ays of securing right tone stand out
with marked prominence. They are, soft singing, and the downward
practice of scales.

[Illustration: Decoration]

CHAPTER V.

INFORMATION ON VOICE-TRAINING, COLLECTED BY THE SALISBURY DIOCESAN
CHORAL ASSOCIATION.

I am indebted to the Rev. W. Miles Barnes, rector of Monkton,
Dorchester, for the following information, recently obtained by him on
the subject of voice-training. It appears that for the information of
choir instructors (some 200 in number) in union with the Salisbury
Diocesan Choral Association, the advice of precentors and organists of
cathedrals was lately sought as to the best way of correcting a very
common fault in the singing of country choirs.

The following questions were proposed:

"(I.) It is a common practice in country choirs for boys and
tenors to force the lower register to sing notes which
should be taken in the higher or head register. The
notes thus forced are harsh and unmusical in tone, and
generally flat in pitch. How would you correct this
fault in boys?"

"(II.) What method is employed in ---- Cathedral for developing
and strengthening the higher (head) register in
boys' voices?"

The following are extracts from the replies:--

Rev. F. J. HELMORE, Precentor of Canterbury.

I should recommend the practice of the first five notes of the scales of
A, B[b], B, and C, _piano_, taken rather slowly, and then of intervals
from G to D, G to E[b], G to E, A to E, &c. &c. After that I would try
them with the complete scales of E, F, F[#], and G, fast and _forte_,
thus:--

[Illustration: musical notation]

If no improvement is perceptible, begin again. Practice is the main
thing, after a boy has got to understand his faults.

Rev. W. MANN, M.A., Precentor of Bristol.

(1.) I think it almost impossible to remedy the evil you complain of
after the boys have been accustomed to sing upper notes from the chest
for some time--say one or two years. Our practice here is to secure boys
between the ages of 9 and 11, before they have been singing elsewhere,
or certainly before they have acquired any faulty tricks of forcing the
voice.

(2.) In training boys' voices never allow them to shout. If they
commence singing when young they may be taught by scale practice (always
singing quietly) to bridge over the break which exists between the chest
and head voice. This is an art, and requires experience.

(3.) Speaking generally, I should