oys, and knowing the
difficulty of getting them to make a start, took with me a few of my own
trained lads, who sang the exercises first, after which I added one or
two of the beginners to them, and sympathetically they soon sang in the
proper register with the others. By continuing the process of addition
gradually I soon got the whole class to sing as I wished.

At this first lesson the proper production of "oo" (vowel) should be
obtained. I deal with the vowels as they arise, never observing a lack
of clearness and purity without endeavouring to correct it. The
foregoing exercises can next be used for teaching the intervals of the
diatonic scale, for instance:--

[Illustration: KEY F. {|d1:--| s:--|| s:--| d1:--||]

calling the notes by their names, doh soh. Here, again, the proper vowel
production must be sought for, and obtained. The difficulties will be
varied in this respect with the locality. Often I have met with
doh-_oo_. This, as well as ray-_ee_, and other faults that need not be
specified, can be corrected at once. The beautiful intonation we had at
Swanley I attribute in a large measure to the care bestowed on the
production of vowel sounds. There must be no division of opinion among
the singers as to how any particular vowel sound should be emitted. If
there be not unity in this respect the intonation suffers.

The earlier exercises should be sung in unison, a correct division into
1st, 2nd, and 3rd trebles being impossible until the boys have acquired
sufficient confidence to show _what_ they are naturally. I have for a
long time used with advantage the single chant form for exercises,
making them myself.

[Illustration: KEY F. {|d1:-|l:t |d1:-||d1:-|t:1 |s:t |d1:-||]

In order to avoid waste of time in learning exercises they should be
_short_, so that they can be caught up at once.

To get boys to sing in the register below (the Lower Thin) is the next
step, the exercises now being confined between [Illustration: musical
notation] and formed in the same way as those in the higher region. The
difficulty is greater in getting rough boys to use this part of the
vocal score correctly. The best way I have found to get them to
discover it, is to sing [Illustration: KEY F. s f m r d]--beginning at
C1, to koo. The notes are at first weak, and there is a tendency to
"squork," if I may so term it. These exercises must be sung softly at
first, and at this stage the schoolmaster can render valuable help if