THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES MUSIC LIBRARY ">*v THE CHOIRTRAINER'S ART BY A. MADELEY RICHARDSON M.A., Mus. Doc., Oxon., F.R.C.O. (late organ scholar and theological prizeman of keble college, oxford; for twelve years organist and director of the choir of southwark cathedral; late mkmhkr of the council of the royal college of organists; author of "church music" for the clergy; "the psalms, their structure and musical rendering;" the southwark psalter; "modern organ accompaniment;" etc.) G. SCHIRMKR NEW YORK: 3 East 430 St. LONDON, W.: 18, Berners St. BOSTON: THE BOSTON MUSIC CO. Copyright, igi4, by G. Schkiiee 2480s Music Library To &tr Cfoiirg? fWaritn M.V.O., Mus. Doc, Organist of St. Paul's Cathedral 713828 CONTENTS PART I CONSTITUTION AND MANAGEMENT OF A CHOIR CHAPTER I INTRODUCTORY PAGE Choirs of many kinds Importance of work The handmaid of religion The power of music The Church's need Influence of education Divisions of the subject 3 CHAPTER II THE CHOIRMASTER Personality of the choirmaster The ideal His qualities And knowledge The choirmaster's reward 5 CHAPTER III THE MANAGEMENT OF THE BOYS Two ways of managing boys The method of force The method of persuasion Justice Politeness Trust Cooperation The constitutional Monarchy Results of responsibility Monitors Rules Punishments Fines Impositions A warning Par- ents Payment Various systems The Southwark custom Re- served payment 6 CHAPTER IV MANAGEMENT OF THE BOYS (Continued) Application Promotion Forms of agreement Balance of voices Decani and Cantoris The smallest choir Increased in size Exceptional cases Age for commencing to sing Breaking' Finishing Nature's signal Balance of ages Arrangement of places For seniors For probationers Soloists Trebles Ten- ors and Altos 1 5 v vi CONTENTS CHAPTER V THE MANAGEMENT OF THE MEN PAGE Tact Considerateness Consistency Forms of application Cooperation Business meetings Social meetings Religious as- pect Corporate Communions Southwark Cathedral Soloists Payment Agreements 25 CHAPTER VI WOMEN SINGERS Management Practices Numbers Voice-production . 31 CHAPTER VII THE PRACTICE ROOM A special room A makeshift Essentials Arrangement Mu- sic-stands The pianoforte Other furnishings 32 CHAPTER VIII PRACTICES AND REHEARSALS Regular work Number of practices Different plans Boy's Men's ' Full ' Economy of time Order Standing, sitting, kneeling 33 CHAPTER IX ENGLISH AND AMERICAN BOYS Distinguishing traits Warnings to the author His arrival in America Newport experiences Raw material Cassandra's fore- cast A conversation The end of it American and English boys Some anecdotes Smartness of Newport boys 35 PART II VOICE-PRODUCTION CHAPTER I METHODS OF PRODUCTION Contradictory opinions Search for truth Its discovery An empirical method The natural ' voice Its production The CONTENTS vii PAGE teacher taught Example and precept Gradual growth All voices useful Results sought for The perfect voice .... 43 CHAPTER II TONE (I) Importance of breathing Directions Methods The Italian Attack Its importance Explained Control of breath Faulty tone Its cause An analogy t 46 CHAPTER III TONE (II) Resonance Explained Two kinds Registers Scientific names 'Solid' and 'liquid' resonance 'Placing' the voice ' Chest ' resonance ' Middle ' resonance ' Head ' notes Balance Attack and balance Automatic tension True and false balance Diagrams Personal experience And knowledge .... 50 CHAPTER IV PRACTICAL DIRECTIONS Position of the body The tongue An exercise The lips The jaws Compass of boys' voices Treatment of registers The starting-point Middle voice Head Chest 55 CHAPTER V VOWEL QUALITY 'Colour' of tone Definition of vowel Thirteen varieties The normal vowel Modifications Lip vowels Tongue vowels Long And short Compound Directions Ah Aw O OO Ah Er A E The compounds The vocal 'r' Its treatment 56 CHAPTER VI THE CONSONANTS Definitions And analysis Explosives Buzzes and hisses Semi-vocals Nasal Oral The aspirate Order of study Im- portance Correct pronunciation Enunciation and diction Methods of practice Combinations 62 viii CONTENTS CHAPTER VII FIRST STEPS FOR BOYS PAGE Pure tone Exercise of muscles Habits Two laws of logic Cause and effect The seed and the fruit Method of teaching The game of voice-using 66 CHAPTER VIII FIRST STEPS FOR BOYS (Continued) Breathing-exercises Exercises for attack For resonance Use of cork The humming exercise 69 CHAPTER IX AGILITY EXERCISES SCALES Technical figures The downward scale The ascending scale The nine-note scale The fifteen-note scale A variation The slow shake The quick shake Further steps 75 CHAPTER X AGILITY EXERCISES ARPEGGIOS Moving by leap Directions and exercises A competition Double scales Triple scales Use of various vowels General di- rections 79 CHAPTER XI USE OF THE BLACKBOARD Sight-reading In two parts And three Silent directions . 83 CHAPTER XII VOWELS AND CONSONANTS COMBINED Use of hymns Details of rendering Variety of ways * O God, our help' Analysis ' Holy, holy, holy ' Analysis * When wounded sore' Analysis Gradual advance 84 CONTENTS ix CHAPTER XIII THE TRAINING OF ALTOS PAGE Desire for information The writer's experience at Newport The material Plans of work Line upon line Progress Here a little, and there a little Exercises Difficulties Discouragement Triumph Final results 91 PART III THE RENDERING OF CHURCH MUSIC CHAPTER I THE VALUE OF WORDS Evolution and origins What words are Beauty of sound Lord Chesterfield's saying Rhythm Regular Irregular Eng- lish losses The golden age Formal designs Latin metres Their meaning for us Accent Stress Quantity An illustra- tion Importance of first steps A guiding principle 97 CHAPTER II WORDS AND MUSIC Ancient poetic inflexions A loss The ritual music of the Church Free rhythm Explanation of the Benedictines of Stanbrook Merbecke's directions The ecclesiastical chant The pure choral style Introduction and tyranny of the bar Return to true founda- tions 102 CHAPTER III THE FIXED PLAIN-SONG OF THE SERVICE MONOTONES Recent advances In England In America The fixed plain- song Monotones The General Confession Analyzed Points to observe Importance of foundations Maintenance of pitch A strong warning The best advice Pace Volume The Lord's Prayer And the Creed 106 x CONTENTS CHAPTER IV THE FIXED PLAIN-SONG (Continued) The Versicles and Responses, and Litany Widespread misunderstanding Ferial ' ' Festal ' True ren- dering Distortions Their result Unison or harmony ? Analysis in detail The Gloria Patri An important suggestion Prevailing mistakes Tallis A comparison The composer's intention The congregational part The Litany Weak places A printer's error 114 CHAPTER V PSALM CHANTING Importance of the true art Definition of the Chant The best known chant The prevalent faults vs. the true old method An un- fortunate distinction An unnecessary evil A pre-Reformation verse A verse from Merbecke A verse from Tallis Introduction of harmony New conditions A serious loss ' Pointing ' Rules for chanting Illustrated The recitation Final words The cor- rect way to view the matter 124 CHAPTER VI PSALM CHANTING (Continued) Middle words The one condition Verses from Merbecke Verses from Tallis Bars, their use and abuse An important rule Illustrations Dots Fully considered The mark of division The Rev. W. H. Frere's opinion Antiphonal singing Various ways- Structure of verses A word of warning Unison chanting A word of encouragement The easiest way Its results 'The Psalms in Human Life' The real difficulty Futile efforts Hope for the future 132 CHAPTER VII MERBECKE'S COMMUNION SERVICE Two notable Services What they are Importance of Merbecke' s work Misconceptions as to its rendering Anachronisms The author's intentions Free rhythm and tonality Use of the square notes A comparison A presumption, and a certainty Work of the modern adapter A new edition The movements The Kyrie A suggestion The creed A detailed interpretation The Sanc- tus A remarkable distortion The Agnus Dei The Paternoster An unfortunate mistake The Gloria in Excelsis The Offertory Sentences and Post-Communions Their revival 141 CONTENTS xi CHAPTER VIII FURTHER DIRECTIONS PAGE Length of practice Order, method and precision Plan of prac- tice Time-beating Sight-reading Learning new music Leads And endings Important method Pauses Their treatment . 153 CHAPTER IX ACCURACY AND EXPRESSION Crescendo and diminuendo Directions Illustrations Rallen- tando and accelerando Illustrations Expression An elusive sub- ject The true artist Thoughts from Ruskin Analogies A guide The Lamp of Life 159 CHAPTER X HYMNS The choirmaster's great opportunity Place of the modern hymn Classification of tunes Plain-song tunes Their interpretation 'Sing, my tongue' Analysis The Old Hundredth Rendering Pauses Phrasing Breath-taking Rules and illustrations ' How sweet the name ' Choice of pace A barbarism General direc- tions Important illustrations Lead, kindly Light ' Its style Congregational singing Suggestions for its improvement Hymn singing a reality Three important points ' Playing over ' An excrescence Another mistake ' Amens ' Their insertion . Their removal Reasons Opinion of the Dean of Christ Church A strange custom * Processionals ' and * recessionals ' The hymn a work of art Correcting the abuse 162 CHAPTER XI ANTHEMS AND SERVICES Nearing the end Classification A summing up Importance of the pure choral style Sir Hubert Parry's words The mystery of gliding harmonies A few hints Illustrations Directions Palestrina Tallis Goss Wesley Martin Mozart Haydn Mendelssohn Dvorak Gounod Conclusion The present and the future 172 Exercises as given in Part II 191 PART I CONSTITUTION AND MANAGEMENT OF A CHOIR PART I CONSTITUTION AND MANAGEMENT OF A CHOIR Chapter I : Introductory Chapter II : The Choirmaster Chapter III : The Management of the Boys Chapter IV: Management of the Boys (cont.) Chapter V : The Management of the Men Chapter VI : Women Singers Chapter VII : The Practice Room Chapter VIII : Practices and Rehearsals . Chapter IX : English and American Boys 3 5 6 i5 25 31 3 2 33 35 THE CHOIRTRAINER'S ART CHAPTER I INTRODUCTORY Choirs are of many kinds, from the Cathedral Choir at one end of the scale to the humblest village choir at the other. In dealing with choirs of varying capacity the choir- master's work and methods will vary greatly as to detail, but the general principles upon which they are grounded, and his attitude and feelings towards choir singers, will re- main the same, only expressing themselves in different forms and by different channels. In the following pages an attempt will be made to assist all choirmasters, whether they be the humble directors of village choirs or whether they be the dignified choragi and precentors of Cathedral foundations. The importance of choir work at the present time can hardly be overestimated. As I have said on a former oc- casion, the standard of Church music is steadily going up. The desire is felt, and is being expressed in all directions, that the important side of religious life represented by choir singers should receive due and proper attention. The efficiency of the Church, and the strength of the cause of religion itself, depend ultimately upon the way in which each separate department is conducted. Of all these departments, that of music, the Handmaid of Religion, is certainly not the least important. The compelling power of music, and especially of vocal music, has been recognized from the beginning of the world. The poet declares : Silvestres homines sacer interpresque deorum Caedibus et victu foedo deterruit Orpheus. Dictus ob hoc lenire tigres rabidosque leones; 3 The Choirtrainer s Art Dictus et Amphion, Thebanae conditor urbis, Saxa movere sono testudinis et prece blanda Ducere, quo vellet.* When at its best, music is a persuasive force stronger than rhetoric, a force which can be appealed to where all others fail. Remembering this, it is seen how great im- portance is rightly attached to Church music an impor- tance that has been emphasized by the leaders of religious thought in all ages. With the rapid spread and growth of musical education in all directions and in all classes of society at the present day, it is clear that the Church must not, and cannot, re- main unaffected. It must strive to keep in line with the advance of education. It must even go further, and try to lead public taste and to guide it into the best channels. With the general questions of musical education and ar- tistic teaching it is not within the scope of the present vol- ume to deal. But the art of choir-training cannot be unaf- fected by them, and the best choirmaster will be the one who rightly balances his ideas and work with things around and outside him, and who values at its correct standard the im- portance of his work not merely as an end in itself, but also as a part of, and link in, a wider and greater whole. The study of choir-training comprises three branches of knowledge, dealing respectively with the general scope and management of choirs ; the training and production of the voice, and its musical instruction ; and the rendering of Church music in a true, correct and artistic manner. Equal attention should be given to each of these three branches in the order in which I have placed them. None is suffi- cient without the others ; the three welded together will give a complete and finished whole. * Horace, ' De Arte Poetica ' : " Orpheus, the priest and interpreter of the gods, made uncivilized men abstain from bloodshed and savage diet ; so that he was reputed, on this account, to have tamed tigers and raging lions. Amphion also, the builder of the Theban citadel, was said to move stones by the sound of his lyre, and by soothing allurements to lead them wherever he wished." (Bagot's translation. ) CHAPTER II THE CHOIRMASTER Before discussing the management of a choir it will be advisable to consider the personality of the choirmaster him- self. The choir depends upon the choirmaster. As is his personality, so will be that of the choir. The choir is the instrument upon which he plays, the living medium through which he expresses his musical thoughts. If we can find a perfect choirmaster, then we shall have a perfect choir. I shall not, I hope, be considered too much of an idealist if I mention some qualities that the choirmaster should pos- sess. We cannot get the ideal in this world, but that is no reason why we should not think of it and wish for it and try for it. The higher we aim, the higher we shall attain. The choirmaster should possess an enthusiastic love for his art, a full and firm conviction of its great importance, and implicit and steadfast faith in its object and mission. He should have infinite patience, perseverance, tact and firmness; a kindly and attractive manner; courage to face difficulties, or even temporary failure. The choirmaster will best do his work if he understands something of literature and poetry, and has learnt to value words for their own sake ; to appreciate the subtle differ- ences in sound and sense so dear to the scholar ; to regard them as things of beauty, value and interest in themselves. A knowledge of voice-production is essential to the successful choirmaster. He need not be a solo singer, but he ought to know what it is that makes a successful soloist, and to be able to produce perfectly correct tone with his own voice. A knowledge of the underlying principles which guide the singer in the rendering of vocal music is further essen- tial, and of what the voice is capable as a declamatory medium. The Choirtrainer s Art The choirmaster should be a disciplinarian and an organ- izer ; then I think he will be all that can be desired. There are some good choirmasters, and there are doubt- less many more who would become good ones if they knew how, and if they determined to develop themselves. Some are without doubt deterred by the consideration that there is little reward for the choirmaster in a worldly sense. This is certainly true ; but the reward lies in the work itself, and looked at in this way it is by no means small. There can be no more beautiful art work than the singing of a good choir, and the joy and rest and peace that it can bring to many a weary heart are, to those who look below the surface of things, of more value than fame and riches and praise. CHAPTER III THE MANAGEMENT OF THE BOYS In the management of a male voice choir there are two elements to be considered, the boys and the men. The management of the first is of the most importance to the majority of choirmasters, as being the most difficult in which to attain success. There are two ways of managing boys, by force and by persuasion by driving and by leading. It is quite pos- sible to get good musical results with the former, but the cost is too great the cost of making boys dislike the work, and perhaps in consequence ultimately dislike the Church and all that it stands for. It is hoped that no reader of these pages will adopt the method of force. A word of warning is by no means superfluous, as it is a method that has been, and is, used in many directions. Mr. J. Spencer Curwen, in his book on ' The Boy's Voice,' tells a story of a Cathedral organist who said quite seriously, " I cannot tell you why that boy does not sing in tune ; I have boxed his ears." The Management of the Boys 7 Boys will sing well if they want to, provided always that they know how ; and the best results will surely be obtained when the work is done from love and not from fear of the consequences of failure. But, having said this, it must not be supposed that there should be any lack of firmness. Strict discipline is of the greatest importance, and must always be maintained. What has been said refers to the way in which it is to be secured, the founda- tion upon which it is to be based. A good motto for the management of boys, as of other people, is : " suaviter in modo, fortiter in re." The manner should always be kind, gentle, persuasive : the matter should be firm, decided and unflinching for what is right. No persons have a stronger sense of justice than boys. Let the choirmaster treat all alike, with absolute imparti- ality, and be prepared to give a fair reason for all that he does; so will he gain the boys' respect and trust. He should never go back upon his word, but make it clear that he can always be relied upon to carry out what he promises. Politeness and a considerate manner are important in the management of choristers, and will always be greatly valued. Neglect of this point often causes failure in choir discipline. Boys watch and imitate the bearing of the choirmaster far more than is sometimes supposed, and if he takes care to treat them invariably as responsible beings, entitled to respect, he will reap an ample reward. An important principle may help to guide the choir- master, viz., that in general people tend to do and feel and be what they know is expected of them. Therefore, let the choirmaster show the boys that he always trusts them. This applies to such matters as telling the truth. I have often told boys that it is better to undergo any punishment than to do so mean and unmanly a thing as to tell a lie; and that he who does this loses far more in self-respect than the one who is justly punished. I have told them that I always believe their word, that I would not wrong them by doubting it, that I would rather run the risk of 8 The C hoir trainer s Art being deceived than believe that they were capable of trying to deceive me ; but that, once deceived, I could never trust them again. In the details of the management of a choir it is a great help not only to have the hearty agreement and coopera- tion of the boys, but even to go further and, as far as pos- sible, let them assist in the management. I do not mean that the choirmaster is to hand over his rights to the boys, but that he may with advantage place trust in them when he sees that they are worthy of it, and show himself willing to take their advice whenever they are capable of offering it. The government of the choir should be a Constitutional Monarchy. This plan has been tried by the present writer with success. It has acted somewhat as follows : He has laid down the general lines as to the conduct of the choir, and as to what his aims and ideals were ; he has then of- fered to receive counsel and suggestions from the senior boys. When the suggestions have been wise and right he has adopted them, when they have been unsuitable he has explained the reasons for not adopting them. Any choir- master trying this plan will probably be surprised to find what good ideas many boys have as to discipline and organ- ization. The sense of responsibility brings out all that is best in them in this direction ; and, when they feel that they have some voice in the management of the choir, their attitude towards it becomes totally different from what is sometimes found. They take a pride in all that it does, they look upon it as their own, they learn to love their work for its own sake, it becomes one of the objects of their lives, they do it to the best of their ability ; and when the time comes for them to relinquish it, they do so with regret, and think of it afterwards with affectionate remem- brance. Responsibility in the control of the choir may be shared by the choirmaster among the senior boys. There are va- rious plans upon which this may be arranged ; the idea being that, according to the age and importance of a boy, so his responsibility increases. The details will depend The Management of the Boys 9 upon the size and character of the choir. As a practical illustration it may be helpful here to give some rules drawn up by the present writer with the help and advice of a committee of senior boys at Southwark Cathedral. There there were some fifty boys to be controlled ; in places where there is a smaller number, and perhaps less high-spirited individuals, a less elaborate plan would suffice. outfjtuark (Eatlj*&ral MONITORS The boys occupying the Head Places in the Choir are eligible for election as Monitors. Boys occupying the end seats are eligible for election as Assistant Monitors. When a new boy is appointed to one of the end places, he may be elected as monitor or assistant monitor by the other members. The duty of the Monitors is to maintain the behaviour of the Choir in a high state of efficiency. The duties of the Assistant Monitors are to assist and report to the Monitors. RULES OF THE CHOIR I. All boys must kneel up straight in the service. No deviation from this is permitted. II. Each boy must sing every note of his part through- out the service. III. No boy may stare down the church during the service, or at the communicants. IV. When changing the attitude (kneeling, standing, sit- ting), all boys must move at the same time. V. No boy (monitors and the book boys excepted) shall take off his cassock and surplice until ordered to do so by the person in charge. VI. No boy may talk, unless he is spoken to by the per- son in charge, while he is in church. io The Choir trainer s Art In this imperfect world there will always be black sheep in every flock, and so the writer here feels reluctantly com- pelled to say a word as to punishments. They are some- times a necessary evil, but they should be resorted to as seldom as possible, and only when other methods fail. Punishments will be required for delinquencies of three, kinds: (i) failure in attendance, or unpunctuality, (2) mis- takes in singing, (3) misconduct. With regard to the first, a simple rule should be in force and always adhered to. A fixed fine should be inflicted for absence ; a smaller one for unpunctuality. When a satis- factory explanation is received for either, the fine should be remitted, otherwise it should be rigidly enforced. An ex- planation in writing from a parent should be required in the case of a junior boy, for seniors a personal explanation will generally suffice. This penalty has been placed under the head of punishments, but it should be regarded as only technically such, and its operation averted as often as pos- sible. A penalty for mistakes in singing is often of great ad- vantage to every one concerned. Mistakes may occur (a) through insufficient preparation, {b) through weariness or ill health, (c) through accident, or (J) through carelessness. In the first case, the choirmaster ought to be fined. In the second, a free pardon may be granted. In the last two, a penalty should be inflicted ; and here it is important to make the punishment a suitable one. It should be under- stood that when music has been adequately prepared it must be efficiently performed, and that the failure to take pains at the right moment will inevitably be followed by much more pains and trouble afterwards. A little firmness now and then in this way will save endless future trouble and disappointment. For mistakes in singing a suitable punish- ment is the writing of an imposition. This can be admin- istered in quite a friendly and pleasant manner, and explained as being equivalent to a necessary medicine administered by a wise physician to cure a particular ailment. I have found that all resentment and rebellious feeling has been removed The Management of the Boys i by consulting the boys upon this point and letting them set their own impositions, or at any rate advise upon them ; and then, in the case of a group of boys incurring the same penalty, having an understood rule that the senior one shall manage the affair, give round the set copies, see that they are done by a stated time, and collect them. Such sentences as the following, written 20, 50, or 100 times, have worked wonders : " A chorister must sing in tune." " The human voice must be correctly produced." " A sharp is a sign to raise the pitch a semitone." " Music must be sung with care and precision." " A chorister must fulfil his duties to the best of his power;" etc., etc. Sometimes it answers the purpose, while varying the monotony, to cause the actual passage where the mistake oc- curred to be written out a stated number of times ; e. g., ser ----- vant . . Is - ra - el ten times. Under the third heading, misconduct, come such matters as talking during the service, inattention, insubordination, and so forth. I strongly dislike punishment for these offences, as there is always a tendency towards the feeling that severity is a sign of weakness on the part of the choirmaster. The more power he has, the less willing he should be to exert it. The good behaviour that is acquired by fear is worthless, when looked at from the highest standpoint. Sense of duty, rev- erence, esprit de corps, and unselfishness : these should be the underlying motives for good behaviour. Still, after saying this, occasions will sometimes arise when other mo- tives must be temporarily appealed to. When this is the case, the punishment should he such as will be remembered and will not be required twice. Fines may be inflicted if necessary, but for misconduct the best remedy is suspension; and when there is a proper spirit among the choir this will 12 The Choir trainer 's Art be a heavy trial indeed. The writer has very seldom had to resort to suspension, but, when he has, the boys have often come to him in tears and begged to have any punish- ment but this, and when their prayers were unavailing they have been followed up by those of one or both parents. With such a spirit it will be readily believed that mis- conduct is a rare thing, and this brings in a final and impor- tant consideration. In all questions of discipline, let the choirmaster be sure to enlist and keep the support and co- operation of the parents. When the latter know that their assistance is welcomed, they will be always most glad to give it, and they will value highly the knowledge that their children have in the choirmaster not only a master, but a friend who has their best interests at heart. It is a good plan sometimes to make it known that the presence of a parent is occasionally permitted at a choir practice ; the musical ones will gladly avail themselves of this privilege. The question of fines has already been alluded to ; this implies payment. It may be supposed that, after all that has been said as to esprit de corps and the motives for good work, the idea of payment will be discouraged. This is, however, by no means the case. In a very large number of churches the boys are paid, if ever so little, and it is hoped that this custom will be carried further and become universal. No reflection upon the loyalty and good will of the members is implied by payment ; it is merely a recog- nition, often very welcome, of hard work and self-sacrifice. If any argument were needed, it is sufficient to mention the saying that " the labourer is worthy of his hire "; for choir-members are indeed labourers when they do their work efficiently, though they may still be willing ones. For boys to study church music thoroughly, and to go through all the physical exercise that is essential to their successful rendering of it, is just as much hard work as learning Latin and the multiplication table ; and the help and satisfaction they may derive from receiving a little pocket-money in re- turn is no more introducing a wrong principle than is the payment of the clergy, organists, vergers, or any other work- The Management of the Boys l 3 ers. It is the motives that matter; and they can be prop- erly instilled just as well with payment as without it. There are various systems of payment in use. One that I would strongly deprecate is that of giving a fixed sum for each attendance at a service or practice. If there is any tendency to a mercenary spirit, this is the system to foster it. The best plan is to give so much a week, or a month, for all the work ; and for absence without permis- sion to deduct, not the proportion that represents the time that has been missed, but a much larger sum, thus refusing to recognize that absence is permissible. A member, on joining a choir, ought to undertake to be present at all its meetings. If he cannot do this, it is better not to join at all. As has been said before, absence through illness or or other unavoidable cause should be condoned ; but ab- sence through slackness or a counter-attraction should never be countenanced, and should be met by a prohibitory fine. It will be useful to describe a method which the writer has found to work with the best results in a district where the boys have all been drawn from the artisan class. i. Every boy received i/o a month as pocket-money. i. Absence from an ordinary practice involved a fine of id; unpunctuality, id (these were remitted on re- ceipt of a valid excuse). 3. Absence from the full practice involved a fine of 6d; unpunctuality, 3^ ( these were never remitted, except in case of illness). 4. Absence from a Sunday service involved a fine of 1/0 (this was never remitted, except in case of ill- ness). 5. In addition to the pocket-money, a further sum was placed to the credit of each boy monthly, and al- lowed to accumulate from the time he entered the choir until his leaving, when the whole was handed to him. This amount varied, according to age, ability and conduct, from 1/0 to 10/0.* * This was in London, and for a very large amount of work. With a smaller organization in the country the writer found 5/0 sufficient for the highest payment. H The Choirtrainer s Art The amount of reserved pay was written on a paper and placed in a frame in a conspicuous part of the choir room, where it might at any time be referred to. The sum placed to the credit of each boy each month was shown ; at the end of the year the total was reckoned up and a fresh start made. This is how the ' board ' appeared : ftntttpmirk (Eatijriral Amounts to be given to choristers on leaving the choir, in accordance with conditions of agreement. Name Name Name Name Name Name Name Name Name u u * 1 .3 2 60 i Ih O PQ 05 3 a n 3 I* V (J Ih Oh < 4J c 3 "3 3 00 3 <3 XI 6 u Oh o Ih e u u Q "(3 o h Fines were deducted from the pocket-money, which they seldom exceeded ; if they did, the further sum was taken from the reserved money. The object of the system of reserved pay was to ensure that no boy would ever contemplate leaving the choir to go to another where perhaps the money to be received was more and the work less. This might otherwise have hap- pened in occasional cases, and the boys might perhaps be excused for it, but the unfairness to the choirmaster would have been manifest. The Management of the Boys 15 Another reason for the system was to secure the con- tinued attendance of boys after they had left school and gone 'to work.' Boys who have left school have a tendency to consider themselves superior beings to those who are still there, and they may go further and consider themselves too old to associate with their former companions in the choir. It is just at this period, from 14 onwards, that their voices are necessary to the choirmaster ; so, in his endeav- ours to refute the argument for leaving on account of seni- ority, his hands are strengthened by the little balance which may be waiting for the boy at the bank. A boy's voice, correctly produced, frequently continues serviceable until the age or 17, 18, or even later. For knowledge and experience, ensuring accuracy and precision, these old boys are invaluable ; one of them being worth half a dozen juniors. CHAPTER IV THE MANAGEMENT OF THE BOYS (Continued) At every stage in the choir routine it is an advantage to have things clearly stated in black and white. A form of application is useful. On page 16 is the one used for twelve years at Southwark Cathedral. After the form was handed in, the particulars as to name, address and date of birth were copied into a book, and kept for future reference. This book was separate from the roll book in daily use, which contained spaces for enter- ing the attendance of each boy and the money received at the end of each month. On a probationer's promotion to the rank of chorister, a second form was produced for signature, in order that the system of deferred pay should be distinctly understood and accepted by the parents before being entered upon. This is an important point, and should not be overlooked. The form will be round on page 17. 16 The Choir trainer 's Art mttljurark (Eatfp&ral APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION TO THE CHOIR To be presented to Dr. A. MADELEY RICHARDSON Name of Boy Address Date of Birth. . Recommended by Schoolmaster and by* .Choirmaster I desire that my Son shall be admitted to the Choir of the Cathedral, and undertake that, if selected, he shall attend regularly and punctually. Parent * This is to be filled in if the applicant has been previously a member of another Choir. The Management of the Boys l 7 MEMORANDUM To Parents or Guardians of boys admitted into the OIIj0ir of &. &mnauv'B (Hatlporal (Ehurriy, &mifptrark To encourage regular attendance a small sum (3^ a week) is given to each boy as pocket-money, in addition to which a further sum (ranging from is to ioj a month) is put aside for the benefit of those boys who remain in the Choir until their voices break. Boys leaving the Choir be- fore that time are not entitled to this money, except in the event of permanent illness. Five practices a week are held for boys. All must attend these, in addition to the two Services on Sundays. Boys absent from practices without permission are fined id, late id. All boys must attend on Sunday morning punctually at 10.10. Those arriving later are fined is. S. M. Taylor, Precentor. A. Madeley Richardson, Director of the Choir. Name of boy . I accept the above conditions. Signed . Parent or Guardian. Date 1 8 The Choir trainer *s Art For the twelve boys who sang at the daily services the form was different, and the conditions more complicated. This was the form : j&mtfjuiark (Eailjriirai WIGAN CHANTERS The twelve boys who sing at the Daily Evensong are called Wigan Chanters. Their duties are to attend the Cathedral daily at 4.50 and sing at that service and to be present at practices when required. In addition to the amounts given to the rest of the boys of the Choir, the juniors receive a further sum of \s a week as pocket-money, provided their attendance is regular and punctual and their conduct good. SCHOLARSHIPS To the senior boys between 14 and 17 years of age Maintenance Scholarships are given with a view to assisting their parents in continuing their education. Each Scholar- ship is given so long as the holder's voice remains unbroken and on the distinct understanding that the boy attends an approved school during the continuance of the Scholarship. None are taken whose parents are unable to accept this condition. The amounts of the Scholarships are as follows: When 14 years of age ^10 ^ 15 ^"15 V in quarterly payments. " 16 " " i\ In addition to the above a Bonus of ^5 is given to each boy on leaving, provided his voice has broken, or he has attained the age of 17 years, and his conduct and atten- dance have been satisfactory. The Management of the Boys 19 No rule can be laid down as to the age at which a boy's voice will break the usual period is between 15 and 16, but in exceptional cases a voice may continue useful until 17 or later. To Alfred Madeley Richardson, Esquire, M.A., Mus. Doc, Organist & Choirmaster of Southwark Cathedral. I, the undersigned, desire my son (or ward) to be a candidate for the post of Wigan Chanter, I agree to the conditions stated above, and hereby make myself respon- sible for any breach thereof either by myself or him, and I undertake that, if appointed, I will make arrangements for him to remain at an approved school until his voice breaks, or until the age of 1 7, whichever shall first occur. Dated this day of 19 . Signature. Parent or Guardian. Address Witness Signature Address With regard to the personnel of a choir, a first consider- ation is that of balance of voices. How many men shall we have ? and how many boys ? A complete church choir consists in reality of two choirs, north and south sides, Cantoris and Decani. These latter words are not always understood. It may not be super- so The Choirtrainer s Art fluous to remind the reader that they are the terms used in Cathedrals, Decani meaning the side upon which sits the Decanus (or Dean), Cantoris the side for the Cantor (or Precentor), who was, of course, originally the Choirmaster. The terms are meaningless when applied to parish churches, which possess neither a Dean nor a Precentor, but they are convenient names and should be preserved. It should be remembered that the Decani is always the south side, to the right of the altar looking up the church, on which side the incumbent of a parish church has his stall ; and the Cantoris is the north side. Whenever possible, each side should represent a com- plete choir, one capable of singing alone in a satisfactory manner. As to size, the limit is bounded in one direction by the size of the chancel and the number of voices available. Speaking generally, the larger the choir the better. But, in the other direction, the smallest choir that can be consid- ered complete would consist of one man to each part on each side i.e., two Altos, two Tenors, and two Basses with boys in proportion. In increasing the men a true balance should always be aimed at. In most places it is easy to find extra basses; tenors and altos are usually scarce. The bass part should be stronger than either the tenor or the alto; but not so much so as to lose the effect of proportion. It would be easy to lay down rules as to the exact number of voices, but results do not always depend so much upon numbers as upon the strength of individual voices. For instance, the writer once had a bass with a magnificent voice, who might very well have had three or four ordinary tenors singing against him and yet have maintained a balance. The gen- eral rule, therefore, that shall be laid down, is to have the number for each part approximately equal, with a slight pre- ponderance of bass, always supposing that the voices are fairly equal in strength. When exceptional cases occur they must be met by a corresponding deviation from the rule. As to the number of boys, it is still more difficult to lay The Management of the Boys 21 down an unvarying rule ; so much will depend upon the age of the boys and the development of their voices. In most places only ordinary material can be obtained, and then the tendency should be to err on the side of having too many rather than too few boys. When the boys are chosen from good material, their number should equal the total of all the other parts added together ; when they are weak, the number should be in- creased, even so far as to twice the number of the men. The question is frequently asked, At what age should a boy commence singing ? The answer depends upon what he is required to do. When there is a separate pro- bationers' class for the special training of undeveloped voices, it will not matter how young a lad is when he com- mences. As soon as a boy is able to read English he may commence to learn singing; this will probably be not much before seven years. On the other hand, many boys can be taken much older as old as thirteen. A sharp boy, with plenty of practice and good teaching, will often become very useful though taken late. In this matter the choir- master must use his own judgment and be guided greatly by experience. The experience of the present writer him- self is that no boy, provided he loves the work and tries to get on, is ever useless, however little he may be naturally gifted or however late he commences. The question of age-limit at starting leads to the ques- tion of age-limit at finishing. The subject of the breaking of the boy's voice is very curious and puzzling. There seem to be no rules to guide us; only endless exceptions. A boy's voice never breaks before thirteen and a half, but after that age it may go at any time, and in any way. Some voices break quite suddenly in one day. I have known a boy sing his 'swan's song' at a given service, and never sing again. Others will give gradual warning, sometimes with many a false alarm. This breaking process may be extended for as long as two years. Some voices will lose the top notes first and gradually sink down, never actually * breaking ' at all ; others, and these are commoner, will lose 22 The Choirtrainer s Art the lower notes first, while the upper ones remain service- able much longer. The time of the breaking of the voice being so uncer- tain, it is essential for the well-being of a choir, and to keep its standard at a steady level, that the boys should be mixed as to age. The choirmaster will find it a help to make out a table of the Ages of Boys, separate and apart from his book of names, etc. This may be revised once a year, by adding and removing names. This table should be kept always at hand for reference. It shows at a glance the strength of a choir, and indicates at any moment weakness as to age, which should be watched and remedied. It appears thus : AGES OF BOYS Date of birth Name Name 2 Jan. 6 Feb. 1898 1 16 in 1914 Name 13 J an - 1899) Name 4 May " 15 in 1914 Name 9 J une " ) Name 10 Mar. 1900 1 Name 9 Sep. H in 1914 Name 3 J une 1901 etc., etc. J 3 in 1914 It is not easy to answer the question as to whether a boy ought to be allowed to sing while his voice is break- ing, or whether it will endanger the quality of his future voice. Some eminent writers are strongly of opinion that at the first sign of breaking the boy should invariably stop singing. In theory this sounds reasonable enough; but in actual practice it does not seem such a simple matter to set- tle. Many cases may be pointed out where a boy has sung right through the breaking period without any ill effect. The advice I would give is, that if a boy feels discom- fort and strain when singing at this period he should stop, but that if he feels the use of his voice quite easy, then no The Management of the Boys' 2 3 harm is being done and he may continue to sing. Nature should be the guide who always shows her danger signal of pain or distress to warn us from taking liberties with the body. When she shows the white light, we need feel no alarm.) There are various methods of arranging the places of boys. Sometimes they are grouped in a regular diminish- ing succession from strong to weak. A better method is as follows : Consider two points, the efficiency of each singer and his personal character. Then choose the two best boys for the head (t.e. t the extreme west) places on either side, north and south. The next two boys should be placed at the other end, the east ; this being considered the place next in importance. After this the centre should be given to the strongest remaining boys, the weaker being placed in between, as nearly as possible keeping to the plan of alternating a weak and a strong all along the line. The places in the practice room should be the same as in the stalls, and all boys should be required invariably to keep in their own places. For probationers' classes another plan is recommended. The senior and most efficient boy should stand at the head, the others following in order of efficiency. The places should be revised once a month, or once a week, the boys who show the greatest progress being promoted accordingly. When a vacancy occurs in the choir, it should be under- stood that the head probationer is entitled to it. It arouses interest and enthusiasm and gives satisfaction all around if the little boys themselves are allowed to vote as to who shall have first place. True, they will vote for the most popular member ; but it will almost invariably be found that the most popular boy and the best chorister are one and the same person. The question of soloists is sometimes a trouble to the parochial choirmaster. Occasionally an exceptional voice will appear, to which the solos will obviously be entrusted. But sometimes, while the average standard may be good, there are no exceptional voices worthy of being heard alone. 2 4 The Choir trainer 's Art In such cases it is best to pick out a few of the likeliest boys two, three, or more and let them sing together. When carefully trained the effect will be quite satisfactory, and there will be the additional advantage of not feeling that everything depends upon one individual, who may be suddenly taken ill, or otherwise prevented from singing. The good effect of a number of boys singing together has been well illustrated at St. Paul's Cathedral, where at cer- tain times all the boys combine to sing the solos. At Southwark Cathedral the writer has had the soprano parts of Graun's Passion, including the Recitatives, sung by five boys together, and has been asked afterwards for the name of the soloist. Tenor voices are in many places scarce. This is sometimes due to faulty production ; and occasionally an apparent baritone will be found who ought to be singing tenor. The alto voice is, however, the one that gives most con- cern in the ordinary parish church. There may be such a thing as a ' natural ' alto, but it is so scarce that the alterna- tive plan of using boys for the alto part is sometimes advo- cated. I am not in favour of this ; firstly, because boys with suitable voices are rarely found, and when they are they can always be used with advantage for the treble part ; and, secondly, because the arrangements for training boys being so different from those for men, and the time re- quired for them so much longer, the extra burden upon the choirmaster's shoulders caused by having two sets of boys to train will seriously retard his efforts in the direction of the treble part, which, if it is to be rendered with real effi- ciency, will need all his energies. The alto, as ordinarily heard, is not a natural, but a made, voice made by developing the upper (or head, or falsetto) register of a baritone voice at the expense of the lower notes. Many an ordinary chorus bass can be trained to sing alto, if he wishes. The price will of course be the detriment to the natural voice; but in the case of men who have no particular ambition in the direction of solo work, The Management of the Men 2 5 this obstacle need not stand in the way. The choirmaster will be wise to look out for altos young, to train them from old boys who have ceased singing treble, and to start them as altos as soon as their voices have begun to settle down after the breaking period. We shall return to this subject in another chapter. CHAPTER V THE MANAGEMENT OF THE MEN Successfully to manage choirmen, unlimited tact is re- quired on the part of the choirmaster. There is perhaps no class in the community so difficult to direct and yet at the same time with more claim to consideration and respect. Whether a choirman is paid or voluntary, his work, if done well, is always arduous, nerve-trying and self-sacrific- ing ; and these facts should be borne in mind when dealing with him. No good choirmaster will want reminding that all men admire and will follow a man who knows his own mind, and shows himself decided for what he believes to be right and true, and yet is ever ready to show politeness and con- sideration to all, whether they agree with him or not. It is important that the duties of the choirman be made quite clear from the outset, the rules of the choir distinctly stated and consistently adhered to. The discipline of the choir must be steadily maintained, and the men will work contentedly and happily when they know that they are be- ing ruled, and by a wise ruler. It is convenient to have a set form of application for Choirmen. The following is a copy of the form used by the present writer, in cooperation with the Precentor, at Southwark Cathedral for twelve years : 16 The Choir trainer ' s Art g>outf)toarfc Catfcebral Application for Admission to the Choir, to be filled in and returned to Dr. A. MADELEY RICHARDSON Name in full- Age Address^ Occupation. Voice Are you a regular Communicant \ of the Church of England? j Are you prepared to attend with unfailing regularity at : ( The Choirtrainer s Art be regarded as hopeless material. The small, feeble voice of the little lad of eight or nine will, if properly used, blos- som out into the fine sonorous organ of the boy of thirteen or fourteen. All voices should receive equal attention, whether they appear promising or not ; or perhaps it would be better to go further and say that the unpromising ones are those which should receive the most attention. Now, what are the results sought for by the study of voice-production ? I. Clear, flexible, pleasant tone, throughout the whole compass of the voice. 1. The sounding of every vowel with equal ease throughout this range. 3. The ability to pass with perfect accuracy from one sound to another. 4. The pronunciation of all consonants with distinct- ness. The voice that is capable of doing all this is a perfect voice. The object of the pages immediately following these will be to assist the reader in forming such a voice. When he is able to do this he will have gained the most beautiful and powerful musical instrument in the world. CHAPTER II TONE (I) The foundation of all good tone is a correct Method of Breathinc. Speaking generally, a good breather will be a good singer ; conversely, a false breather can never be a good singer. Various methods of breathing are advocated, and much confusion prevails as to what is right. The following directions will be found of value : (1) Breathe through the mouth. Tone (I) 47 (2) Breathe as deeply as possible. (3) Aim at keeping the maximum of breath in re- serve, and using the minimum. (4) Breathe silently. (5) Keep the shoulders still. (6) Inhale breath by consciously expanding the ribs, allowing the surrounding parts to remain per- fectly easy. (7) Exhale by drawing in the ribs. (8) Keep the body in such a position that the spine is felt to be slightly curved inwards, while the head and shoulders are erect. The reader is advised to avoid wordy discussions of rival methods of breathing, which only give rise to uncer- tainty in practice. The really important thing to aim at is the power to take in the greatest possible amount of air, and to retain it for the longest possible time. With regard to (1), it has been shown that oral breathing was used by the old Italian school of singers, and this being the case it should suffice for us. The argument against it is that it may allow impurities of the air to enter the lungs, not to speak of chill. It has not been found in practice that this objection has as much weight as might be expected. The argument in favor of it is that the act of oral breathing opens out all the parts of the throat which require open- ing, and places them in the most favourable position for tone-production. With regard to (2), the sensation felt should be that the air is penetrating into every part of the lungs, and that not a crevice is left which might have been utilized. The effort to achieve this is trying at first, but will become less and less so with practice, until in time all difficulty disappears. A good direction is to tell the pupil, each time he takes a breath, to try and take more than he has ever had before. As to (3), a large quantity of breath held in reserve gives power and grip, and enables a high pressure to be exerted when required. On the other hand, it should be remem- bered that the less breath passed out through the mouth, 4-8 The Choirtrainer s Art the better will be the tone! Half the bad tone heard is caused by the passage of superfluous breath. No. 4 is very important. It is exceptional to meet with a silent breather ; and yet it is an easy thing to become, and the result most desirable. The objection to the noisy inhalation so frequently heard is firstly, and obviously, that it is unpleasant and mars the beauty of singing ; and secondly, less obviously, but most important, that the noise heard is caused by friction, implying effort and waste of power. The direction of No. 5 is very necessary. The drop- ping shoulders during singing are the cause of much faulty tone. When this defect is noticed, the opposite plan should be tried of slightly raising the shoulders during singing and lowering them during inspiration. Nos. 6 and 7 give in a few words the Italian method of breathing. The directions mean that the initial impulse should come from the parts mentioned ; but that all the other parts concerned with inspiration should take their share, and work together for the common result. No. 8 requires no explanation. The breath having been taken, the next thing to consider will be Attack. Attack is the word used to denote the starting or 1 striking ' of the sound, the starting of the machinery that is set in motion at the moment of commencing to sing. The importance of attack cannot be overstated. About this the poet might well have used the word " dimidium facti, qui coepit, habet " (a thing begun is half done). Upon this subject is it difficult to write with any effect, as it is emphatically a matter in which practical experience is the only sure guide. A correctly attacked note is unmistakable when heard ; incorrect attack is a fatal defect. Correct attack is present when the emission of breath and the vibration of the vocal cords commence at one and the same instant. Attack and control of the breath are in Tone (I) 49 a sense one and the same ; correct attack is correct control. The breath may be controlled without the emission of vocal tone at all ; the voice cannot be sounded without control of the breath, either perfect or imperfect. The point in the vocal organ where the breath is con- trolled may be realized by observing the sensation of whis- pering. If a vowel is whispered sharply, with the minimum expenditure of breath, a small explosion will be noticed in the throat. This should give a clear sound, resembling the tick of a watch. When it does not, there is a defect, which requires immediate attention. To secure perfect attack, this whispered sound should be made several times, and then the vocal tone started, the aim being to produce the effect of one sound only, the two actions being absolutely simul- taneous. The resulting sensation will be that of a kind of grip. The singer will feel that he has taken hold of the note, instead of feeling that it is flying away from him. All control of breath proceeds from one part, the part where the whispered sound is perceived. All power, beauty and expression in singing depend upon control. It is the gate through which alone the voice-user can pass to success. The two matters, breathing and control, are interde- pendent. It is useless to acquire the power of breathing deeply and in a correct manner unless it is accompanied by the power of control. From failure to control the breath arise all the evils of faulty vocal tone husky, nasal, throaty, weak and forced quality. When these appear, the master may always be sure that the real seat of the mischief is to be found at the breath controllers, and that each one of them may be cured by correct attack. Attack may be likened to the action of the pianoforte. The hammer strikes the wire, and at the moment of contact the wire commences to vibrate and a musical tone is the result. It could easily be shown that the stroke of the hammer separated from the vibration of the wire would cause a noise of a quite unmusical character, but that this is lost and merged into the musical sound when the two occur simultaneously. Incorrect at- tack of the vocal organs gives an effect similar to what would 5 The Choirtrainer s Art be heard if the two sound-elements of the pianoforte were not simultaneous i. e.> if the stroke of the hammer and the initial vibration of the wire followed one another at an ap- preciable interval. CHAPTER III TONE (II) The quality of tone of all musical instruments depends upon what is known as Resonance. Without correct attack no resonance can be secured, but res- onance itself is something outside and beyond attack. It may be stated that vocal tone, and indeed all musical tone, is resonance. This is a point upon which many voice-users and voice-trainers have only hazy notions, and yet it is one of supreme importance. There is here no space for its full discussion, but the reader is referred to any standard work on acoustics, e.g., Helmholtz's "Sensations of Tone." The initial cause of musical tone is usually something quite small. In the human voice it is the vibration of the vocal cords, which, if it were possible to hear them alone, would however, give merely a faint buzzing sound. The proper tone of the voice, of which these vibrations are the primary cause, arises from sympathetic vibration of the surrounding parts, and this is called resonance. Resonance is of two kinds, caused respectively by the vibration of a solid substance and by the vibration of con- fined air. The tone of all musical instruments depends on one or the other of these. With the violin the wooden body of the instrument gives the tone ; in the flute the column of air enclosed within the tube. The human voice owes its tone to both these kinds of resonance, hence its Tone (II) 5* satisfying completeness as a musical instrument it is the one perfect instrument. Of recent years attempts have been made to supersede the old-fashioned names of * chest ' voice, * head ' voice, etc., on the ground that all musical sound can be traced ulti- mately to the vocal cords. But this is to overlook the great principle of resonance. The names in question are not only convenient as describing the sensations felt by the singer, but they are also scientifically accurate, as correctly locating the seat of the vocal tone. It may be asserted that in producing tone the whole of the body vibrates to a greater or less extent, and so far does this principle that musical tone does not leave anything unaffected with which it comes in contact extend, that it may further be asserted that the tone is even affected by the substance upon which the singer stands, and the size and shape of the place which surrounds him. The main parts concerned in vocal resonance are, how- ever, the chest, the head, and the cavities of the mouth. The first and second give what we may call * solid ' reso- nance ; the third, ' liquid.' It is a remarkable fact that the higher we ascend in the scale, the higher is the seat of reso- nance. For the low notes it rests in the chest, for the mid- dle notes in the mouth, for the high notes in the head. Attack and resonance combined give perfect vocal tone. Resonance cannot be obtained without a true attack. The two, though considered separately, cannot in practice be parted. Some writers speak of ' placing ' the voice ; that means, securing the necessary resonance for each note. The scientific explanation of the action of the vocal or- gans is very obscure, and it seems doubtful whether the matter will ever be clearly understood. But this need not disturb us, for all that is really required is that the thing shall be done, not that we must wholly understand the process of doing it. Speaking empirically, the way to acquire ' chest ' reso- nance is to feel that the larynx is in a low position, and that the seat of vibration is actually in contact with the chest- bone^ ; so will a strong clear tone be obtained. 5 2 The Choir trainer 's Art The way to secure middle resonance for the notes be- tween fjfe=g== and eIseEEz ls to ^ ee ^ tnat the mouth-cavity is { tuned' for it that the opening at the lips is neither too large nor too small. An analogy for this is seen in the method of regulating a reed-pipe in the organ. The tuning to the pitch is effected by lengthening or shortening the tongue, but resonance is secured by regulating the covering of the pipe, which will increase or diminish the volume of tone in precisely the same way as is done in the human voice, by opening or closing the lips. The head-notes from ra~=== upwards are obtained by remembering that sound travels at right angles to the vibra- ting substance ; that the increased tension upon the vocal cords causes the larynx to become tilted ; and that, there- fore, to obtain the resonance right at the top of the skull the head should be drawn back. This brings in the question of Balance the third consideration in this connection. Attack and balance go together. Attack is concerned with the commencement of the tone ; balance secures that what has been well begun shall be well continued. As a matter of fact, however, balance does not come after attack, but at the same point of time. A moment's consideration will show that all the force exerted by the outgoing breath upon the vocal cords is directed in an upward and outward line. This force is automatic. Directly the lungs are filled they endeavour to empty themselves, and exert pressure in an outward direction. Tone-vibration is caused by tension : the greater the tension, the more powerful the vibration. Tension arises from two opposing forces. In the present case, the one force is that exerted by the column of air pass- ing outwards, the other that exerted bv the muscles regula- ting its egress. The centre round which these two opposing forces meet is situated at the vocal cords. As soon as they approach closely the pressure from below will tend, not Tone (II) S3 only to make them vibrate, but also to push upwards all the surrounding parts. This is where balance comes in. Balance of forces is another name for what is known as equilibrium. In the vocal organs the action is to a great extent automatic. But here is the important considera- tion for the voice-user the action of the body is governed by the mind. Before any action takes place there must be the intention ; concentration of right intention means suc- cess. There will always be some sort of balance, but it may be true or false. True balance is present when the parts concerned remain in an easy and comfortable position, and no strain whatever is felt. All strain of the vocal organs, and consequent failure of voice, implies defective balance. Here, then, is the point. Of the two opposing forces in voice-using, we need not consider the outward pressure, for that is already automatically supplied. We must fix the mind upon the idea of counteracting it. The thinking of, and intending to do, this, will result in the ability to do it. All that is required is a clear vision of what is aimed at, then practice and perseverance until the mark is hit. The following diagrams will help to make the meaning clear. i. For the chest-notes, the sensation experienced should be that of carrying the centre of balance right down into the chest. The arrows show what may be called the line of thought. 2. Forthemiddlenotes, the sensation should be that a line is being drawn from the centre of the top of the head, and that it is being met by the oppos- ing force from the top of the chest. The tone will be felt to centre itself somewhere about the roof of the mouth. 54 The Choirtrainer s Art 3. For the head-notes, the force appears to come from the back of the head, at an angle leaning to the front of the neck. It is, of course, impossible to convey any adequate idea of all this by the written word. Personal experience is the one and only way to gain knowledge which will en- able the teacher to be of any help to the learner. But this does not imply that prac- tice on the part of the teacher renders theory unnecessary. The teacher, having acquired his personal skill, should strengthen it by all possible theoretical knowledge. In teaching he should, however, keep this in the background, never referring to or mentioning it unless obliged to. There is no advantage in the pupil's understanding the action of the vocal organs ; indeed, such knowledge might be a positive drawback. The best singer is unconscious of his mechanism, just as a person in good health is unconscious of the fact that the body has any internal organs at all. The position of the voice-trainer is like that of the medical man. The latter knows, or should know, all that is to be known about the structure and the ailments of the body ; but to explain this to his patient would do no good but rather harm, through nervous worry and self-consciousness. To go into the whole question of voice-production would fill this volume. I have only touched upon points which are absolutely essential and which are sometimes more than usually obscure. The reader should follow up the subject by a diligent study of any of the standard works. CHAPTER IV PRACTICAL DIRECTIONS Before proceeding to actual work, a few more general directions should be considered. It is necessary to know what are the best positions for the body as a whole, and for the tongue, lips, and jaw in particular ; the last three being the principal parts connected with voice-using which can be moved at will. It is of importance that the who of the body should be kept in loose, easy condition, cles should be at rest. There is only a cer- tain amount of vital force available ; all this should be directed upon the vocal organs themselves, none di- verted into other channels. The mere holding of the hands tightly will have a detrimental effect upon the voice, as tending to cause a sympathetic tightening of other parts. The po- sition of the body should be erect : the head should be exactly over the trunk, neither pushed forward nor strained backward ; the poise level, as in looking straight in front. The shoulders should be thrown well back, to allow for a full expansion of the chest. 55 5^ The Choirtrainer s Art The above directions are very important, and should al- ways be carefully observed. With regard to the tongue, that 'unruly member,' it should be kept as much as possible out of the way. It should lie flat in the mouth, with the tip touching the front teeth. Some people find great difficulty in keeping the tongue in position ; with others it gives little trouble. When a difficult case appears it should be trained into submission by a tongue exercise. The following is generally effectual. Put the tongue out as far as possible, then gradually draw it back into the mouth, causing it to press against the lower teeth all the time. When the tip has reached the teeth, stop, and com- mence the action again. This exercise is not particularly elegant and is best practised in private, but it is very use- ful. While it is being done the aim should be to keep the back of the tongue down. This object can be assisted by deliberately recalling the sensation of yawning ; which has the effect of opening out the whole passage of the throat, and, incidentally, of lowering the root of the tongue. During the above actions great care should be taken that no stiffening appears. The parts should be led into position, not driven. Stiffening will entirely defeat the whole object of the process, and unless it can be avoided it is better to postpone the exercise. With regard to the low position of the tongue, it will be seen later that this must be modified for certain vowels. This fact does not, however, affect the general rule as to the low position, which holds good all through, only under varying conditions. The position of the lips varies according to the vowel- sound, but a general direction that they should be kept apart is always helpful. Error is more common in the way of insufficient opening than the contrary. It is important to watch the movements of the jaws. The lower one should be allowed, so to speak, to drop open; it should not be held open by force, but simply permitted to remain in that position, quiescent. Jaw stiffening is a Practical Directions SI frequent cause of vocal failure, and should be constantly guarded against. The compass of boys' voices may here be considered. This is usually very great in both directions. With properly produced voices notes can frequently be taken from _ as high as ( jj j = or even to The highest notes are sometimes easily taken by a young boy who, as he grows older, will gradually lose them ; the development of the middle notes taking away from the extremes. The voice throughout the whole compass should sound like one clear, even, continuous instrument. There should be no break or change heard anywhere. This brings in the question of registers a question which has given much heartsearching to theorists, and caused widespread misun- derstanding. Of course, there are such things as registers, but the voice-trainer's aim should be to cover them up, not to make them evident. It might be supposed, by reading much that has been written upon the subject, that the voice divided itself into three (or more) parts, which should be distinctly and separately trained ; and that a ' break ' occurred at certain fixed points, which was more or less evident in different voices. A better way is to think of the various registers as methods of resonance (which have been already described). There should be no ' break ' at any point in the voice. The registers should shade off and merge into one another so that it becomes impossible to say when one commences and another ends. The starting-point should be the middle of the voice with the middle resonance. This is sometimes termed 'mixed voice' a name which is misleading. In a man's voice it centres round the note called middle C; for a soprano, round the third space in the treble clef. Above this 5 8 The Choir trainer 'x Art note, the resonance will gradually shade off into the c head ' quality : below, into the ' chest '; thus : Chest Middle Head i As will now be clear, the written notes of the diagram are to be taken only as approximate guides, not as fixed points. The trainer, then, will do well to keep the word * register ' to himself. What he requires from the learner is good tone, and this is best secured by putting aside all idea of breaks and divisions. The registers will settle them- selves : they require no assistance. CHAPTER V VOWEL-QUALITY One of its most striking features, which differentiates the human voice from all other instruments, is the power of varying every note by what is known as vowel-quality. Not only can every possible pitch be taken within the com- pass of the voice, but each note, when taken, can be changed in 'colour' in an endless number of ways. We have seen that on securing full resonance by correct attack and balance, we have been able to produce a true note. The question then follows : To what vowel is it to be sung ? First, it must be seen what a vowel is, and how many vowels are in use. ' Vowel ' is the name denoting the peculiar quality of sound given to the vocal tone by the position and shape of the cavities through which it passes. This quality can be varied by changing the positions of the tongue and lips. The number of varieties in the English language is thir- teen. These thirteen represent distinctly recognized qual- ities ; each one is capable of further modification and vari- ation. Vowel-Duality 59 The sound ' Ah ' is called the normal vowel. It is pro- duced by allowing the tongue to rest in its lowest position, and keeping the lips far apart. Modifications of this sound are made in two directions : (i) By closing the lips, resulting in the confining of more air. (2) By raising the middle of the tongue, and thus confining less air. In the one direction the tone will be- come gradually rounder which quality may be compared with that of the flute among instruments ; in the other direction it will become thinner, and may be compared with reedy tone, like that of the oboe. Starting from ' Ah ' as a centre, by closing the lips we get these three new sounds : Ah Aw O OO. Starting again from ' Ah,' and raising the tongue, the following sounds appear : Ah Er A E. The whole series will then become A- O 00 O The above diagram shows the varying position of lips and tongue for the different vowels. These are the long vowels. There are six others which in speech are always short, as follows : 06 o a u e 1 (book) (bond) (bat) (bud) (bed) (bit) the words below are added to facilitate the identification of each sound. All the foregoing are simple vowels. By combining two we acquire compound vowels, which are sometimes sup posed by the uninitiated to represent new sounds. 60 The Choirtrainer s Art Ah terminating with a touch of 1 produces I (high). Aw terminating with a touch of 1 produces OI (boy). Ah terminating with a touch of 06 produces OU (thou). 00 preceded by a touch of 1 produces U (you). The compounds, and indeed all vowel-sounds, appear in our language with a great variety of spelling. With this we are not concerned ; our subject is the sound. To produce the best resonance for each vowel it is necessary to start with c Ah.' Then try the three new sounds on the one side, and afterwards on the other, thus : Ah Aw O OO. Here make sure that the best tone has been secured for Ah ; then change it quietly to the other three in the order given. Aim at producing as little disturbance as possible. The lips will close : they will do that involuntarily. The tone can generally be improved by endeavouring to mini- mize the amount of closure. ' Aw ' should be a fine, round, full sound, with a sug- gestion of grandeur about it. ' O ' should be large and round. It is often too small, and, in the English language, it has a distinct attraction to ' 00,' frequently vanishing on the latter sound, and thus furnishing another compound vowel. This peculiarity does not occur in Italian ; and in English it should be mini- mized as far as possible. 1 OO ' frequently causes trouble, especially for low notes. It ought to be opened out and sung with the teeth parted. The other series, Ah Er A E, will next be con- sidered. Again, the best tone for ' Ah ' will be secured ; this may then be changed to the other three, by allowing the tongue to rise gradually in the centre. Here the secret of good pro- duction is to take care that, though the middle of the tongue rises, the front and the back shall yet be kept down. Much of the difficulty with these vowels is caused by ignorance of this rule. Vowel-Duality 6 1 ' Er ' will give little trouble as a rule. The position will vary only slightly from * Ah ' ; the tone should be broad and deep. * A ' is often very unsatisfactory. The tongue will re- quire keeping as low as possible without losing the vowel, and should ' lean ' in the direction of ' Er.' * A ' will often be pronounced as a compound vowel, thus : A 1, in a similar manner to ' O.' What was said of that vowel ap- plies to this ; the pure tone of the * A ' should be carefully preserved. * E ' often gives trouble, but it can be easily cured. The secret of producing a good ' E ' is to keep the tip of the tongue very low. It should be curved down in the front far enough to reach the gums. The back of the throat should also be kept open and loose ; the result will then be that this vowel, often sounding so far from satisfactory, will become one of the most pleasing. The six short vowels are produced in a similar way to the long ones, and will give no further trouble. They are generally easier to produce than the latter, and, though properly all short sounds, are in singing frequently used for long notes. The compound vowels need careful attention with the beginner. The point to remember is that all the tone of the musical note must be given to the accented part of the vowel ; the unaccented part must be pronounced as briefly as possible. Neglect of this rule is common with untrained singers, and the consequence is a most disagreeable effect. However long the musical passage, and however many notes it contains, the rule is unvarying, e. g. y the vowel ' I,' sung to the following passage, will be rendered : This compound vowel effect appears in another case, which should now be considered. The vowel * u ' frequently terminates words in which it is represented by the letter * r.' 62 The Choir trainer 's Art The teacher should be quite clear as to the treatment of these cases. The sound in question is called the * vocal r.' It may be used as a termination following any vowel. In our language it follows a limited number. Instances are ' hear,' 1 fear/ c dear,' c poor,' ' oar,' * hair,' c hire,' c your,' * our.' The rule for the rendering of all such combinations is that the vocal c r ' should be sounded simply as a vowel when the word stands at the end of a sentence, or when it is fol- lowed by a word commencing with a consonant ; when fol- lowed by another vowel, the c roll ' of the consonant * r ' should be supplied. Compare (i) (consonant following) * dear heart '; (2) ( vowel following ) * dear art !' CHAPTER VI THE CONSONANTS In logical sequence of thought our next consideration will be the consonants ; though for practical voice-training they will not be required until later. Vowels and consonants together make words. It is necessary for the voice-trainer to have a complete know- ledge of all speech-sounds, though much of this knowledge he will wisely keep in the background. Vowels, as already seen, are the musical sounds of the voice ; consonants are noises. The following definition is useful : Consonants are noises of a definite character, caused by complete or partial stoppage of outgoing breath, by the lips and by the tongue. As will be seen, some consonants are less noisy and more musical than others ; and there is a border-line near which it is hard to decide whether a sound is actually a vowel or a consonant. This will become clearer as we proceed. The following consonants are produced by complete stoppage, resulting in an explosion ; and they are called c explosives.' The Consonants 6 3 Stoppage at the lips Stoppage at the teeth Stoppage at the front of palate Stoppage at the middle of palate Stoppage at the back of palate P ' and ' b ' < T ' and d ' 3 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 I certify that the above is a correct record. Parent Name of Boy^ 7 2 The Choirtrainer s Art The great advantage of this exercise lies in the power gained of taking and retaining deep breaths. The method of breathing can be watched and easily guided. The im- portant rule is to forbid the movement of the shoulders ; little else need be mentioned with boys. Exercise 3. For Attack A single note may be repeated seven times, thus : f ^^s s etc. This should be taken on rising semitones, as far as == To gain correct attack, tell the boys to imitate the sound of the pianoforte, or, better still, the choir- master's voice ; or, when one boy becomes more proficient than others, his voice may serve as the model. The aim should be to hit the note l right in the centre,' without any accompanying noise. Exercise 4. For Resonance I IWI OO Ah O O Ah OO Ah OO. Repeat a semitone higher each time, as high as This, when properly used, is a most valuable exer- cise. The lips will be almost closed for ' OO,' and should be opened out wide for ' Ah,' thus : First Steps for Boys 73 Since the lips pass over the whole space, the best resonance position must be touched. The sound of * OO ' secures what is known as * forward ' tone, and attracts the * Ah ' sound (which is usually backward and dead) to itself. I feel it is due to my friend Sir George Martin to mention that it was through him that my attention was first called, some twenty years ago, to the value of the above study. However, an important warning is necessary. The great utility of this exercise has so struck some teachers that they have gone too far, and apparently pinned all their faith upon it. It is only a bridge. To establish a continuous 1 OO ' colouring for all vowels is an unpardonable error, and must be carefully avoided. The use of ' OO ' in the above exercise should be regarded as a means to an end. As has been aptly said, it represents ' scaffolding,' which, while essential in the early stages of the building, must be discarded entirely before the edifice is ready to be seen and admired. This last exercise, and many oth- ers, can with advantage be practised with the small cork (already referred to) placed between the teeth. It should be lightly held, without any pressure at all, and not used continu- ously, but as an occasional test of the teeth opening. Some teachers direct that the thumb shall be used for this purpose; but the cork has the advan- tage of leaving the hand and arm free, and achieves its object more easily and completely. As already mentioned, corks of the requisite kind can be obtained from a cork-cutter's. The best qual- ity are called ' homeopathic,' and are sold for a few pence per gross. If they are given to the boys out and out, they will certainly be lost. I found the best plan was to keep a special board, pierced with pins, 74 The Choirtrainer s Art and labelled with names, upon which the corks could be placed when not in use, like this : Exercise 5. The Humming Exercise # etc. M Ah. Experience has shown that this is sometimes of great value for obtaining forward resonance. The c M ' checks the outgoing breath. When the lips are opened care should be taken to keep the stream of breath quite steady. In teaching a class the hum can be obtained by the simple ex- pedient of directing the singer to watch the teacher's hand, and then giving the signals, thus : CHAPTER IX AGILITY EXERCISES SCALES Musical phrases are largely composed of scale and arpeggio passages. The mechanical practising of these technical figures will therefore greatly help in the rendering of all music. After the difficulty of producing a single note has been mastered, the next step will be to pass from one pitch to another with perfect precision, and without injury to the quality. Slow scales will first be practised, with careful attention to the quality of each note. Afterwards the pace will be increased until great rapidity is achieved. Exercise 6. The Descending Scale _fcfi2. Repeat a semitone higher, until g= is reached. This may be started at first with the lips closed, to se cure correct tone for the top note, thus : and afterwards with direct attack. The atten- =fc*c :t M- - Ah tion must be given to the two extreme notes ; the higher should have middle resonance ; the lower, chest-tone. The higher should be slightly rounded ; the lower, opened wide. As the exercise is transposed, these characteristics will change. For E, and above it, the head-voice will be em- ployed at the top, the middle register at the bottom of the phrase. Exercise 7. The Ascending Scale Ah ------- 75 7 6 The Choirtrainers Art This should be practised slowly, with careful attention to the tone of each note. As the pitch rises the lips should be slightly closed, with what is known as a 'darkening' of the tone. If the tone sounds at all forced, the head should be lowered and the shoulders slightly raised during the as- cent. The exercise should be repeated on every semitone to Ejft ifer; with variation of resonance as in the preceding. Exercise 8. The Same Scale Descending Exercise 9. The Nine-Note Scale Ah This should be commenced after certainty of production has been secured by the foregoing. The attention should be chiefly directed to the highest note ; and if this is at first unsatisfactory it should be taken alone. The speed should be slow at the outset ; afterwards gradually quickened. The aim should be to produce every note cleanly and with pre- cision. The scale may be sung first staccato and afterwards legato. Exercise 10. The Fifteen-Note Scale Ah H 1 = ? j 3 ; h -i 1 I This should be sung in one breath a very deep one and slowly, with quiet, clear tone throughout. Exercise 1 1. A Variation of the Preceding. All boys prepare to sing this. While the pianist plays the scale slowly and softly, the teacher points with the baton Agility Exercises Scales 11 to the boy who is to sing at any moment. It makes a val- uable and at the same time an interesting and amusing ex- ercise. The boys are all on the alert the whole time, with eyes fixed upon the baton ; unhesitating promptness, pre- cision, and accuracy of pitch are secured. This is the order of entry : Suppose there are a dozen boys taking part, the teacher points to No. i for the first note, keeping the baton still for the whole ascending scale. Then No. 2 will take the descending scale. Next, No. 3 may have four notes up ; No. 4, the remainder of the scale. Then each boy in turn, starting from left to right, may have one note ( Nos. 1, 2, 3, etc.); after this the start may be made from the other end (Nos. 12, 11, 10, etc.); and, lastly, the order may vary (e.g., 1, 3, 12, 2, 8, 6, etc.). Then the pace may be increased, so long as the results are accurate. When any one fails, the pace should be reduced until more skill is acquired. I always found the above a most popular exercise, and it was constantly asked for. Exercise i 2 f repeated a semitone higher, as far as Ah This is the preliminary to the shake. Attention should be given to neat joining and pure tone. The * shape ' of each note should be a clear cut square (d-b) joining im- mediately on to its neighbours, but quite distinct and free from c smudginess.' Particular care should be taken with the upper note. The sensation should be opposite as the pitch rises, the whole head should give the feeling of pressing down. Exercise i 3 The shake itself. After Ex. 12 has been well practised, the same figure can be taken more frequently and more 78 The Choirtrainer s Art rapidly, using seven beats with four notes to each. The speed should be increased as familiarity brings certainty. 'A , Exercise H ^4 &-$& s> L s> Ah This advances a step further than Ex. i_. It should be rendered in the same manner. Exercise i 5 # -& &> fr^ O ^ s>- s Ah - An extension of Ex. 14; a valuable study at any time. The alternation of humming and vowel-tone will secure resonance and control. Exercise 16 I 3=* 5=t J=*= Ah An extension of Ex. 15. Exercise 17 * 3*- z?=*z -+*- . Ah An extension of Ex. 16. Exercise i 8 f :**- - *- 3*= M _____ _ - - Ah A valuable exercise. The ' M ' should pass into the 'Ah ' neatly, without any break of continuity. CHAPTER X AGILITY EXERCISES ARPEGGIOS, ETC. When the power of moving by step with correct tone has been gained, the training must be directed towards ac- quiring facility in moving by leaps. The obvious means to this end is the practising of arpeggios of common chords. They contain the intervals of the minor and major third and the perfect fourth ; when these can be well sung, little will remain to be done. Exercise 19 #1 Repeat a semi- P tone higher, to \ fcj= Ah Care must be taken that the quality of tone loses nothing by the rising pitch. As the pitch rises, the head must feel as if it were being lowered as with the scales. Repeat a semitone higher, to Here the two extreme notes should receive chief atten- tion. The lower should be deep and full, vibrating in the chest ; the upper should be prepared for by the * M Ah ' before the whole passage is attempted. As the pitch ascends these directions will of course be modified. 79 8o The Choirtrainer s Art Exercise 2 1 * ^ An extension of Ex. 20. ft -T- Exercise 22 \f rf r r i- 1 r W* * r ' - J 1 f * J j Ah A very valuable study. As before, special attention should be given to the extreme notes, and the pace should at first be rather slow. Exercise 23 This consists of the preceding figure taken in a new way. Instead of singing it once only, let the boys now start all to- gether, after taking a full breath ; then go on repeating the figure as many times as possible without taking more breath. The one who continues the longest gains a prize. The pace will now be rather quick, and the notes sung lightly. It shows in a surprising way what the lungs of boys are capable of when developed. I have had a boy who was able to sing this figure thirty times with the same breath. This exercise will be a very popular one, exciting great interest and amusement. It will be regarded as a real * sporting ' event. The result in lung-development will be invaluable. The above arpeggio figures are sufficient for all practical purposes. If more variety is desired, the choirmaster can invent others for himself. It will be convenient to include in this chapter double and triple scales. They are not things that should be at- tempted in the early stages of development, but may follow when single scales and arpeggios have established themselves. Double and triple scales should be practised with a single voice to each part : they are excellent for acquiring the power of taking a lower part with accuracy and sustaining it with- out hesitation. Agility Exercises Arpeggios, etc, 8 1 Exercise 24. Double Scale f^^fgl * I To sing the above, two selected boys should prepare ; then the choirmaster should point first to the one who is to sing the lower note, while it is played upon the pianoforte. As soon as he has commened to sing, the one for the upper part will follow. When the second voice starts, the figure should be regarded as having commenced ; and the time should be beaten so as to keep both voices together, thus : etc. K=l 3. 4 When this has been sung, the arrangement should be re- versed : the boy who took the lower note will now take the upper. Very young juniors will be unable to keep the lower part at first, but they will soon pick it up by listen- ing to others and trying to imitate them. With a whole row of boys, each can have his turn, with an opportunity of taking either part, thus : 1 2 3 * etc. 2 3 4 or they may be taken at random. Exercise 25. Triple Scale This is an interesting and useful study. To take it ac- curately the singers will have to be fairly advanced ; very young boys should not attempt it. It should be commenced in the same manner as No. 24. Here three boys will be selected, and each will have a chance of taking any note. The middle part will be the 82 The Choirtrainers Art most difficult, but all will soon master it with patience and perseverance. On the same plan as before, the order of voices may be : 12332 2 3 1 2 1 3 1 2 l 3 Each boy must be prepared to sing any part when called upon. The scales may be transposed by semitones, rising as high as tp- This concludes the pure voice-production exercises. When they have all been sung to the vowel * Ah ' they may be taken to others. It should be possible to sing all of the given passages to any vowel with equal ease and certainty. After * Ah,' the most important for practice is perhaps ' E ' (see p. 61). Then c O' may be studied. C A' will always be troublesome. The best way to conduct these exercises is for the choir- master to know them all from memory, the pianist also being ready to play suitable accompaniments ; then the teacher will * pattern ' with his own voice the one he intends to have sung. But to facilitate the use in the early stages, the whole are given in full on another page, with pianoforte accompaniment. ( See p. 00. ) The voice-production exercises should never be regarded as finished. At every stage in his career every chorister should constantly practise them ; so will he be certain 'to keep his voice in good order. It should be remembered that the singing of words has always a tendency to vitiate pure vocal tone. This tendency will be successfully coun- teracted by steady and conscientious practice of the ex- ercises. CHAPTER XI USE OF THE BLACKBOARD Though not actually essential, a blackboard ruled with music-lines will be found a convenient adjunct to the practice room. It is not necessary for the choirmaster to give much attention to the teaching of sight-reading as a separate study: the practice of the voice-production exercises and other things will so sharpen the wits, and exercise the muscles, of the boys that they will unconsciously acquire the power of sight-reading, without special attention. This is, of course, assuming that they have daily, or at any rate fre- quent, practices. With classes that meet only occasionally the case is different. Still, although the other aspects of the work are more important for church choirs, nothing but good can arise from occasional practice in sight-reading. And this can be introduced with the help of the blackboard. The board being already ruled with music-lines, the notes of the scale should be written upon the lines, em- bracing the easy compass of the voice, thus : ni - r? ' > - -e? c (S>- = w- -v a r " es> J -~ This appears in the key of C, but any signature may be written at the commencement of the lines and then the tonic pointed to. The teacher will now take the baton and point to any note, which the boys will be required to sing to the vowel 'Ah'; the pitch being given by the pianoforte. From this start he will proceed to point to the notes of any tune he wishes to be sung either one already known, or composed extempore by him on the spot. This method will cultivate 83 8 4 The Choir trainer 's Art the power of reading intervals with accuracy and ease. The whole notes will, of course, be regarded simply as signs of pitch, not pace. For sight-reading in two parts two batons may be used, one in each hand. I myself have sometimes used three sticks, introducing three-part harmony, to the great satisfaction of the singers ; but this is a more difficult operation, and cannot well be described in writing ; nothing short of a personal interview would carry conviction. There is further use for the blackboard. In order that the minds of the singers may be concentrated upon what they are doing, it is important to avoid superfluous talking. No singer should be allowed to speak ; the choirmaster's words should be reduced to the fewest number possible. Many directions may then be written upon the blackboard. When they are to be followed, the teacher will quietly point to them with his stick, thus avoiding all necessity for speaking. The seven long vowels may in this way be written in bold type. Then whichever one is to be used for an ex- ercise can be indicated at the right moment. The humming exercise can be introduced anywhere by simply pointing to the letter ' M.' Various other directions that are frequently needed can in the same way be indicated ; e.g., ' cork in', c cork out,' ( deep breath,' c stand up straight,' * sit,' etc., etc. CHAPTER XII VOWELS AND CONSONANTS COMBINED Headway having been made with vocal tone, constant and diligent attention should be given to the study of hymns. The hymn gives the choirmaster opportunities for illus- trating, on a small and simple scale, all that goes to the making of an artistic interpretation of vocal music. There is no point of expression or style in the most difficult an- Vowels and Consonants Combined 8 5 them that does not find its counterpart in the simple hymn ; and a choir able to give a really fine rendering of hymns may be trusted to do credit to itself in any other music. In practising hymns the following details of vocal de- livery are to be considered : 1. Purity of tone. 2. Maintenance of pitch. 3. Accuracy of time. 4. Vowel quality. 5. Consonants. 6. Phrasing. 7. Accent. 8. Expression. 9. Meaning of words. The beauty and impressiveness of any vocal perform- ance will depend upon the understanding and application of every one of these points. Blended together, they will form one complete and perfect whole, whose merit will be that of a plain, simple unity. The choirmaster should attack one point at a time, while ever bearing all in mind. His object will be to lead the singers gradually, not observing all at all times, not with conscious effort, but as a matter of habit. It will now be seen how advantageous it is to have some simple material upon which to work, in aiming at this high artistic standard ; and nothing is better for the purpose than hymns. They give notes extending only over the easy compass of the voice ; their words contain all the vocal elements that will be found in other music; and their sim- plicity allows all the attention to be directed to the vital points in vocal rendering, without distracting the mind by efforts to conquer purely musical difficulties. When the habit has been acquired of instinctively attending to all these points of rendering when it has be- come part of the singer's very nature then he can turn to elaborate music with confidence ; for he will be certain to give it an artistic interpretation, once its technical details have been mastered. 86 The Choirtrainer s Art The practising of hymns may be made interesting to the junior boys by taking them in a great variety of ways. They may be sung : i. All together; 2. By a single voice; 3. By two together; 4. By a whole row ; 5. As a solo by the choirmaster, to be imitated ; or 6. Single phrases, 7. Single words, or even 8. Single vowel or consonant sounds, may be studied. When one voice is singing alone the others need not re- main long idle, but may be instructed to join in at a given signal. If the verses are short, this may be for the last line ; if long, for the second half; if they end with a refrain, that may be the point of entry. A few well-known hymns will now be taken, as illustra- tions of a lesson. Hymns A. & M. 165 (New American Hymnal 418). i ^ 4= =S=t O God, our help in a - ges past, Our hope for years to come, # --X tjz Our shel - ter from the storm - y blast, And our e - ter - nal home. 1 O God.' Let the ' O ' be taken with full round tone ; it must not sound like ' er.' ' God ' is a word that is seldom well pronounced by choirs : the vowel must be very round, the ' d ' quite distinct. 4 Our.' Here the sound of c ah ' should be aimed at ; the vowel-glide will take care of itself. * Help/ Care should be taken that the ' p ' sounds as belonging to its own word, not the next. ' In.' Here is the '1' sound: keep the tongue down in the front, bringing the tone well forward. The pitch is at a difficult part of the voice. Secure good 'middle' tone ; if necessary, by first closing the lips. Vowels and Consonants Combined 8 7 * Ages.' The second syllable should be carefully ren- dered, not sounded as * iz.' * Past.' Secure the ring in the front of the mouth, and pronounce the consonants distinctly. ' Our hope.' The round vowel of * hope ' must be guarded, and the ' p ' sounded. * For.' Do not roll the * r.' * Years.' This will probably be rendered incorrectly by beginners. The sound of ' e ' must be continued quite to the end of the note, and it should be well produced with the tip of the tongue low down. * To.' Not * too '; a light vowel-sound. ' Come.' The full three beats should be given to the vowel, which should be well opened. ' Our shelter.' ' Shel-' is difficult for beginners. A- gain secure resonance by the closed lips, and then open out the vowel. 'From.' This takes the highest note in the tune. Try it separately if it goes badly ; let the boys compete as to who will set the best pattern ; then the winner may be imitated. ' The.' A light vowel-sound : * u.' 'Stormy blast.' Give a large round vowel for the first word ; pronounce all the consonants in the second. * And our eternal home.' Take care that ' and ' re- tains both its consonants. * Eternal ' commences with a long ' e ' : its second vowel should be well adjusted to the ' t.' 'Home' should be well rounded, and sung for the full three beats. It will be noted that this verse only forms an address: it terminates with a semicolon, and should be only slightly separated from the next. Passing rapidly over the other verses, notice the following points : ' Beneath ' and ' before ' should be pronounced with the first syllable short. ' Sure ' should be sung with three beats to the sound of ' oo.' This is very seldom delivered correctly, and de- mands careful attention. 88 The Choir trainer *s Art ' Art God.' Care should be taken to pronounce the final consonant in both words. * As a dream.' No break should be made here after ' dream '; the sense will be clear if breath is taken before 'as. The pace of the hymn should be moderate; the expres- sion broad and dignified. The legato style should be aimed at all through. 1 60. ^jf-* 1 f Ho - ly, ho - ly, ho - ly! ( For the rest of the text, see Hymn Book. ) In the first phrase commence with very soft tone, mak- ing a gradual crescendo to the third word. Pronounce the ' o ' very roundly ; the ' ly ' lightly. Make a very slight break between each word. 'Lord God almighty.' Make a crescendo right along here. The pronunciation of the ' d's ' must be cared for ; they are often omitted. The tone of the C sharp will per- haps give trouble. Care for it in the usual way. ' Early in the morning, etc' Beginners usually neglect the dot ; make a special point of explaining its use here, and allow no inaccuracy. The tone of f morning ' should be watched ; it ought to ring out with telling effect. The E will be a head-note, taken with the head held well back and down. ' Thee ' has four beats. The note is seldom given its full value ; this will form a good illustration of the impor- tance of accuracy in time. Allow no excuses as to failure of breath to interfere with its due length. 'Holy, holy, holy.' This will be taken in the same way as the first line. The dot at ' merciful ' should be in- sisted upon. 'God in three persons, etc' This last line is the cli- max, and should be delivered with great emphasis. There is an unfortunate false accent upon ' in ' instead of ' three '; this should be minimized by giving extra weight to the lat- Vowels and Consonants Combined 8 9 ter word. At the end of the line there should be a gradual diminuendo. Great care should be taken with the conclud- ing words. l Trinity ' with its three repetitions of ' 1,' will repay close study; commonly, it is not well sung. The last note must be held for the full four beats. To insure this will require determined persistence on the part of the choir- master. The composer has, with pathetic suggestion, placed a pause over it. This is quite unnecessary. What is required is the full length of the breve, and I do not suppose he really desired any more. The following points will require attention in the remaining verses : ' Which wert, etc' A break at each comma is neces- sary here to bring out the full force of the solemn state- ment. It must be remembered that not all commas re- quire a break. Stops are only a help (often an imperfect and fallible one) to the rendering ; it is the sense that must guide. t Perfect in power, etc' Here untrained singers will desire to make a break after the word ' in,' instead of after ' love.' They will require patient persistence to guide them aright. The pace of the whole hymn should not be slow. It is so long that a slow tempo gives a wearisome effect. The movement should, however, be extremely smooth and con- nected, and all accent shunned except that required by the words. It will then be seen that, though the pace as judged by a metronome may be quick, the effect will not be that of hurry. It is the repetition of strong accents that gives the mental impression of speed ; smoothness of ren- dering produces a feeling of calm, even though the actual pace be rapid. 83- When wound - ed sore, the . . strick - en heart This beautiful hymn will give scope for the introduction of tender and earnest expression. It should be solemn and sustained, with every point of phrasing observed. . 9 The Choirtrainer s Art ' When wounded sore, etc.' No break should be made at the end of the first line. Render the quarter-notes care- fully ; when two are substituted for a half-note, each should be regarded as of slightly more value than half a half-note. The teacher who applies this rule will reap from it a har- vest of results. Dwell slightly on each of the notes, giv- ing a little more time to the first than to the second. * One only hand, etc' Render thus : * One only hand a pierced hand.' \ Make a slight break at . Make a decided lengthening iupon 'on-,' with powerful tone. The solemn reference in the second phrase is indicated by the break after ' hand.' This phrase should be taken very quietly. After it there should be no break, but the motion should continue to the end of the verse. In the remaining verses the same points will be noticed ; and with what has been already indicated the choirmaster will be able to render them with good effect. The false accent in the third verse on c over ' may be corrected by giving an extra verbal accent to the syllable requiring it. In this chapter it had been intended to introduce the hymn only as a voice-production exercise, but it seemed impossible to use it at all without attending to other points, which, if neglected, would take from voice-production most of its value. Much that in logical sequence should have come in Part III has, therefore, been anticipated. In spite of this the reader may still regard the hymn as most valuable material for the study of voice-production, as an end in itself. He will use his own judgment as. to when to bring in other matters, and how much of them, in the early stages of training. All possibilities of artistic rendering will be in his own mind ; but he will not con- stantly refer to them. A touch here, a point gained there, will lead to steady and real progress progress that never looks back ; that never requires to, for it makes sure of every inch of ground as it moves on, and, building upon sure foundations, raises its edifice with a firmness and solid- ity that cannot be shaken. Altos of Trinity Church, Newport, R. I. CHAPTER XIII THE TRAINING OF ALTOS In proportion to the well-known dearth of male alto singers is the desire for information as to the correct method of training them. The writer's recent experience at Newport, R. I., was of so unusual and so interesting a character that he will make no apology for here describing it. He undertook to found a choir of men and boys. The boys were soon secured ; tenors and basses were discovered ; but of altos there were none to be obtained on any terms in fact, such a thing as a male adult alto had never been heard of in the place. The writer discarded the suggestion to allow treble boys to sing the alto part, for reasons already given in these pages ; and he determined to try the experiment of 'making' some adult altos out of nothing. He then secured six en- thusiastic youths of 1 6 and 17 years of age, whose voices had * broken '; very desirable from every point of view but the musical. They gladly placed themselves in his hands, and he made agreements with them that, in return for his promise to give them voices, they would undertake to sing for the Church for not less than five years. Then the work commenced. Three separate practices of forty-five minutes each were arranged during the week, and the altos were also allowed to attend the full rehearsal. It was found, when they attempted to sing, that they were innocent of the possibility of pro- ducing a single note correctly. This, however, did not matter ; they stood up and breathed. Then they tried to hum a note struck on the pianoforte, following the choir- master's pattern. This gave some tone. The next step was a slight opening of the lips. The vowel ' Ah ' was found to spoil the tone at once, but ' E ' and ' OO ' proved serviceable, especially the former ; so this was retained and 9 1 9 2 The Choir trainer 's Art used continuously. Then some of the exercises already used for the treble boys were introduced, transposed to the proper compass. This was the most useful one : transposed by semitones up to C. Then the ascending scale in even notes, followed by the descending one, within the same compass. Having secured some tone, the next question was the singing of an inner part. First, while the youths sang one note, a higher one was sounded on the piano, first softly, then more loudly : p tnf f m = When it had become possible to retain this note against its antagonist, it was an easy step to using one voice against another, and we soon got on to chords of two, three, four and five parts. This is what then appeared : The above was started by each in succession, so that by going through the row every singer had a turn at every note. Much interest followed this process, and progress was soon apparent. The next step was to take hymn-tunes, at first very simple ones, sung only to the vowel ' E.' By directions to watch carefully the notes, and when they rose to sing up, and vice versa, we presently got something approaching the pitch. Then the time was introduced by beating, as with the boys ; and it was soon possible to get the tune right. This was practised, first with the alto part played prominently on the pianoforte, and then with the alto and treble. At first this latter introduced confusion, but step by step confidence and power were gained, until before very long that trouble was vanquished. Then we called in a few treble boys to The Training of Altos 93 sing their part against the altos. Again there was confusion, and again it was conquered. It was, however, some time before these neophytes were able to sing a part against the whole of the other voices. Their worst antagonists were of course the trebles, and these were therefore most frequently pitted against them. All the time we were using chiefly the vowel c E '; occasionally ' OO '; but nothing else. In course of time we tried the words with the music. At first this meant renewed failure, for the tone became completely vitiated ; but by degrees we got one word successfully, then another, until before long all could be given with equally good tone. In the early stages the youths were directed to sing very little when the other voices were at work ; but gradually and tentatively to put a note in where they felt able. At beginning, they were completely overwhelmed by hearing parts all around them ; but we proceeded steadily with our eyes on the goal, and never allowed difficulties to act as discouragements. The results of all this were beyond every expectation. Within a year of the time of commencement, these raw youths, who started with no tone and no power of keeping a part, were singing correctly and with good effect all the reg- ular church music, including the chanting of the Psalms, such Services as Stanford in B flat and Hopkins in F> and such anthems as Mendelssohn's ' As the Hart Pants' and Han- del's l Hallelujah ' Chorus ; and they had become quite val- uable church singers. The chief difficulty lay in facing the first beginnings ; there was nothing to build upon. After a few months, success was certain ; but at the first it needed a sanguine temperament to believe that good results could by any possibility be obtained. The writer has felt this to be one of the most interesting experiences of his musical life ; he has therefore described it in the hope that it may be of use to readers placed in similar circumstances. PART III THE RENDERING OF CHURCH MUSIC 95 PART III THE RENDERING OF CHURCH MUSIC Chapter I : The Value of Words Chapter II : Words and Music .... Chapter III : The Fixed Plain-Song of the Service. Monotones ...... Chapter IV: The Fixed Plain-Song (cont. ). Versicles Responses ; Litany ..... Chapter V : Psalm Chanting .... Chapter VI: Psalm Chanting (cont.) . Chapter VII : Merbecke's Communion Service Chapter VIII : Further Directions Chapter IX : Accuracy and Expression Chapter X : Hymns ..... Chapter XI : Anthems and Services. Conclusion . 97 I02 I 06 114 I24 I32 I4I J 53 !59 162 172 Exercises as given in Part II 191 96 CHAPTER I THE VALUE OF WORDS All art is the product of a process of evolution. To understand the use and exercise of an art like music, it is necessary frequently to consider, and to bear in mind, the origins from which it is derived. The origin of ecclesiastical music may be seen in the origin of all music the man striving to express in sound the emotions within his mind. Speech expresses thought ; music, emotion. The two are often intermingled. There is seldom speech without emotion ; though, of course, there may be emotion without speech. Vocal music clearly finds its origin in the natural in- flexions of the voice in speaking, and these inflexions are primarily dependent upon the sense and emotion of the words. A sentence containing a question will terminate with a rising inflexion ; one containing an emphatic state- ment, with a falling pitch. For a choirmaster to achieve the highest perfection of result, it is necessary that he realize the value and beauty of words in themselves : first, as mere combinations of sounds ; secondly, as each enfolding a sense which long use and as- sociation has widened and extended with a hundred memo- ries, making the word a familiar friend ; and thirdly, as modified by the juxtaposition of other words, thus creating a rhythm in itself a thing of interest and beauty. Speak- ing of the importance of choice of language, Lord Chester- field wrote : " I will willingly exchange and give up some degree of rough sense for a good degree of pleasing sound." A succession of words always involves some sort of rhythm, i.e., a formal alternation of strong and weak, long and short, vocal units. In modern languages the strong and weak elements are what chiefly arrest the attention ; in 97 9 8 The Choir trainer s Art the old classical languages the principal things considered were the long and short elements. Rhythm may be regular or irregular ; the former is found in poetry, the latter in prose. It would seem that the rendering of our English lan- guage has lost greatly by the almost universal attention given to the subject of force-accent to the exclusion of con- siderations of quantity. Yet the latter must always be pres- ent, and the student who does consider it will find it a matter of high interest, and will be amply rewarded by the increased elegance and beauty of the results obtained. In the golden age of Latin and Greek literature the most minute attention was given to the quantity of syllables, and most elaborate and artistic devices were invented, in which the formal structure of poetry was laid. A study of these designs will be of advantage to every musician ; it will show whence our modern instrumental music takes its origin, and furnish suggestions for its further advancement. The quantity, long or short, of every vowel was consid- ered, and the juxtaposition of consonants taken into account. Long vowels were, of course, treated as such ; short vowels were taken as short unless succeeded by two or more con- sonants, in which case they also were treated as long. Then they were arranged to fall into the formal designs laid down. The poet Horace used twenty-three of these designs. A few illustrations are here given, to show the way in which they were treated. a. Greater Alcaic : | - | (| ~ - | ~ b. Iambic Dimeter Hypermeter : ~ | - | ~ | >- c. Minor Alcaic : ~~| wv | w | - e. Adonic : ~ - | /. Asclepiadic Choriambic Tetrameter : 1 - ~ | g. Glyconic : | ~~ | ~ h. Acephalous Iambic Dimeter : | ~ | ~ | ~ /. Iambic Trimeter Catalectic : ~ I ~ II ~ I The Value of Words 99 Here are the same formulae filled in with words : I. a. Descende caelo et die age tibia regina longum Calliope melos, b. seu voce nunc mavis acuta, c. seu fidibus citharave Phcebi. i. d. Rectius vives, Licini, neque altum semper urgendo neque, dum procellas cautus horrescis, nimium premendo e. litus iniquum. 3. f. Crescentem sequitur cura pecuniam majorumque fames. Jure perhorrui late conspicuum tollere verticem, g. Maecenas, equitum decus. 4. h. Non ebur neque aureum *'. mea renidet in domo lacunar. That learned and voluminous writer, J. E. Ellis, directs that to secure the correct manner of rendering the rhythm of the above a metronome should be used, and the words made to fit in with its beats. But it would appear that this cannot truly represent the original method, for there must have been subtle differences to be noticed in an artistic per- formance beyond the mere rough division into long and short. A dipthong must have taken longer to pronounce than a simple long vowel ; three consonants must have taken longer than two. The true rendering would probably give a kind of tempo rubato ; a rhythm strict yet at the same time free, firm yet flexible the true rhythm of all cultured speech, and the true rhythm of cultured singing. By changing the signs and ^ into musical notes, what looks like a piece of modern instrumental rhythm appears. But there is an important difference. In modern music each successive measure occupies nominally the same por- tion of time as its fellows ; in the rhythm we are considering, the measures vary in length, thus conveying to the modern mind an idea of prose. ioo The Choir trainer s Art I lM I I I l|! J I ' d J |J J J | J J | J J J J I J J |J J J |j JIJ J I c. <=* good Lord' The first word should not be held. The first three words form a triplet, thus : 3 -^ d <=* <=" a pare us, good Lord. c Good Lordy deliver us' The accent should be placed upon the second word, * Lord.' The last three syllables should not be hurried, as they usually are. ' We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.' Take the first three words deliberately, with the logical accent on the second. ' Hear ' should not be prolonged. The whole sentence should be smooth and even through- out, as in good reading. The Versicles and Responses that follow should be taken in the same manner as those for Matins and Evensong: it will be unnecessary here to go through the details. 122 The Choir trainer 's Art It is interesting to notice the printer's error after the prayer ' We humbly beseech thee,' where ' Amen ' has been accidentally omitted. It is to be hoped that, with Prayer Book revision in the air, this mistake will soon be corrected. 4. The Amen In a well-rendered choral service the singing of the ' Amens ' will be one of the most striking features. Though this may appear a simple matter, it is yet one to which con- siderable attention should be given by choirmaster and choir. As to the choice of cadence, it seems unfortunate that the authentic cadence A - men. has become so common. In Merbecke the only ' Amen ' given is on the monotone ; this therefore has authority. The Amen is certainly a part of the service in which the congregation is expected to join. But when the people sing they invariably double the soprano part ; the result will be that, when the authentic cadence is used, it is the leading-note that will be doubled by the congregation, pro- ducing an effect known by every beginner in harmony to be an unpardonable blunder. If, however, the monotoned treble, as given in Mer- becke, be retained, it can be harmonized with the plagal cadence, producing a perfectly satisfactory effect when the congregation joins in with the doubled tonic, thus : It is therefore suggested that, in places where congregational singing is expected, this cadence be retained. The Fixed Plain- Song i*3 Great care should be bestowed upon the rendering of the Amen. The choir should take a full breath during the last sentence read by the priest, and commence promptly directly after he has finished, sustaining the two chords for exactly equal length, counting two beats for each. Many and various are the renderings given by different choirs to this apparently very simple response ; some will make the second syllable too long, others too short. It may be well to remind the reader that the second syllable, as written in the Greek, has the long vowel (v) y not the short one (e) ; an excessive shortening is therefore certainly incorrect. Here is the place to make an emphatic protest against the custom, occasionally met with in England, frequently in America, of maintaining a kind of hybrid choral service by taking the priest's part in the Versicles in the speaking- voice while the Responses are sung by the choir, and also of having the Amens sung by the choir when the prayers have been simply spoken by the minister. It is hoped that the ancient custom of the priest's sing- ing the Versicles and monotoning the prayers, directed by the leaders of the Reformation to be retained as in times past, but which has unhappily fallen into abeyance, may soon be revived. But until it is, this dual method should be strenuously resisted by choirmasters of taste and edu- cation. Speaking and singing are both seemly and rea- sonable ways of rendering divine worship ; but to combine the two in the way so often heard to-day is neither seemly nor reasonable. It has no more justification than the con- ducting of a service in two languages at the same time, and is about as artistic as the producing of a picture in which the one half should be painted and the other engraved. CHAPTER V PSALM CHANTING Intimately connected with the foregoing are the Psalms. They are rendered by what is technically called chanting, as are occasionally the Canticles and other hymns. A clear understanding of the true art of chanting is the very centre and core of a choirmaster's work. One who has mastered it may be trusted to interpret successfully any department of ecclesiastical music. A chant may properly be defined as ' a monotone con- cluding with an inflexion.' A single chant consists of this repeated twice ; formerly, and still occasionally, preceded by another inflexion, called the ' intonation.' A double chant is, in form, two single chants joined together ; a triple chant, three ; and a quadruple chant, four. Perhaps the best-known single chant is that used for the Litany : f Written in the modern conventional form, it would ap- pear as follows : To arrive at correct chanting it is necessary for the stu- dent to study the manner of ancient chanting, to note in what respects it differs from modern, and to substitute for the prevalent faults the old true method. The true method of chanting remains in the modern plain-song books ; a reference to ' The Manual of Plain- Song ' (Novello & Co.) will show this. The modern prev- alent errors have gradually crept in since the eighteenth cen- tury. An understanding of what they are, and how they 124 Psalm Chanting I2 5 arose, will enable the student to correct them without much difficulty. Ancient, and true, chanting was, and is, the ren- dering of a monotone in the manner described in Chapter III, Part III, followed by an inflexion fitting the length and weight of the syllables for which it is used. The prev- alent and incorrect chanting consists of a hurried recitation, more or less ' gabbled,' followed by an emphasized inflexion taken at a slower pace then the recitation, and sung in strict time, regardless of the weight, accent, sense and feeling of the words. The two are denoted respectively by the names ' Gregorian ' and { Anglican ' an unfortunate distinction, giving the impression that there are two rival systems ; the truth being that there is only one proper method of chant- ing, and that all methods that differ from it are wrong and pernicious. So-called * Gregorians ' are usually sung in unison : so-called f Anglicans ' are usually sung in harmony. But this distinction is unessential ; the former are some- times taken in harmony with good effect, the latter are frequently sung in unison with excellent effect. Another distinction is that the former are built upon the old modes, the latter upon the modern scale. But even this does not make so sharp a cleavage as might be supposed, for the notes of the former sometimes approach so near to the modern scale-line as almost to cross the border ; the latter are sometimes written to-day in tonalities which may be classified as old. It is unnecessary here to press the fact that the old chanting, when used with the old chants, is correct. This is universally admitted. The thing to establish is, that the old chanting used with the new chants is equally correct. The faults of modern chanting are due to the use, and abuse, of bars and accent-marks. The latter are a blemish which should be removed with all speed ; the former are, in the circumstances, a necessary evil ; their ill effect can be counteracted by proper instruction. In the old chanting a separate note was written to every syllable. This secured that the singer, led by his eye, pro- nounced the words in a seemly and natural manner, without undue hurrying or slackening, and with correct emphasis. 126 The Choir trainer 'j Art Before the Reformation the Psalms were sung in Latin, thus : Prin-ci-pes per-se-cu-ti sunt me gra-tis: et a ver-bis tu-is for-mi-da-vit cor me-um. When the English translation came into use, the same method was followed with the English words. This is from Merbecke : O come, lett vs syng vn - to the lorde, lett vs hert - ly re - Joyce J in the strength of oure sal-ua-ci -on. Just at this time harmony was taking the place of unison singing in many directions ; and it occurred to the musi- cians of the day that this change could be introduced into chanting. A separate note was still written for each syl- lable, showing the relative pace of the various sounds, and all went well. A verse from Tallis's settings has already been given (p. 119); here is another : r p p r f Glo - ry be to the Fa-ther, and to the Son: and to the Ho - ly Ghost. I . J 1 " I I I.I II I I I I I J fc f> ~ fg s & e?~ f *= f S> g >-| 7= 1 1 1 1 , 1 r- ! l p-r 1 o Two new conditions then arose, which had to be met by a compromise. As soon as the harmonized chanting was heard, it became obvious that many new and beautiful effects were within reach of the musician. Harmony being admitted, a new realm of possibilities opened out for secur- ing variety, interest and expression. Endless new chants were accordingly written, and are still being written, upon the lines made possible by harmony. Secondly, these were written in four- or five-part harmony, whereas formerly there was only one part. It now became impracticable to write out the notes to every syllable that was to be sung. Psalm Chanting I2 7 The books containing the music would have become too bulky for general use ; the expense would have been pro- hibitive. The only remaining course, and the one adopted, was that of writing the music once, and leaving the singers to adapt it to the words at the time of performance. One serious loss ensued in course of time. As any chant might be used to any words, it was found impracti- cable to have chants of varying length, and so the conven- tional device of three measures followed by four became general, and the old variety in length of inflexion was lost. The thing we know as ' pointing ' was, however, un- dreamt of in the early days of harmonized chanting. The only pointing was that found in the Prayer Book to-day, viz., the mark (:) dividing the verses into two parts, to show where the second half of the chant was intended to com- mence. This was what Cathedral choirs used, up to the middle of the nineteenth century. Then the bars, and other marks with which we are now so familiar, were introduced with the laudable object of getting the singers to keep together. The rules for securing correct chanting, on the model of that left by the Reformation teachers, are as follows : i. The Recitation The pace of this should be the same as that of the inflex- ion. Long and short syllables should receive the same treatment in both. If the recitation happens to contain the same number of syllables as the inflexion, it should take approximately the same time to sing ; if it contains twice as many syllables, it should take twice as long ; e.g., O come, let us sing | unto ' the \ Lord : Here the inflexion has four syllables, the recitation, five ; the relative time will be as follows (always remembering that semibreves, minims and crotchets, when used to indi- cate chanting, are to be regarded as only approximate guides) : a =7 =J a- a- {4-' '- I O come, let us sing | un - to the | Lord : 128 The Choirtrainer s Art In the second half of this verse there are nine syllables against six : t Let us heart - i - ly re - joice in the | strength of j our sal - va - tion. The best way to arrive at the correct pace of the recita- tion is to take any sentence and repeat it first as a simple monotone, and then again with the inflexions added, thus : JJJJJJJJJJ J J J a. Let us come be - fore his pres J ence with thanks - giv - ing: and <=* a <= shew our - selves glad in him with psalms. t : S^ 5=t b. Let us come be - fore his pres-ence with thanks - giv - ing : and shew I our - selves glad him with | psalms. The above looks difficult, but it is really easy. The words of the recitation must set their own pace. As already pointed out, the notes used above are only approximate in length. Unfortunately, the association of modern notation with strict time is apt to mislead. The best guide would be the old square notes, but as these are not always under- stood, it has seemed preferable to use the other. The teacher should insist that the words containing the chief sense-elements should be prolonged, in order that they may arrest attention. In the following sentence : For he is the Lord our God : and we are the people of his pasture ', and the sheep of his hand, the whole gives the reason for the invitation in the preced- ing verse. The antithesis is between the statement as to what ' he ' is and what ' we ' are. The strong words will be he,' ' Lord,' and * God,' and ' we,' * people,' l pasture,' followed by the parallel ' sheep ' ' hand.' Psalm Chanting 129 The first half of this sentence usually receives plenty of emphasis, being set to an inflexion. The emphasis in the second should exactly correspond ; but, being set to the re- citing-note, it very seldom does. Render the whole as fol- lows : m ^ ^= ^pi=i For he is the Lord our God: and we are the peo - pie of his pas - ture, and the sheep of his hand. Exclamations, like ' lo,' ' behold,' ' look,' ' yea,' should / always be prolonged. A semibreve is conventionally written for the reciting- note. This merely gives the pitch, and is no indication as to length. Just as it is admissible to lengthen it to any ex- tent, so it is imperative to shorten it to a minim, or a crot- chet, when the words require it ; e.g.. Proved I me and \ saw my \ works. * Proved ' should be the length of a minim (J), with an ac- cent. And I to the \ Holy \ Ghost. ' And' should be the length of a crotchet (J), without an accent. For the \ Lord sus- \ tained \ me. 1 For the' should be taken as two crotchets ( J J), without accent. Summary a. Sing the recitation slowly, i.e., at the same pace as the inflexion. b. Dwell upon important words, passing lightly over mere connecting-links. c. Reduce the recitation semibreve to a minim or a crot- chet when the words require it. 1 3 The Choir trainer 's Art d. Ignore the * accent ' mark, when found in the Psal- ter. It is frequently placed upon an unaccented syllable ; when on an accented one it is unnecessary, as common sense will supply the accent. 2. Final Words Progress will best be made by considering these next. One of the gravest errors in chanting is caused by the habit of emphasizing the last note of the chant, whatever the word set to it may be. As much care should be taken over final words as over the recitation. One, two, three, or four, syllables are set to the last note of an inflexion. These may be accented or unaccented, long or short. a. ONE SYLLABLE strong e.g. * unto the | Lord. medium * Tempted | me.' weak * a | vain | thTng.' very weak 'sacrifice of | righteous- | ness. b. TWO SYLLABLES These should usually be taken as two minims ; their weight will, however, vary. Here are several varieties : also judgment righteous season sal- prosper vation wither sinners Compare these carefully, and pronounce them as in speaking. Psalm Chanting I 3 l C. THREE SYLLABLES These should be rendered as a triplet, with slight modi- fications as follows : righteousness wilderness wickedness | ceedlngly sepulchre vanity d. FOUR SYLLABLES These should invariably be taken as a group of four even notes, e.g., | testimonies. It is important to note that, when studying the above, the student must not suppose that his duty is to take words and force them into certain moulds. The correct way to view the matter is from the very opposite direction. It is not the quantity-marks that make the word, but the word that furnishes the quantity-marks. The marks given here are intended to represent, as nearly as possible, what is the exact pronunciation that would be given by a cultured speaker what he would give naturally without thinking of the matter. All words have their own natural quantity. It is the duty of the teacher to retain this in its purity, and to prohibit distortions and mispronunciations. He will not require any marks in actual practice, but it is sometimes of assistance to him to write down his impressions, in order to gain and retain accuracy. The commonest faults in the pronunciation of final words are undue hurry and false ac- cent. If there is an accent, it invariably falls upon the first syllable following the bar; the remaining syllable, or sylla- bles,, should be extended, not contracted. CHAPTER VI PSALM CHANTING (Continued) 3. Middle Words These are the words falling between the bars in pointed Psalters. The one condition for rendering them correctly is to realize that the bars, in chanting, do not involve either time or accent, but are merely convenient signs for showing where the words correspond with the notes of the musical in- flexion. It is not always easy to convince people of this truism, so accustomed are they to the rigid time-dividing of the bars in instrumental music. A glance at a verse or two of the ancient chanting, or of the original ' Anglican ' chanting, proves the truth of the above rule ; e.g., a. From Merbecke : 5 Lord, now let - test thou thy ser - uaunt de - part in peace. Which thou hast pre-par-ed, b. From Tallis : *^ I will talk of thy com - mand - ments : in thy stat utes: s> & r~r The reader can himself supply the bars that a modern c pointer ' would give to these extracts, and see how they would fit the places marked \ 132 Psalm Chanting l 33 It is well to go further and remember that all bars in music are mere accidental helps. Music could exist very well, and actually did exist until the sixteenth century, without them. When misunderstood, they do harm in in- strumental music ; they do more harm in ordinary vocal music ; they introduce disastrous havoc into chanting. The rule for the rendering of middle words is, that they shall continue the relative pace of the monotone, without perceptible break or interruption, until the final words are reached. They will vary greatly in length and weight : their natural pronunciation must in every case be retained. a. ONE SYLLABLE The two half-notes of the musical measure are fre- quently set to one syllable. In these cases, the notes must be reduced as far as possible in value ; this reduction will vary in amount according as the word or syllable is light or heavy; e.g., Long : a | great - | God without | end - | Medium : the | dry - | land and | fall - | down in | due - | season Short : a | gainst - | him lifter | up - | b. TWO SYLLABLES When two syllables are set to the two notes of one measure, the strong and weak syllables should be carefully distinguished. The following varieties will be found : Both very light : | to the | Both light : | ever | /I holy | / / , ) I KTng a- I Heavy and light : \ , , ,'., J & j I strength of | ' | glad in | 134 The Choirtrainer s Art Both heavy him with | hf lis fs | L5rd our | kn5wn my To render the above correctly the half-notes of the music must be treated in a very elastic manner ; they will sound for the various groups somewhat as follows : r r Here again let it be remembered that the words will govern the music, not the music the words ; the effect, though it would look irregular on paper, will, in actual use, sound natural and easy. C. THREE SYLLABLES When three syllables are set to the two musical notes, the usual dot will show which two are to be sung to one note. There is, however, much more to consider. Nearly as much variety will be found here as in the case of two sylla- bles. The following illustrations will make this clear : g e ner- lm- | unto . my | = i p 1 p l | ation . and | = r I p 1 | unto . the | = r p 1 p 1 | agine . a | = i i 1 | counsel . to- | = 1 p 1 r Psalm Chanting ns 1 r r F r r i r r I and . to the | = | law . of the | = | laugh . them to | = The elastic half-notes will easily be transmuted into these divisions and the words will give their true force and meaning. d. FOUR SYLLABLES Four syllables are not often placed within the space of one bar. When they are, the rendering will be easy. Two syllables will go to each note of the music, retaining their own force ; e.g., I Israel . shall be I r This measure will rightly take about twice as long to render as a measure with only two syllables. For two half-notes of the chant, occasionally a dotted half-note and a quarter-note are substituted. The correct rendering of these is not always understood. The rules are as follows : When they are set to two syllables, these should inva- riably take one note each, e.g., In the recitation : m the | Lord of I Hosts is | with us. be | hold the j works, etc. In the mediation 5= IllI 3 the Lord of | Hosts is | with us. God is our | hope and | strength. When, however, three syllables are to be taken to the two notes, considerable care is necessary. It should be '136 The Ghoirtrainer s Art first decided whether these syllables can be divided into a long and two shorts, or into two shorts and a long ( | - ~ | or | - ~ | ) ; when the latter is necessary, the musical notes must be adapted thus : jO, m^ they I marvelled to see such things: fear J came there up - on | them and | sorrow : f glad the | ci - ty of the I kingdoms are God: moved : In all other cases the rendering will be like this : I : much I ado 2nd the kingdoms are moved : f =t =fc behold the works of thS Lord : When there are four syllables, the rendering will invari- ably be: f and ! 1 4 ==T- tz&z A word should be said as to the mark of division (:) found in all Psalters between the two halves of the verse. This is the one pointing mark which has the authority of the Prayer Book. It is sometimes called a ( colon,' be- cause it is written like one ; but this is a pity, as a colon is the name given to a stop in grammar, used to denote a break in the sense. The mark in question simply indicates the division of the music, whether the words have a break or are continuous. Usually, the division of the parallels occurs at this point, but not always. When it does not, the music should continue without any separation ; e.g., O Lord thy word : endureth, etc. For lo, the kings of the earth : are gathered, etc. Psalm Chanting J 37 In view of the insistence by some teachers on an invari- able pause at this point, as a sort of sacred duty, the follow- ing opinion given by the Rev. W. H. Frere, D.D., is val- uable : "I think the pause of the colon in any case is purely for purposes of convenience, and must be judged accordingly, not treated as a sort of fetish which must be adhered to with or without cause." This brings in another question : What is the correct method of antiphonal singing ? should it be by the half- verse, or by the whole verse ? Firstly, sweep away misconceptions. There is no abso- lute authority for the invariable use of either the one or the other. Various methods have been in use at different times and in different places. The question is one that should be settled solely by considerations of common sense, edification and beauty. Further, there is no reason at all why the whole body of the choir should take part in every verse. It is quite suit- able for certain portions to be taken by a solo voice, or by a few picked voices ; but this is a question that cannot be fully discussed here.* Assuming that the chorus is going to sing in every verse, then, in the majority of Psalms, the division should be at the half-verse, in order to make the musical rendering cor- respond with the structure of the words. For it will be seen that, as a rule, the poetry takes a dual form : the second half of the verse balances the first as a parallel, a complement, or an antithesis. This structure is obscured by the custom of whole-verse singing; it is illuminated by half-verse anti- phony. The rule should be to divide each verse between the two sides of the choir whenever the verses are of twofold construction ; but to retain the whole-verse arrangement when the verses contain only one complete and indivisible thought. * See 'The Psalms, their Structure and Musical Rendering,' by A. Madeley Richardson (G. Schirmer). U 8 The Choir trainer *s Art The student is strongly recommended to follow up the study of this important question. Space forbids more than a passing reference to it here. A small detail should be noticed. Sometimes an elabo- rate rallentando is introduced at the end of every * Gloria.' This should be avoided. A slight slackening may be intro- duced, but it should be kept well within bounds. It is a pity that the direction of the Prayer Book which orders the * Gloria ' to be sung at the conclusion of every Psalm cannot be amended (as has been done by the American Church); it is particularly inappropriate when, as in several cases, the Psalm already terminates with a ' Gloria ' of its own. Insufficient attention has probably been given to the question of chanting in unison. Unison singing is always effective, as a contrast to harmonized. For chanting with a weak choir, where there may be difficulties in balancing voi- ces, or in getting them to take their parts correctly when balanced, it is strongly to be recommended. Further, when congregational singing is desired, it is the one way to obtain it. Low chants may be taken, suitable to the compass of all voices, and all available time and care given to the cor- rect enunciation of the words, without the hindrance of hav- ing to correct faults in part-singing. Now, after perusing the method of chanting advocated in these pages, the student will probably pause to consider whether he feels equal to the task of carrying it out. The writer has often been told by grave and reverend seigniors that, though his views are undoubtedly right, the difficulties in the way of imparting them to unlearned singers are so great that it is impossible to teach them successfully. The reply to this is, that the difficulties, when boldly attacked, ' will be found to be purely imaginary. Experience has shown that little boys have been able to acquire the method in a very short time with complete success. This has been done both in England and America. In the latter country it has been remarkable how easily the boys have taken to it in a few months ; and it has been amusing and instructive to witness the elder boys solemnly undertaking Psalm Chanting I 39 to teach the juniors and insisting upon their chanting pro- perly without delay. The method is based upon nature and common sense. When acquired it is seen to be reason- able and obvious. It is the prevalent defective chanting that is really difficult ; obviously, for, to acquire it, it is necessary, having learnt to speak correctly, to unlearn all this and speak incorrectly. Even were the difficulties great (as they are not), it would be worth while ; for it gives to the words meaning, and consequently interest. The words are learnt and re- tained ; their sense is grasped and assimilated. What better task can a choirmaster have than to promote the love and appreciation of the golden beauties of the greatest poetry in the world ? The reader should obtain and study that valuable book (recently published at the price of i/o)by Prothero, "The Psalms in Human Life." After reading it he will not think any trouble too much to establish the singing of the Psalms as they should be sung. It should be always emphasized that this method of chanting is nothing new. Its one and only aim is to rees- tablish and retain the old principles, the only true and right ones. One real difficulty is found when choirs are thoroughly trained into a wrong method. This requires undoing be- fore the right can be established. It will, of course, take trouble do this, but it is unfair to blame the true for the faults of the false. The undoing process will invariably be found more arduous with men than with boys. This proves what has just been said. It will not be asserted that men have less intelligence than boys. The only reason for this tardiness is that with them bad habits have had longer time to establish themselves and grow into their nature. The faults have become confirmed, and therefore require more time and stronger efforts to eradicate them. Another difficulty lies in the fact that the usual published Psalters have to be used.* In these the 'accent* is found. * See, however, The Southwark Psalter, by the present writer (Long- mans, Green & Co.). J 4o The Choir trainer ' s Art Its pernicious effect is admitted by all, but a mistaken notion is abroad that in some way it is a help to the singer, and, in fact, is an inevitable evil. Attempts have been made to lessen its baneful influence by substituting for it quantity- marks, or superimposed notes. These only retain the same errors in a different form. The fatal mistake of all is the assumption of what is called an ' imaginary bar.' Away with it ! Why have a bar at all, either imaginary or other- wise? The evil effect would not be so great if we could have ' imaginary bars ' all through a long sentence, thus : a. Blessed is he whose unrighteousness | is for- | given : iii i i i i i b. Blessed is he whose unrighteousness c. Blessed is he whose unrighteousness but none of these arrangements has ever been attempted. Only the last group of syllables before the first bar is marked. The inevitable consequence is that both teacher and singers conclude that these are the ones to be chiefly considered, and that the preceding ones are of less import- ance. In the above sentence, the principal word is ' blessed'; the next in importance, 'forgiven.' What uninitiated per- son would suppose so, looking at the ordinary Psalters ? Let us hope that the time is not far distant when all these devices will, once for all, be removed from all Psalters. Until they are, the only advice that can be given is care- fully and systematically to disregard them, and chant in ac- cordance with the dictates of grammar and common sense. J J i i is for- | given is for- | given CHAPTER VII MERBECKE'S COMMUNION SERVICE In the treasury of English Church music are two nota- ble Communion Services, which have come down from the early Reformation days of the sixteenth century those by Merbecke and Tallis. After that time the custom of sing- ing the Communion Service was discontinued in Parish Churches, while in Cathedrals only the first part of the ser- vice was sung. This state of things continued until the nineteenth century, and the result is that to-day there are available, of the period to which they belong, only the two works above mentioned. The former is written in unison throughout, on the lines of the old plain-song ; the latter is in modal harmony, on the lines of Tallis's celebrated Responses, of which it forms the continuation. Merbecke's Service contains all the parts that are now used, including the Benedictus and Agnus Dei ; Tallis's is complete except for these two portions. All choirs that have to sing in a choral celebration of the Holy Communion should be familiar with Merbecke; it is suitable and effective for every place, from the stately Ca- thedral to the humble village church. Tallis can be ade- quately rendered only by the trained and balanced choirs of Cathedrals and large parish churches. In them it should be constantly heard. The reader's attention is now called to the consideration of Merbecke. This Service has of recent years been revived, and has come into very general use. Its full appreciation has, however, been retarded by misconceptions as to what it really is. Editions of the music have been published in which the original has been altered almost beyond recogni- tion. The time has been changed from its own free rhythm to the strict quadruple time so dear to some modern ears. H 1 J 4 2 The Choir trainer 's Art Harmonies have been added, including dominant and di- minished sevenths, and other devices contrary to the spirit and use of the time in which it was written. The result has been unsatisfactory to all. Musicians with the histori- cal spirit have shuddered at the anachronisms thus perpe- trated ; thorough-going moderns have naturally been re- pelled by the juxtaposition of the cadence without a leading- note and their favorite chromatic harmonies. To appreciate the beauties of Merbecke it is necessary to revert to the original, to study and understand its spirit, and to render it in the manner intended by its author. On examining the original, we see that it consists of musical sentences written in what may be called a kind of musical prose, in free rhythm, more allied to chanting than to modern barred music, but lacking the presence of the characteristic c reciting-note.' The tonality used for the fixed portions of the Service is that of the Dorian, Phrygian, iEolian and Ionian modes. The first : |= is used for the Sanctus and the Agnus Dei ; the second f for the Gloria in Excelsis ; the third f for the Creed ; and the last f for the Kyrie. For the Offertory Sentences and the Post-Communions other modes are also employed. All indications as to the manner of rendering are absent. There is no guide as to absolute pitch : the old four-line C- and .F-clefs are used, which are no more a guide to absolute pitch than are the syllables of the Tonic Sol-Fa method. Merbecke s Communion Service H3 There is little, or no, guide to the relative length of the notes ; the four kinds of notes used give only a vague sug- gestion as to relative time. There is no direction as to pace ; though of course no one will suppose that it is in- tended that everything shall be sung at the same pace, re- gardless of the character of the words. There is no direc- tion as to variation of tone, though this must have been supplied by the singers of the time. All that is given is simply notes indicating variations in relative pitch. On examining the music carefully, in the light of recent research, it is impossible to come to the conclusion that the composer intended it to be sung with any strict grouping as to time. The notes employed are the old square notes ; and they are used for the sung portions in exactly the same way as for the monotoned part of the service ; e.g.. O God, from whom all ho - ly de-sires b. -ft ffi a 1 Glo-ry be to God on high The proper way to interpret the music is to consider how the various phrases would be rendered as a monotone, and then to carry the spirit of this rendering into the inflex- ion. The student may convince himself of this by com- paring the two illustrations just given. It is evident that, whatever be the solution of the problem, the manner of rendering the two is practically the same ; what applies to the one will apply to the other. If the first is to be taken in the manner of modern measured music, then the second must be taken in the same manner, thus : Glo - ry x 44 The Choir trainer 's Art If the student reads the first of the above exactly as it is written, he will find the result quite impossible, quite con- trary to all principles of elocution. There can be no doubt that at a the notes are to be treated freely, merely as signs to guide the pitch. This being admitted, a strong presump- tion follows that b is to be taken in a corresponding way. For practical use this presumption may be treated as a cer- tainty. The question next arises : What is the object of having notes differing in shape ? The intention seems to be that the breves shall have more weight than the semi- breves, and the latter more than the minims. But even this does not always seem a sure guide ; at least, in many places where there must obviously be a pause, the stronger note is not used ; e.g., in E - have mer-cy up - on us. For thou on - ly art ho - ly a pause is undoubtedly intended at (*), but there is noth- ing to indicate it. Bearing upon this it is curious to note that the composer was not always accurate in details. In the Creed a whole sentence has got transposed ; in the Offertory Sentences there are three mistakes of reference. It seems as if general effects, rather than details, had been considered in the compilation of the music. Assuming that all that is handed down to us from Merbecke is the mere relative pitch of the notes, it remains for the modern adapter to supply (i) relative time, (2) pace, (3) absolute pitch, (4) accent, (5) phrasing, (6) expression, (7) instrumental (or even vocal) harmony (if desired). Although so many modern editions have already been published, it is perhaps unnecessary for the present writer to offer an apology for suggesting yet another reading ; for, in a subject so abstruse and so elusive, there is always room for differences of opinion as to details.* The various parts, or movements, that appear in the Merbecke setting are as follows : *See Merbecke' s Communion Service, edited by A. Madeley Richardson. (G. Schirmer. ) Merbeckes Communion Service H5 i. The Introit. i. The Kyrie. 3. The Gloria in Excelsis. 4. The Creed. 5. The Offertories. 6. The Sanctus (including the Benedictus). 7. The Pater Noster. 8. The Agnus Dei. 9. The Post-Communions. 1. The Introit consists of a Psalm setting; the first verse is given, with a direction to continue in the same man- ner to the end. 2. The Kyrie. The setting here given should be care- fully distinguished from what is now known as the Kyrie. What Merbecke set was the proper Kyrie, or Lesser Lit- any ; this is now omitted from the English Communion Service, and its place supplied by the Responses to the Commandments. It should be noted, however, that in the American Church the proper Kyrie has been retained, so that there Merbecke's music can be rendered as set. It seems to be a prevalent custom in the English Church to sing the Responses to the Commandments, in places where little else is sung. This is remarkable, for if there is one place in the Church Service where singing would seem in- appropriate, it is here. The Commandments and these Re- sponses are outside the service proper, and stand for the solemn self-examination and preparation of the worshipper for the service that follows. They were inserted to supply the place of the auricular confession which was compulsory before the Reformation. To sing here is a custom that could scarcely be defended. The only excuse for it is that it has been done, and is being done, and will probably con- tinue to be done by a great many people. It is suggested that this section should not be sung, but said on a low monotone. When this is done, the final Response may be sung, though this is not at all necessary. At any rate, it would relieve the singers of the wearisome repetition of the same phrase nine times over, and from in- truding so much singing into a place where it is not wanted. h6 The Choir trainer 's Art The Kyrie given by Merbecke is as follows : s. 55 <7\ = * , fl w ^~~-q fl~i q ^ : Lorde haue mer-cy vp - on vs. Christ haue mer-cy vp - on vs. fc=* *=5E Lorde haue mer-cy vp - on vs. If it is desired that the Responses to the Command- ments be sung, a setting may be supplied, not by adding an ending to the first Merbecke phrase and repeating it nine times, but by doing this for all three phrases, which can then be sung three times each, with a final setting for the ioth. The following arrangement is suggested for use : P $=\ - " TlJ I J -J ! i i ! ! i ! I- f Lord, have mer-cy up - on us, and in - cline our hearts to keep this law. b. 9 i ] 1 1 1 -I -t a 1 1 4- -w 1 * 1 i -m w F f * m J i _j Lord, have mer-cy up -on us, and in - cline our hearts to keep this law. 9 1 i I J J * ^= Lord, have mer-cy up -on us, and in - cline our hearts to keep this law. d. 9 # = J J 5=J J I T 1 1 r 3=4 3^^ Lord, have mer - cy up - on us, and write all these thy laws r i i i r f our hearts, we be - seech thee. In the English Church Service the Creed comes next in order, though in the First Prayer Book of Edward VI it followed the Gloria in Excelsis. As already indicated, the four kinds of notes are used, but they cannot be taken as a guide. The pause is used for the opening phrase, and for the four concluding phrases. At no other place is there any indication of a break at all ; pauses must obviously be sup- plied. The breve is occasionally used, but generally when it does not seem to be required. The usual note is the semibreve, varied by a few minims. Merbecke s Communion Service H7 Here is the setting, with a suggested interpretation in modern notes, intended as an approximate guide. fc I be-lieve in one God, $ J3I1 In the original no mention is made of this being taken by the priest alone, although that custom is now usual. j *fr . - 1 ^== p m * * The Fa - ther al - might-y, mak-er of heaven and earth, t > 3= 5=gi^ In a modern Prayer Book each new clause of the Creed is printed with a capital ; in the Merbecke setting even this guide to rendering does not appear. Notice, above, the dotted semibreve, and its interpretation. E* = j- , -_- = r ^ M =^E ^= M t t i r-i - and of all things vis - i - ble and in - vis - i - ble. n __! ' * W=Z ' * ' Here minims are used, but they fall on the wrong syllables. And in one Lord Je - sus Christ, the on - ly - be - got - ten Son of God. -I m - i? > Be got - ten of his Fa - ther bo-fore all worlds; ' * J J * ia :V^ 3 E * * * &- J 4 8 The Choir trainer ' s Art fch God of God, Light = T J ' of Light, ver - y God of ver - y God ; 1 j 1* T^"d P i m 1 w J <=2 J J * p a! " 1 K> p Here time is freely adapted to verbal requirements. It is sometimes asserted that the word 'of should here be em- phasized to show that it translates the Latin de with the ablative (Deum de Deo), not the genitive ; but it is not ne- cessary to alter the natural grammatical pronunciation. If the first syllable of ' very ' were to be made long, as in Merbecke, the effect would be unpleasant. -** i * B B Be got-ten, not made ; be - ing 9 i . of one i sub-stance with i the H Fa - ther ; r 4&-J- I -2= 1 1- 1- 1 J tr s> ^ * J" - 4t The second clause here should be sung freely ; c being of rather slower than written, ' with the ' rather faster. The breve for c Father ' seems unnecessary. By whom all things were made i __ _i . s J 1 Whom ' requires a long note ; * all is emphatic, though ' things ' is longer. The rendering commonly heard states, by implication, the heresy that the Creator made things, but not persons. -r" j - ^ Who for 9 ' us men, ^ and for t our ! : ?^m sal - va - ti - on, i ar-fi l \- 1 , -|- -+- i 1 i (m J * CL -J J J tr * wL * * ' Us men ' are both long and emphatic, the preceding words being also deliberate ; the rest of the words are equal Merbecke' s Communion Service *49 in length. Notice the curious division in Merbecke of the word * salvation ' into four syllables. fry - came down from heaven. I The first two words are emphatic equally so. If one is emphasized beyond the other the sense is altered. The preposition c from ' does not require so long a note, though Merbecke has given one ; its shortening, correctly, has the effect of lengthening the preceding note. And was in - car-nate by the Ho - ly Ghost of the Vir-gin Ma - ry, t it ! _ -i -o^qrj , - 1 -I .-gg &- * I J ! ' I i i I 1 1 1- a ^ w * * This phrase has required some bending to fit the words. * By ' and * the,' preposition and article, should be kept out of prominence ; and also * of the.' Then the principal words * incarnate,' * Holy Ghost,' * Virgin Mary,' will be heard with their full meaning. Merbecke's long note for the first syllable of ' Mary ' is unnecessary ; still more the one for c of.' and was made man : These should be sung in equal time, slowly and solemnly. The apparently long note for ' made ' is out of place, and would spoil the phrase. We will pass over most of the remaining clauses of the Creed, leaving the student to work them out for himself in a similar way. A few points may be noticed. l 5 The Choir trainer 's Art fc I and sit-teth on the right hand of the Fa - ther J-4L It is curious here that a long note should be given to ' sit-,' which is obviously short. ' Of the ' clearly require shortening. The first syllable of ' Father ' should not be over-prolonged. The Lord and Giv - er of Life. i Here, clearly, ' Giv- ' should be short ; ' Life,' long. ^F^ ^iE^= i '* , ~ And I look for the re - sur-rec - ti - on of the dead. , m * 1 -K (rec - tion) Here the preposition and conjunction are not to be pro- longed ; neither will the third syllable of ' resurrection ' bear lengthening. The Sanctus This has been harmonized in the TEolian mode ; it is written, as a matter of fact, in the Dorian. The pace should be slow and solemn at the commencement, brighten- ing for the second clause. 'Holy' should be rendered Holy at each repetition. "^^ The second clause has met with remarkable distortion in one well-known edition. It stands thus in the original : $E=* Heaven and earth are full of thy glo - ry. and should probably take the following rhythm : I T Merbeckes Communion Service 1 S 1 It will be remembered that in the original setting the Santus and the Benedictus form one movement. The Benedictus has met with similar distortion ; it should be taken in the rhythm demanded by the words. The Agnus Dei is also in the Dorian mode, with major sixth and minor seventh. Its usual harmonization in the iEolian mode greatly changes its character. It should be sung very quietly and smoothly, and is best taken by men's voices and trebles alternately, with the final clause, ' grant us thy peace,' full. In the original there is again the mistaken emphasis on the conjunction : the sins of the world which will be corrected. The Paternoster This is in the Hypo-iEolian mode. The melody set to the words of the c Our Father ' as found in Merbecke ib only part of a longer portion of the Service ; and, taken from its context, gives a tune without beginning and with- out end. A reference to the original shows this. The melody commences thus : we are bold to say, Our Fa-ther which art in heaven out of which all the rest proceeds. The ending is thus : rt\ 1 m i _l_~j but de-liv-er us from evil And with thy spir-it. This is the conclusion of the inflected part. After it the service proceeds on monotone, therefore the end -ft y^= should be retained. The Doxology, although used to-day, does not find a place in the First Prayer Book at this point. It has to be added. It should, of course, end with the proper* cadence of the mode, so following the original. 1 5 2 The Choirtrainers Art The Paternoster is best sung in unison, with a light organ accompaniment. It should be taken, not slowly, but very softly and sustained, like a monotone, with the inflexions subdued and the rhythm perfectly free. The Gloria in Excelsis This is in the Phrygian mode ; it has been wrongly har- monized as if it were in a modern major key. The stress of the following may be noticed : * = O Lord God, heaven-ly King where the chief weight should, of course, be given to ' Lord '; it is usually given to * O.' Again, at Thou that sittest at the right hand the stress should be on ' right,' not ' hand.' At J * For thou on - ly art ho - ly it should be on ' thou,' not on ' for.' Next, it should be on * only,' JEEb ZZb - ! F | ~Z Thou on-ly, O Christ, All these should be sung in the legato style, with steady, even vowel-tone. As in the original, unison singing should be employed, but unison is most effective when it is pure unison, not oc- taves ; therefore, when possible, the phrases may be taken alternately by men and boys (or women). At the end of every phrase there should be a slight sug- gestion of a rallentando and diminuendo ; this should be so little as to be hardly perceptible. Further Directions 1 53 More than half of Merbecke's Communion Service con- sists of the fifteen Offertory Sentences and the sixteen Post- Communions. These are beautiful specimens of plain-song, specially written for the English Service, and may well be revived. They are at present almost unknown. The former will, of course, be sung at the proper place in the service ; the latter were intended to be sung after the Com- munion, just before the Paternoster. They are short set- tings of passages of Scripture. As it is legal to use a hymn at this place, a fortiori these may be inserted ; they are also suitable for use at the conclusion of the whole service. They may be taken either in chorus or as solos. CHAPTER VIII FURTHER DIRECTIONS Before proceeding with service music, it will be well to pause here to take up some further considerations as to training and management. Men and boys, as already mentioned, should be trained separately. The boys should practise if possible every day, for about an hour. It is well not to exceed this limit, though boys in good training can continue for much longer without fatigue. The men should practise separately once a week, and also in conjunction with the boys. All technical details should be mastered both by the men and by the boys at the separate practices ; at the united or ' full ' practice finishing touches should be applied. Bal- ance, blend and unity will here be considered ; the time for learning details will be past. The full practice should be conducted without accom- jpaniment; by this plan alone can the highest standard be 'attained. If there is difficulty at first in singing unaccom- panied, 4 a small pianoforte may be placed in the centre of J 54 The Choir trainer *s Art the chancel and touched occasionally by the choirmaster, to give the pitch, but on no account should the organ be used for a full practice. The only result of its use will be to ob- scure defects, teach the choir to lean upon its support, and ^hinder the choirmaster in his duties. ^ No choir should be considered efficient, or regarded as knowing its work, until it can sing every note of the service music without accompaniment. The difference between a choir that has practised in this way and one accustomed to relying upon constant accompaniment is marked and un- mistakable, and it is astonishing to find out how often the wrong method is followed in cases where the other could easily be introduced. Many choirmasters are deterred from trying the unaccompanied plan by fear of its difficulty. The difficulties are only at the outset, when establishing the custom ; they will quickly disappear. For twelve years the writer conducted the rehearsals of the late choir of South- wark Cathedral with no support beyond a tuning-fork ; he can, therefore, speak from personal experience. At the commencement this choir was formed from material in no way superior to what may be obtained anywhere ; it was the .unaccompanied practice that gave them their efficiency. We have considered fully the early training of junior boys ; now is the time to go further and lay down plans for developing the same. Order, method, precision, should everywhere prevail. Every moment of the time should be used to the best ad- vantage. Here is a plan for the conduct of a practice with senior boys : i. Exercises. 1. Hymns. 3. Exercises. 4. Psalms. 5. Exercises. 6. Service. 7. Exercises. 8. Anthem. 9. Exercises. Etc., etc. Further Directions 1 S5 Commence with exercises, then give out the next item, whatever it is ; immediately start another exercise, mention- ing the number ; have no pause, but let the singing be con- tinuous from beginning to end. When giving a direction ! or correcting a mistake, use the fewest and clearest words .' possible. For singing measured music it is very essential that the boys should learn to beat time. It will take a little trouble to teach them at first, but, once the habit is acquired, it will be of the greatest assistance in facilitating progress, learning new music, and securing accuracy. The best plan is to teach the three simple varieties of time beating, viz. Duple (down, up) (a). Triple (down, left, up) (b). Quadruple (down, left, right, up) (c). For compound time, two of these may be combined. Al- though this is not strictly accurate from the conductor's standpoint, it answers the purpose here perfectly well, and will save much time and trouble. For compound triple the plan will be : Down, left, up, down, left, up (d). explaining that the first accent will be slightly more pro- nounced than the second. For compound quadruple it will be : Down, left, right, up, down, left, right, up (placed, sing that and nothing else, and then, when it is fa- miliar, fit it in to its surroundings. Two things to make sure of are a. Beginnings, and b. Endings. Insist that every voice sing every lead. When there is hesitation, stop and try the weak note first, quietly, perhaps humming ; then, with the time-beating, fit it on to its exact moment of time. With regard to endings, before securing precision in them it is necessary to decide the exact moment at which they should occur, i.e., when silence is to commence. This is important. How many otherwise good renderings are spoilt by a shabby ending ! Endings should be clear cut and prompt, just as beginnings are ; but they cannot be until we know where to end. This is the way. Consider the length of the written note quarter, half, or whole note : one beat, two beats, three, or four ; then direct that, if the word to be sung ends with a vowel, silence commences on the beat following the full number belonging to the written note ; for instance : (one, two, three, four) silence. Further Directions l Sl If, however, the word ends with a consonant, that con- sonant should be sounded, not on the last beat of the writ- ten note, but on the first one following ; thus : f meet ------- (one, two, three, four) consonant f The use of this system will be found of great advantage, and it will make easy an otherwise really difficult matter. It will probably be new to most readers. They should think it over and experiment with it until quite convinced of its utility before using it. It is clear that the note should be held the written length ; it is clear that the word must be sounded distinctly ; it is clear that the singers must do this together. The given note represents the musical sound ; the consonant is not music, but noise. If, however, it should be thought that this plan allows more time than is correct, ask the question, What alterna- tive is there ? If the consonant does not come at this point, where shall it come ? In quick time the question might be evaded without a very noticeable result. But supposing the pace to be very slow, and the last beat of the note to take quite a long time, the consonant cannot come on that beat, as in that case there would be a marked interval of silence. But if it is to come somewhere between this beat and the next, then no two singers will agree as to where exactly they are to place it, and the result will be confusion and disorder. As a matter of fact, the knot is usually cut in the case of the average singer by omitting the consonant. But no reader of these pages will allow such a blunder of mispronunciation. Therefore, as no reasonable alternative presents itself, we return to the rule given first and obtain distinctness, accuracy and precision. i 5 8 The Choirtrainer s Art In connection with endings the question of pauses must be considered. These are one of the most tiresome things the choirmaster has to deal with. He must insist on per- fect distinctness of the consonants, and on having all the voices cease at the same moment; how is he to secure this when a pause is placed over a note, with no means of dis- covering for exactly how long it is intended to extend the sound? When a conductor is using his baton and the singers are watching him, there is, of course, no difficulty. But when there is no conductor, and the singers have to be responsible each for himself, what is to be done? The only way out of the dilemma is for the choirmaster to go through the music carefully beforehand, and decide for how long he would probably keep his baton poised if conduct- ing the voices; and then to write an equivalent number of beats over the note in question. These will be counted strictly by the singers as if there were no pause at all, and precision and unanimity will be secured ; e.g., Wesley 4 beats 4 beats CHAPTER IX ACCURACY AND EXPRESSION When correct beginnings and correct endings have been secured, a good advance will have been made towards accuracy. The signs for crescendo and diminuendo are frequently \ misunderstood. Even good singers will make a strong increase of tone directly they see the first, and the opposite with the second ; instead of a true crescendo will be given a forte; instead of diminuendo >, a piano. It is helpful to give a simple rule that crescendo should be translated ' loud later on,' diminuendo, ' soft later on.' One of the most enchant- ' ing effects of choral music is the use of the true crescendo or diminuendo. The imperceptible increase and decrease of tone, so cunningly contrived that the hearer is uncon- 'scious as to when it takes place, and finds that the music lhas become louder or softer, so to speak, by stealth to ^accomplish this is one of the masterstrokes of a first-rate choir. For the early stages, to acquire this art-device it is useful to divide up the distance between the soft and loud into distinct stages, passing gradually through assumed points of pp, p y mp, mf,f. Some or all of these signs mav be marked in the music, and will greatly assist in riveting the singer's attention on what he is aiming at. Illustration: crtsc. (/) (mp) ^ mf f r + ^ r nr *- J I > ^ Fp Y~~\ - H I * I L - Z F all gen - er - a - tions shall call me, call me bless - ed. For he The interpretation marks added to the above are enclosed in brackets. The same principles should be applied to rallentandi and accelerandi. These are frequently too sudden and too pronounced. When the composer directs that the music 1 59 i6o The Ghoirtrainer s Art shall become gradually slower, he does not mean that it is to be suddenly slower ; nor does he, of necessity, mean that the retarding is to be very great. The rallentando should be introduced on the same plan as the crescendo, impercep- tibly, gradually stealing upon the ear, not obtruding itself. It is useful to make a rule that the slackening or quickening of the time should never go further than the doubling or halving of the original pace, seldom so far. Some changes of pace should be very slight. The caricatures often in- troduced by choirs are enough to make a person of taste almost wish that all signs of change of pace could be re- moved from printed music. Illustration : poco rail. Noblb ( 4 beats ) F#W- r i r v n MT-& ' ~^ - F v~^ H tr & ^== r s 7*-V s ^- L *g^-- u 1 ' J A------- men. irsr^s r^' "" ^s" ' * (fti -Ttr -+ r V-&- "s^4-g- h-ft Safi5 ' h^z [I. _^S =^? : - & In the above extract very little slackening should take place before the third measure ; and it should not be evi- dent until the fourth. If the pause were marked with the figure 4 and sung to exactly four beats, the composer's intentions would probably be carried out. All the above bears upon accuracy. Following this comes expression. What exactly is expression? First, it includes the observance of the composer's indications for the interpretation; but there is something more. Accuracy gives the inanimate body; expression, the life and soul. This is a difficult and elusive subject to deal with. It is easier to feel than to describe. The difference between true expression and bare accuracy is the difference between art and artificiality. The producer of the first is an artist, of the second, an artisan. The performer of music should treat each of his notes with the loving care shown by a great poet for words, and Accuracy and Expression l61 by a great architect for stones. I know of no better or more suggestive guide to the acquiring of the spirit of expression than Ruskin's chapter on ' The Lamp of Life ' in c The Seven Lamps of Architecture,' and would suggest its careful study by the choirmaster. " I said," he writes, " that hand-work might always be known from machine- work ; observing, however, at the same time, that it was possible for men to turn themselves into machines, and to reduce their labour to the machine level ; but so long as men work as men, putting their heart into what they do, and doing their best, there will be that in the handling which will be above all price: it will be plainly seen that some places have been delighted in more than others that there have been a pause, and a care about them ; and then there will come careless bits, and fast bits ; and here the chisel will have struck hard, and there lightly, and anon timidly ; and if the man's mind as well as his heart went with his work, all this will be in the right places, and each part will set off the other ; and the effect of the whole, as compared with the same design cut by a machine or a life- less hand, will be like that of poetry well read and deeply felt to that of the same verses jangled by rote. There are many to whom the difference is imperceptible ; but to those who love poetry it is everything they had rather not hear it at all, than hear it ill read ; and to those who love Archi- tecture, the life and accent of the hand are everything. They had rather not have ornament at all, than see it ill cut deadly cut, that is. I cannot too often repeat, it is not coarse cutting, it is not blunt cutting, that is necessarily bad; but it is cold cutting the look of equal trouble everywhere the smooth, diffused tranquility of heartless pains the regularity of a plough in a level field." By analogy this teaches us that in music things nomi- nally the same should not be so actually. It is the teach- ing of Nature, who in all her things of beauty never gives us two that are identical in everv respect. Applying this to music, a group of notes that look the same on paper should not, in performance, be actually identical in length 1 61 The Choir trainer *s Art and force ; which means that, having acquired formal accu- racy by practice, we must finally depart from it, in order to obtain life. In what way, and to what extent, shall this be done? and how can we be guided? In vocal music the answer is simple. The words must guide. In any given sentence the words are never all equal in force and impor- tance. If the singer feels their meaning as he uses them, he will instinctively form his notes accordingly ; he will dwell here, and hasten there ; he will emphasize this note, and pass lightly over that one ; the meaning will shine through, and the illumination will be that of the Lamp of Life. CHAPTER X HYMNS From some points of view the metrical hymn is the choirmaster's great opportunity. Here he can appeal to the multitude, musical and unmusical. The hymn is the one popular part of the service, appreciated by all and loved by all. Singularly enough, with the one exception of the Veni Creator, there is no provision in the present Prayer Book for metrical hymns, though before the Refor- mation the Office Hymn was an important part of regular worship. The hymn has, however, by the weight of its own merits, forced its way into the forefront of modern Church worship, and there it holds a place of first impor- tance and exercises a unique influence. Hymn-tunes may be divided into four classes : 1. Plain-song. 1. Old Chorales (German and English). 3. The modern descendent of the same. 4. The modern Developed Tune. Hymns 163 1. Plain-Song Strong efforts are being made in many directions to restore the old plain-song tunes to their rightful place. These efforts will have greater results as the proper manner of rendering the music becomes more widely known. To gain a thorough knowledge of their correct interpretation, the reader is recommended to study carefully Helmore's valuable " Primer of Plainsong " (Novello & Co.). This book is crammed with information upon choir work in gen- eral, besides that bearing upon its special subject. Plain-song tunes are frequently rendered by inexpert choirs in far too heavy, stiff, and laboured a manner. The pace is generally too slow, the length of the notes is seldom properly adjusted to the words, the accent, when applied, is usually too forcible. In the following well-known and beautiful hymn ^E = ea a -.2 P < & r Sing, my tongue, the glo - nous bat 3=* t= s tie, Sing the last, the dread af - fray ; O'er the cross, the vie - tor's tro - phy, Sound the high tri - um - phal lay ; How, the pains of death en - dur - ing, Earth's re - i deem - er won the day. the first words will be rendered thus : * Sing ' dwell upon this. ' my ' not so long. * tongue ' long, with less accent than 'sing.' ' the ' short. * glorious' first syllable very full; the second and third as one r'ous.' J ^4 The Choir trainer V Art 1 battle ' three notes to a short vowel. These three are sometimes too hurried; give a pressure upon each, with a little more weight to the first than to the others. The last n = " note is unaccented. sing bat - tie Here the accent is on the first note, though often wrongly placed on the second. * the ' very light. ' last ' sustained. $ t=S= shading off at the end of the phrase. dread af - fray, ' o'er ' long vowel. * the ' short. 1 cross ' the important word. * victor's ' sound the consonants distinctly. j c, as before, the accent on the first note. tro - phy E=p=pEE These notes must not be pushed into one '=- another a common fault. sound The first syllable heavy ; press ^! j^ y upon the second ; the last word with good vowel-tone. ^- FErz!== These three notes will all have their h^the~p^T characteristic tone, heavy light very heavy. - : ==^=^E. The second syllable requires care; it en- duT - in g ~~ nas tne compound vowel i-f oo; the second part takes the tone. E=z= Pig 4 =t= These three groups as tT O* ~ before, very smooth ; the first note slightly stronger then the second. Hymns l6 5 In the fifth verse these three words 3Jhj~j will attract special tone. ^ u>\ he lies It is hoped that these remarks will give some idea as to how to think of, and how to direct, plain-song tunes. As with other plain-song, the hymn-tunes are more effective when sung alternately by upper and lower voices than when sung by all together in octaves. Lightness and flexibility are the elements that give charm to this music ; without them it sounds dull and unattractive. 1. Old Chorales f y j i j j j-^ ee All peo - pie that on earth do dwell. The rendering of hymns of this kind should be massive and heavy, as distinguished from the light rendering of plain-song. It is customary to make a pause at the end of every line. If it is understood that this is to be the exact length of two beats, unanimity will be secured. The phrasing must be carefully attended to. A word as to this will be helpful. Vocal phrasing in a general way corresponds with breath-taking, but the two are not iden- tical ; all breath-taking introduces phrasing, but all phrasing does not necessitate breath-taking. Sometimes a phrase inconveniently long must, if possible, be taken in one breath (as, for instance, the long passage to 'joy ' in the final chorus of Wesley's " Wilderness "), to avoid a break in the sense. At other places, where no breath is required, a break in the continuity must be made in order to bring out the sense. This is the case when a word, or group of words, contains a distinct and separate thought ; e.g., M h and again : answer,* Yes. 166 The Choir trainer 's Art or this : b-^r the length,* breadth,* depth,* and height to prove Places like these are unmistakable, and the most living results are produced when a choir is so intent upon the words it is singing that it makes the breaks without special directions. With beginners, however, it is well to place a mark in the books against very important cases. To return to the hymn we were considering ; in the second line occurs f ? sing to the Lord. The musical accent falls upon the second note, the verbal upon the first. The direction should unhesitatingly be given to hold to the latter at the expense of the former. A simple working direction is contained in the formula : Words first; music second. 1. Modern Chorales How sweet the name of Je - sus sounds. The above should be taken at a moderate pace, neither slow nor quick. Choice of pace is an important element in hymn singing, and is little understood by many teachers. The writer has known of a case where the rule was in force that every hymn used as a ' processional ' should be sung at a certain fixed metronome rate ! This was, of course, as much a barbarism as to say that all anthems were to be sung at the same pace. Every hymn has its own pace, governed partly by the date and style of the music, and partly by the sense and emotion of the words. Speaking generally, old chorales should be slow and stately ; penitential and mourn- ing hymns should be slow and sustained. Modern devel- oped tunes usually demand a quicker pace ; jubilant words sometimes, but not always, suggest the same. Instances of jubilant words sung slowly are Hymns 167 t* 2 and O come, all ye faith - ful J -I J 4- <3 aJ Je - sus Christ is risen to - day. These are sometimes taken much too quickly. The following is an instance of the contrary : ' mg Days and mo-ments quick - ly fly This is generally taken much too slowly. In the hymn we are considering, a remarkable case for phrasing occurs in the fourth verse, and it should be ren- dered thus : Jesus, * my Shepherd, * Husband, * Friend, * My Prophet, * Priest and King, * My Lord, * my Life,* my Way, * my End, Accept the praise I bring. In rendering this the music will accommodate itself to the words, and take longer to sing than an ordinary verse. In the modern long metre it is a good rule to make the last note of every second line twice as long as written. There must be some kind of pause, and this rule will en- able the singers to gain unanimity ; e.g., ( 2 beats ) t= ^^ t=r= ( 2 beats) 4. Developed Tunes J .:.. . ! 1 O Lead, kind - ly Light, a- mid th'en - cir - cling gloom. l68 The Choir trainer 's Art Used and spoken of as a hymn-tune, the above is really written in the style of an anthem or part-song. Its ade- quate rendering requires balance of voices, equal attention to every part, and considerable finish. This brings in the question of congregational singing an important matter for the choirmaster. The demand to-day is for more and better congregational singing. This demand is a right one, and should be met. But hymns of this sort are quite unsuitable for a con- gregation. The ordinary untrained member seldom gets even the melody correctly ; but even when this is achieved, the effect is spoilt, since the doubling of the upper part in octaves means the obscuring of the others, and so the mar- ring of the harmony. A hymn of this kind ought to be sung by the choir alone. For congregational singing we need plain, simple melodies that are complete in themselves without vocal harmony. Of course, the ideal tunes for this purpose are the old plain-song compositions, but we need not stop at them. Harmony, and part-singing, have be- come a fetish to-day ; for there are some people so obsessed by them as to seem unable to appreciate the fine effect of good unison singing. The writer would make the following suggestions for the consideration of choirmasters : i. That when tunes suitable for unison singing are employed, they should be so sung. i. That when this is done, variety may be ob- tained by alternating men's voices with trebles. 3. That in the case of a long hymn, interesting and beautiful effects could be obtained by arranging for certain verses to be sung in unison by the whole body of worshippers, alternating with harmonized verses by the choir. 4. That, further, certain verses might even be taken as solos or quartets. This device has been re- garded as a useful spiritual agency; witness the revival singing of Moody and Sankey, in which it was so largely employed. It is also used in many churches at present when singing Litany hymns; why not in other cases? Hymns l6 9 5. That when a striking refrain occurs at the end of every verse, this might be taken in a marked way by choir and congregation. There is scope for grand effects here. Three points remain, in connection with hymn singing, of vital importance. Our hymn singing should be a reality; to make it so, we should abolish all shams and pretences. The ones I am going to mention seem to have taken deep root in many directions. It is to be hoped that earnest choirmasters will unite their efforts to dislodge them. a. The custom of ' playing over ' the tune before com- mencing to sing; this concerns the organist rather than the choir, but as they are frequently one and the same person I may here bring it forward. This tiresome and unneces- sary device has no authority, and is meaningless, superflu- ous and irritating. To retain it is as unreasonable as it would be to revive the antiquated custom of the singers' stopping after each line of the hymn while the clerk read out the following words. It implies that the singers do not know the music, and that they are expected to pick it up by ear at the last moment. As a matter of fact, nine-tenths of the tunes used in our services are well known to every one, so that neither the people nor the choir need this belated attempt at instruction. It is obviously a modern innovation, for, during the early centuries of the Christian era before organs were generally employed, it could not have been used ; and to-day it is never found necessary when singing takes place in a building possessing no instrument. If it be contended that people require time to find the place in their books which is not obvious; for when a hymn board is exhibited in a conspicuous place they can always be ready in time but if that be contended, the proper thing would be to play a suitable introduction on the organ, in keeping with the character of the following music. In a few cases in our hymn-books such introductions are already provided; they ought to become general. i7 The Choir trainer 's Art If the custom of ' playing over ' could be abolished, an excrescence would be removed from our services, and there would be gain in promptness, spontaneity and reality. b. Another mistake is the adding of ' Amen ' at the end of hymns where it is obviously out of place. It is not generally known that this custom has gradually crept in during the last fifty years, and was unknown before then. The meaning of * Amen ' is * so be it,' or ' verily'; and it is a solemn asseveration used with ritual significance at certain parts of the service. It is an integral part of the Gloria Patri ; it is used as the answer of the people to the prayer said by the priest. To employ it as an appendage to hymns where it can have no possible meaning is surely a violation of the Apostle's injunction, * let all things be done decently and in order.' A glance at the Prayer Book will show at once that it is a necessary adjunct neither to a hymn of praise nor to a prayer; e.g., the word occurs neither at the end of the Te Deum, the greatest of all hymns, nor at the end of the petitions of the Litany, nor of the numberless petitions and ejaculations throughout the Prayer Book in which priest and people join. Hymns may be grouped into songs of praise, prayers, pious aspiration, and statements of fact. In the first two the ' Amen ' is unnecessary ; in the second two it is out of place; e.g., Hark, the herald angels sing, Glory to the new-born King. This is an exhortation to listen to the angels' song. With the saints hereafter we Hope to bear the palm. This is an expression of a hope. Singing to welcome the pilgrims of the -night. This is a poetical statement. When shall I be, My God, with thee To see thy face ? This is a question. Hymns I 7 I But the list might be extended indefinitely. It is clear that if we insert the word c Amen ' at any of these places, we can be attaching no meaning to it, and shall therefore be violating a great principle of worship. The correct use is to retain the word at the conclusion of every versified ' Gloria ' ; to expunge it from all other places in the hymn-book. In this connection the opinion of the Dean of Christ Church, Oxford (Dr. Strong), is of value : " In making the Oxford Hymn Book," the Dean writes, " we followed the precedent of the book which is used in the University Church. There are no Amens there, and they are never sung at the end of hymns at the University Sermon. I can dimly remember 'the use of them coming in, but I could never understand the reason for it. We have given up using the Amens in the Cathedral, and nobody seems to mind. c. Another strange custom is seen when ' processional ' and ' recessional ' hymns are used. This is not the place to question whether hymns used for marching before and after the service are suitable ; it may be that they mar the unity and symmetry of the worship. But what the choir- master should give his attention to is the remarkable habit of making the hymn fit the time of a procession either by clipping off the final verse or verses, or by repeating the first verse. It is assumed that when we use hymns we regard them as things of beauty and things with meaning. To take a good hymn and cut off its ending is almost as bad as to take a good picture and cut off a piece of it ; or forcibly to interrupt a preacher and prevent his giving his peroration. A good hymn is a work of art, with a design and sym- metry of its own ; it is a complete organism with a begin- ning and an end. Sometimes there is not even a period between the verses. There are cases, however, where a hymn may be shortened if necessary, but seldom by the omission of the last verse. The repetition of the first verse can seldom give a reasonable meaning. It usually forms *7 2 The Choir trainer *s Art the introduction to the whole. Sometimes it is a refrain repeated at the conclusion, as in * Praise to the Holiest.' But it is sufficient to state the case : no further argument is needed. Should there be need for extending the rendering of a hymn, there is a simple way of doing it : Interludes may be played between the verses. This is an old custom in hymn-singing, dignified, interesting and perfectly suiting the case. CHAPTER XI ANTHEMS AND SERVICES It only remains now to gather together the threads of our various rules, principles, methods and suggestions, and to apply them to the interpretation of developed music. All that has been said as to chanting and hymn singing will be found to bear upon this more advanced work ; no further directions will be needed. Anthems and Services may be divided into five classes : i. Plain-song. i. The pure Choral Style. 3. The old English Cathedral Style. 4. The Modern Style. 5. Oratorios and Masses. We may sum up by saying that, in studying all these, we must consider : 1. The general character of the music and the words. 1. Suitable pace. 3. Phrasing, in accordance with the words. 4. Leads and endings. 5. Pauses. 6. Crescendo s and diminuendos. Anthems and Services l 73 7. Rallentandos and accelerandos. 8. Vocal tone. 9. Vowel quality. 10. Distinctness of consonants. 11. True expression. The foundation work in the rendering of all Church anthems and Services should be sought in the unaccom- panied singing of music of the pure Choral style, as exem- plified by Palestrina and Tallis. Sir Hubert Parry writes : * It was the necessity of regulating the amount of time which should be allowed to particular notes when singers sang together, which brought about the invention of the standard of relative duration of notes, and the whole sys- tem of semibreves, minims and crotchets ; and also the invention *of the time signatures, which do not necessarily imply rhythm but supply the only means by which various performers can be kept together, and irregular distribution of long and short notes made orderly and coherent. It is perfectly easy to keep instruments or voices together when the music is regulated by a dance rhythm ; but in pure choral music, such as was cultivated from the tenth century till the sixteenth, it is quite another matter, for the parts were so far from moving upon any principle of accent, that one of the most beautiful effects, which composers sought after most keenly, was the gliding from harmony to har- mony by steps which were so hidden that the mind was willingly deceived into thinking that they melted into one another. The mystery was effected by making some of the voices which sang the harmony move and make a new har- mony, while the others held the notes that belonged to the previous harmony ; so that the continuity of the sound was maintained though the chords changed.' (" The Art of Music," p.. 83.) The mystery of gliding harmonies is a thing more easily felt than described. The master must feel its spirit before he is able to impart it; but a few hints may be helpful in the rendering of music in the pure choral style. I 74 The Choir trainer *s Art a. The phrases should always end with a slight dim. e rail. b. The time should be free. c. The rendering should always be unaccompanied, for two reasons: Because the dead tone of an instrument cannot blend perfectly with the pure living tone of the voice, and because the charm of this style of music lies greatly in the perfect un- tempered intervals, which can be secured only by the voices alone. d. All hard accent should be avoided; a pressure upon emphatic words will give the true rhythm. e. An even flow throughout should be maintained what may be called a continuous stream of sound. f. Long notes may always receive a crescendo. g. Tied notes must be magnified into a little more than the written sign. h. Points of imitation should be marked by increase of tone in individual voices. /. The music need not be taken throughout by all voices together ; some parts may be allotted to semi-chorus and solo voices. No directions under this head are ever given by the composers, there- fore the interpreter is left free to use his own taste. It will be at once apparent that the carrying out of these directions will produce a result completely different from that usually heard in the singing of this old music. Long experience and patient study will be necessary before true results can be achieved. It may be stated, however, with- out fear of contradiction, that no performance of any church music, even the most modern, can reach the highest plane, unless it has behind it the background of this pure vocal style a style which may be unhesitatingly accepted as rep- resenting the most beautiful thing in the realm of musical art. We conclude by giving a few illustrations from various sources. Anthems and Services T 75 ist Treble cresc. I'ai.estkina Thee we ist Tenor cresc. im - plore, and with thy stripes, thy 1 Thee we . 2D Tenor cresc. plore, / and with thy stripes, thy t~ Thee Bass im - plore, / and with thy 1= stripes, thy t Thee we , im - plore, and with thy stripes, thy with thy stripes our souls . stripes, with thy stripes our souls in - mug 3 t as at Et ta dt- P " stripes, with thy stripes our souls tripes, stripes, are heal ed. 176 The Choir trainer ' s Art In the above lovely extract the marks of expression are those added by the editor, Miss Gregory. It will be noticed how much must depend upon the perfect intona- tion of the voices. An additional beauty would be obtained by making the two sustained voices in the third measure gradually die away, so that by the last beat the new phrase would have come into prominence. The new start in the fifth measure should have a little more tone than the pre- ceding chord. In the eighth measure diminuendo would have better effect than crescendo; to render it properly will require perfection of voice-production. A slight rallentando will also be suitable for this phrase, with quickened time for what follows. Tallis =t I Thou that tak - est a - way the sins of the world, re - rr =t -t- ^=t 3 W=ee m^ s Thou that tak - est a - way the sins of the world, re Thou that tak - est a - way the sins of the world, re t _r *=f= Thou that tak - est a - way the sins of the world, re - prayer. Thou that sit - test at the right prayer. Thou that test at the right Anthems and Services 177 -jgf f 1 -1 -1 -= etc. hand of God the Fa p-fa- - ther, have mer - m = cy up <* 1 1 ' ' 1 on . . a us. ^ 1 hand fct-r-p- of God 1 the Fa - ther, have mer - m g cy 1 up 1*. - on us. R-i hand @l of God the Fa - ther, have mer - cy up - on (S us. etc. !w_J s> -\ j ~J- hand of God the Fa - ther, have mer - cy up - on us. This is from the Service in the Dorian mode, and is much simpler in style than the last extract. The even legato of the voices will be maintained throughout. The dying effect will appear in the fourth and ninth measures. Notice the irregular rhythm in the fifth and sixth measures. Here there will be considerable hurrying of the time until the word ' mercy ' is reached, and then follows the f fall ' of the voices. The underlying spirit of most of the directions given for the above extracts can be carried into the rendering of later music ; and when the general feeling is retained, great will be the gain in all vocal music. We will now take some examples by later composers. Goss Sav - iour of the world, Sav - iour * Far the remainder of this Service see Tallis' Communion Service, edited by A. Madeley Richardson. (G. Schirmer. ) i 7 8 The Choirtrainers Art $ world, who by thy cross and pre - cious blood hast re - deem - ed us. sf sf world, who by thy cross and pre - cious blood hast re - deem - ed us. 1^=^^^ - fr r world, who by thy cross and pre - cious blood hast re - deem - ed us. sf sf etc. Mi =fs=t ^^ p r- world, who by thy cross and pre - cious blood hast re - deem - ed us. Here the first *0' should be pressed rather than ac- cented. All should be in perfect legato^ especially the repeated notes for alto and bass in the second measure. It is sometimes difficult to get singers to understand this. The true effect might be indicated by writing as follows :^ te== r- _Z I fc - /= '> there should be no more disturb- | Sav | iourfof | the world ance of the tone than is necessary to pronounce the consonants. The second phrase should have a little more volume than the first ; the words ' cross ' and ' blood ' again should be dwelt upon, and the dotted note extended, in accordance with our rule. f- Wesley s=t Bless - ed be the God P and Fa ther of our Lord S =1: r=r=i =3= and =3 Bless - ed be the God of -* Fa - ther of 3*S S Lord isia Bless - ed be the God P and Fa ther of Lord S5 E=: :f< Bless - ed be the God and Fa ther of our Lord Anthems and Services 179 f- 3^S Je sus Christ, which, ac - cord - ing to his ^m 1 ^:w Je sus Christ, which, ac - cord - ing to his r Je sus Christ, which, ac - cord - ing to his m ^t^z Z* 5=a= # bun - dant mer cy, hath be - got - ten gain. ^i^= hath be - got - ten bun - dant mer - cy, a - gam. r? ^ I I bun - dant mer - cy, ISe hath be - got - ten a - gain. --- V- 3= bun - dant mer - cy, hath be - got - ten a - gain. This passage, which appears so simple, is the test of a good choir. I have actually heard it accompanied on the organ, because the choir, considered a good one, could not keep the pitch; this, of course, entirely spoilt the splendid effect intended by the composer. What was said of the Goss extract applies to this throughout ; the repeated notes should be regarded as indications of the points where the consonants occur, the vowel-tone should be as even and continuous as possible. This figure Lord should have a slight pressure upon the first note, while both are expanded to a little more than the written length. Treat all such passages in a similar manner. All voices should end exactly together at the word ' Christ,' the con- sonants sounding on the third beat. i8o The Choirtrainer s Art These : weight; 'ac-' * -ing ' light. ac-cord-ing to should not be all the same in will be light, '-cord-' heavy, This is an important case. Always take every such word legato, with the accent on the first syllable. It would hardly seem necessary to mention such an obvious fact, were it not that a different rendering is so painfully common, even with good choirs This note is th : fe ^ ie *J be- 3== requires attention. The short got-ten strong one, the long is the weak. It should be taken easily, as in speaking. Notice the infi- nite care that Wesley takes over the quantity and weight of every syllable. Would that other composers had the same literary instinct ! A llegretto But the word of the Lord en - dur - eth for ev - er. pi i t S :*=jfc But the word of the Lord en - dur - eth for ev - er. t ?EwP: ?= *^ m . - But the word of the Lord en - dur - eth for ev - er. But the word of the Lord en - dur - eth for ev - er. ft* SM- Allegretto ff ^m ircpSE) S^_ Full Org 1^ P s^a ^l The writer has heard the above splendid passage spoilt by the filling in of the rest with a chord on the organ, to assist the singers in getting under weigh. This should on no account be allowed. The effect depends upon the con- trast between instrumental and vocal tone. A prompt Anthems and Services ii start can easily be secured by arranging that the choir- master (or somebody else) shall give a gentle but sharp stroke with a baton to mark the silent beat ; the singers, having taken a full breath, can then enter promptly upon the second. The whole should be given with tremendous vigour; then the effect will be electrical. This is another instance of Wesley's power of perfectly expressing the sense of the words, by attending to minute details of verbal structure. At -fifr-j - ^S =t en - dur - eth This: 8 br.^7 the last syllable must not be emphatic. will be rendered, as before, legato^ with a * vanish ' on the last syllable. Martin =*=*= 3^ -r\ q Ho - liest, breathe an eve - ning bless - ing, Ere re Ho - liest, breathe an eve - ning bless Ere re pose t spir seal. 182 The Choirtrainer s Art This is a beautiful study in sustained singing. The tone should be the very softest it is possible to produce. There will be a very slight break in continuity after ' Holiest.' * Breathe ' will be only slightly opened out in volume. This J* J_ j . jEE last syllable is unaccented ; it must steal m s in ^7'. on the ear very quietly, and be held for the exact written length, the consonant being accurately given on beat two Here f#f syllable, J the voices should cling to the second and a breath can be taken after it. The last three measures must have the 'linked sweetness long drawn out.' On no account allow any hurrying. Let the tenors bring out their tune, then the altos, theirs. The final note, though marked with a pause, will be quite long enough if held for exactly the written time. Mozart I Hear me pray - ing, low / bend - ing. =t =*= 5 =t=te Hear me pray - ing, low - ly bend ing- pray - ing, low - ing. This wonderful passage from Mozart's greatest inspira- tion will be rendered with the most loving care. The voices will linger upon each note. The four chords in the second bar will increase slightly in volume as they pro- ceed, with, as usual, a perfect legato. The soprano here ^J will dwell upon the syncopated note, tojjT increasing it towards its end. The a^3i bend final note will be delicately joined to the preceding, ending in a hush. Anthems and Services 183 P Allegro moderato Haydn mm Dis - tract - ed with care 3^ and Dis - tract - ed with care and ^m Dis - tract - ed with care and P = an - guish, P When hearts de spair ing guish, When hearts de- spair an - guish, m^- When hearts de spair ing ing 184 The Choirtrainers Art The fine motet of which this forms the opening ought to be known to every efficient choir. The usual fault to be corrected will be FgC-T 4 which ought to be this rendering : rr 77 an-guish * Anthems and Services .85 In the following C - - f ~ the average choir is mad - ly they seek certain to give insufficient time to the dotted note, and too much to the short one. This rhythmic 'effect is the charac- teristic feature of the whole composition, and should be insisted upon. The second subject : tnezza voce, dolce 1 r - , For For m rtSEfi For us no rest * * For us no rest EM^Hf^T^rSj fe=^ i r 1 = t eth, If earth our love re - tain eth, And ^^ 31 ^=111 rest re - mam 3E main - eth, eth, If earth our love re - E T^^ 1 If earth our love re tain - eth, And r L?! mai n - e th, If earth our love re - tain Jr. Jil . j ,y JBJ eth, And L Qi} ^?^ id? . t i86 The Choirtrainer s Art gy^-t-^=E=fr i_^=z ^^^^ gytHJTPfTff is in complete contrast to the first, and will give another good opportunity for the study of the legato style. The four notes K together. must be delicately joined for us no rest Anthems and Services 187 This j r~ | [ T~- f3 J requires special attention. The two re - main - eth sixteenth-notes must be quite distinct, and in order to se- cure this they must be almost separated. should be sung p=5EE should be taken Mendelssohn f- And dash in / piec princ - es and na - tions, pil $ ^ And dash in / piec if princ - es and na - tions, ^ t= S i And dash in piec princ - es and na - tions, : And dash in piec - es princ - es and na - tions, fefe b*. -^ and dash in piec es princ -es and na tions, 3^^ =53- ^ and dash in piec - es princ -es and na tions, 3^ e^^ *=* r and dash in piec - es princ - es and na - tions, princ - es and =t HH I and dash in piec - - es princ - es and na - tions, Here is a fine instance of forcible singing. Perfect pre- cision is demanded, distinctness of consonants, and unity in ending. The long tied chord in bar six must increase in strength, until at the end it will sound irresistible ; it will also, in accordance with our rule, be slightly longer than is written. i88 The Choirtrainer s Art -i r will have its second syllable less forcible than na - tions its first ; contrary to the favorite practice of choir singers. P Dvorak 3^ m p Bless -ed Je - su, Fount of mer - cy, : f^=F^ : Bless -ed Je Fount of mer - cy, g r r_ 3*=t Bless -ed Je - su, Fount of mer - cy, fe ^^ js i Bless - ed Je - su, Fount of mer - cy, bless - ed mf etc. mr*~ -ir- r> ^- I * * k w Fount of mer - - cy, mf ~jfcp (ftp 2 * * > Fount of mer - - - - cy, mf i W~ b - ^T- )*-i. P 1= P~~ f ir J Fount of mer - - * cy, P m m-- etc. 1 i -S- ^_ _ y u ^H 1 b* ts Je su Fount of mer - cy, We, thy Here choirs will try to evade the demands of the dotted notes ; they will also want to emphasize the second sylla- ble instead of the first in ' Jesu ' and * mercy.' It need not be again pointed out that for the two notes should be men- tally substituted one, of twice the written length, divided only for the sake of the consonants. The basses in the fourth measure have an opportunity : j^ m-j i== ^f r f f == Je - su, Fount of mer-cy, the three notes to c Fount ' must all be emphasized. Anthems and Services 189 Gounod Thro' our harps that we hung on the trees Thro' our harps that we hung on the trees Goes the Goes the Thro' our harps that we hung on the trees . . Goes the HE? z Bouche fermie ==- etc. E low wind wear - i - ly moan >ng; Bouche fermie low wind wear - i - ly moan - ing; Bouche fermie In modern music the device of bouche fermee is becoming more and more common. When properly contrived, the effect is beautiful ; otherwise it is rather trying. It need not give nasal tone, though it so often does. Most singers IQO The Choir trainer *s Art will shut the mouth tightly, getting a stiff jaw and pro- ducing thin, disagreeable tone. If they will hold the jaw loosely and slightly open the mouth, sounding a suggestion of an indefinite ' u,' the result will be a dreamy, velvety tone, and a really musical effect. The time has now come for the writer to lay down his pen, and he does so with reluctance. He took it up in the hope that he might be able to give the reader a clear vision of the possibilities of choir-training ; he lays it down with the feeling that words can do but little to teach this won- derful art. No description can come near the reality of perfect singing ; only the living voice can show of what the living voice is capable. Still he trusts that, pardoning the many shortcomings of this imperfect essay, the reader may glean something from its pages which will assist him in his efforts to realize the possibilities lying before him, and will take courage to go forward to regain some of the ground lost in the past, and to conquer fresh fields for the future. Choir singing is one of Religion's keenest weapons. May it be polished and sharpened to fight and subdue the powers of evil, and to bring captive nations and peoples. Exercises 191 EXERCISES AS GIVEN IN PART II !N^^^I^^^gj^p|^3=pl^ Pianoforte ^W=tt- OO Ah 00 Ah OO Ah 00. Ah (etc.) __ I =t=jrr=t= ~t -I -4 h i I I - z=r tvg^ =fc=p :s=t &? -*=>- 1 r - _, K^, M Ah. M Ah. etc. 192 The Choir trainer *s Art $ I J 1 -+ Ah P =*- =gf^== -j ^ f -^ I "r^^^r' r g -I 1 1 , P^ sii o> (lips) Ah -> O Ah fr^T ^ :*=3 R * t & E g *=^ a-kftstg-r-k fep^5 ^=^ Exercises i93 ~i 1 =3= J ^ -yp < g- -&> - 3t "=? Ah Hfc*- O- & -- -> ^ 32: M -*= ^ ^=^5 "3 J . J Ah- -, BJ, and C. t * i- ' * i: * =" - 1 1 * -z-^ bs^j 194 The Choirtrainer s Art 13 1 J- & M- -Ah- mm i ^ j -j J. etc., as before 14 Si 5S ^=c frgJ o ig __ g Ah- Ah- e tefe#=P=3=te^=fc "=T I I r*"-* i I J I I I I J I J$2s^ I I Jl. .fee g^- _gL | etc., to D te E xercises *95 17 1 - i uj - =r+ j tE8- 1 -^ - ^ bis- W- *gr J etc., to C 19 tf ^L s Ah- s fe -hs - g mm^ - ,-: - 196 The Choir trainer s Art Jlffl ^ W~< *, IHfr ^ ^ "1 ' 11 I 1 -9 v cm E^ J J uJ 5g ~ ! j 1 ty ' b r SMS b T*T 1= 22 Ut)>;m 1 4=T^_ 1 rj-f-^^ I ! I ! l ;-i =4=rj^ J- ! Jill -44 * * m =s %*^ r r" Efe=fe 1 r te=#= FpTT z^E 23 THE SEVEN LONG VOWELS OO. O. Ah. Er. A. E. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY Los Angeles This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. _D|0 1967 *Xl9$\ 1969 Form L9-39,050-S.'65(FC234s8)4939 REC'D MUS-tnf ?-.;.:. 1 1970 MAR 1219701 u " 3 - 19/0 MAR 2 3 To "tmMM ' " WAY 2*9^ JfL 1 6 1976 D MUS-118 MAY 2 4 1979 x0m im OCT 1 5 1981 9 1332 REC'D MUS-LIB WAN VISfcb MAR 1 4 1985 UCLA - Music Library MT 915 R39c L 007 009 027 9 LIBRARY 915 R39c UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY A A 000 087 605 2 *'