the whole body and vocal
apparatus be relaxed, and pure tone will result. "If I hear a boy
forcing up his voice," said Herr Eglinger, of Basel, to me, "I ask the
rest of the class to point him out, and they do it at once." This at
once cures the transgressor and sharpens the consciences of the other
boys. As to the vowel on which singers should be trained, there are
differences of opinion. Maurice Strakosch, the trainer of Patti,
Nilsson, &c., used "ha," which causes a slight breath to precede the
articulation. This, he said, gives the voice a natural start. It is
something like the "koo" of Mrs. Seiler. Learners he required to lower
their heads while singing, and to show the upper teeth, so as to keep
the lips out of the way of the tone. Mr. Barnicott, a successful
choirmaster at Taunton, uses "ka." But as in the actual singing of the
English language all the vowels are encountered in turn, it would seem
reasonable that they should all be included in the practice.

Mr. Walter Brooks, quoted elsewhere, lays stress upon long-sustained
notes in the scale of E flat, and up to G. These expand the lower part
of the lungs, and produce steady, firm tone. They should be sung both
loud and soft, the boys one by one and together. An admirable plan is to
keep boys on the alert listening for faults, asking those not singing,
"Whose fault is that?" Jealousy and conceit, says Mr. Brooks, are
avoided by giving a solo to three or four boys to sing in unison. Three
or four will blend better than two, and after proper rehearsal the tone
is so like one voice that people say, "What a beautiful voice that boy
has!"

As to balance of parts, the following table is given by Mr. H. B. Roney
of Chicago:--

Sopranos 12 17 25 37 50
Altos 4 5 7 11 14
Tenors 4 5 8 11 14
Basses 5 8 10 16 22
-- -- -- -- --
25 35 50 75 100

Mr. Stocks Hammond says that during voice exercise the boys should stand
perfectly erect, with mouth well open, the shoulders being thrown back.
After exercise in slowly inhaling and exhaling the breath, comes the
uniting of the regis