RULE 1. Sing in strict time. Some people imagine that to express || the sentiment' as they call it, involves among other things, taking liberties with time; dwelling upon this note and clipping that one: but if they can make fifty men, women and children, keep even pace with them, they will accomplish an undeniable miracle. A choir of 4 or 6 singers may take some license with time, if they understand each other, and have good sense and good taste to guide them. But with 50 it is perfectly preposterous to attempt any departure from the strict laws of Rhythm. RULE 2. Sing the music exactly as it is. This is in opposition to the idea of introducing embellishments and flourishes into Psalmody, which is ridiculous to the last degree. No two men can be made to embellish exactly alike - how absurd to expect a large company to do it. This rule of course goes against singing out of tune, and also against introducing any sounds not expressed by the written notes of the piece, whether appogiatures, after notes, or glides.

RULE 3. Articulate every word distinctly.

RULE 4. Group the words in the breath according to their sense and connection.

RULE 5. Sing the important words loudest.

RULE. 6. If you have books with the expression noted you may observe it, always however provided that you do not violate any of the rules given above.

The singer ought to understand and feel the sentiment of the hymn, but he must remember that he is not singing a solo, but performing a part, a very small part, it may be, in a large choir, and if he should distress himself ever so much with 'expressing the sentiment,' it will all go or nothing with the congregation unless the whole band do just as he does; and the probability is, he will only have the satisfaction of reflecting, that he has annoyed his neighbors in the choir, disturbed the harmony of the music, and destroyed the good effect of the whole performance.

ART. 174. FAULTS. The most common faults which the teacher will have to correct, with their causes and remedies, are pointed out under the proper heads - viz.: Time -Tune - Pronunciation, &c., most of these faults may easily be prevented in those who are just learning to sing. But every singing school is attended by many old singers, who generally abound in faults.

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1. TIME. The first fault is what is commonly termed dragging. There are various causes for it independently of habit. These are, 1. Singing all the notes to their full length, and taking time for respiration which is additional to the measure. The same for the pauses at the end of strains. The last note in the strain is sung to its full length and not seldom, more than its length; a stop is made to breathe, and of course so much is the singer behind-hand.

2.

Singers are apt to sing too slow, when the notes are too high or too low for their convenient reach.

Witness, Windham,' 'Hebron,' 'Wells are nearly equalized.

the quarters are made much too long.

the eighths, much too long.

and others. The notes

In fact there seems a strong tendency to bring all notes to the same duration. This fault does not produce dragging upon the whole, but it is much more distressing to the hearer.

The tunes called Missionary Chant and Miletus, in the Ancient Lyre and many of the tunes in the 'Carmina Sacra,' where there is a variety of different notes, are almost always sung with the long notes too short and the short ones too long.

7. In general, in tunes composed principally of short notes, like Benevento, for instance, the notes are drawled too much, or run into each other, in too much of the Legato style; and on the other hand, in tunes composed of long sounds like Old Hundred, Dundee and other chorals, the notes are not sufficiently sustained.

3. A common fault is to sing notes whose duration is marked by two beats, or a beat and a half, with the latter portion of the sound distinctly marked off by the voice this is especially the case with dotted notesfor instance, measures of this form are sung thus,

; as if the singer was anxious the audience should

perceive that the note is dotted.

9. Beside the faults above enumerated, there is observed sometimes a want of steadiness in movement; this is generally the result of mere carelessness, though it may proceed from the influence of some prominent singer or player who has no rhythm in his soul.

2. TUNE. The most common fault under this head is singing too flat. This is manifested in various positions, and is owing to various causes.

1. To old habits and defective musical education. It is generally incurable where it proceeds from these causes, that is if the disease has been of long standing. Many females sing too flat from having injured their voices in childhood, by singing music too high for them. They

can't be cured in mature life. Many sing flat, from having been associated for a length of time with others, faulty in this respect. If not too confirmed, they may be cured.

2. To physical weakness. This may be overcome by persevering practice, that is, in a majority of cases.

3. To want of openness and freedom in the delivery of the voice. Many persons deliver the voice very well up to a certain pitch, when they change the form of the vowel and throw some obstruction in the way of the tone, consequently the pitch is depressed. They should be exercised upon the open vowel sound in the word ah, or la.

4. To want of suitable exertion, where the notes require it. This is mere carelessness, and must be reproved.

5. To what is commonly called a 'want of ear.' This evil is remedied by careful study and practice.

6. The above mentioned causes of flatting are of a prominent character, and where they exist the evil is but slowly remedied, if remedied at all. The following are of a temporary character-viz., ill health, east winds, heat of the weather, bad atmosphere of the rooms, from being crowded, want of confidence, want of acquaintance with the music, fatigue, want of interest in the exercises, and last not least, unsteadiness or dragging of the time. Most of these may be removed by taking proper measures. The various positions or forms of melody where the fault is most likely to occur, are these,

1. The eighth of the scale is made too flat, particularly in C, D, Eb, E and F.

2. The third of the scale is made too flat, particularly in G, Ab, A and Bb.

The second treble after becoming habituated to the lower notes, are apt to sing 3 flat in F and E also.

This fault in regard to three of the scale is almost universal. There are few singers except the most highly cultivated, who are not very often guilty of this fault, and even the very best, sometimes.

When from any cause as the weather, fatigue, &c., a singer is inclined to sing out of tune, the inclination is sure to manifest itself upon 3.

3. Notes which are high, relatively to the convenient compass of the voice are often made too flat.

4. Notes difficult of execution-long skips upon the same syllable —

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words hard to utter, and certain of the consonants, particularly m and n, || all give rise occasionally to this fault.

5. The second treble sing flat, where the notes are higher than usual in their part.

On this account they should sing the scales in all the keys, many times in the course of the lessons and always when they manifest a propensity to sing out of tune.

The opposite fault of sharping from the pitch, is by no means common. It is remedied generally as soon as mentioned. It arises frequently from the habit some have of striking the notes with violence, as if they were all designed for explosive tones and marked thus >.

There are other faults under the head of Tune or Melody, which prevail extensively. Some of them are alluded to in Art. 172, (Rule 2.) Some persons have a habit of introducing every sound with a preparatory jerk or grunt in consequence of which they arrive at the sound itself too late for the time to say nothing of disfiguring the performance. These people's notes go off in the manner of a rusty gun with an old flint lock, that hangs fire. Singers of Base are very much in the practice of sliding the voice from one sound to another, especially in the cadences. As the intervals in this part are oftener fourths, fifths and eighths, than in the other parts, the singers like to get along by this easy process. 3. ARTICULATION. Many of the faults under this head have been alluded to in Art. 155. They are,

Indistinctness

1. arising from not giving the consonants all of them with force and quickness, and from not retaining the vowel sound in its proper form.

2. Incorrectness. This fault is owing to the want of education, but is happily, rare, in New England.

3. Indistinctness and incorrectness both occasionally occur in consequence of the difficulty of executing the notes.

4. A common fault is to make two syllables of such words as fear, eye, there, more, Lord, (pro. Law-wud) — and many others.

5. Another fault is to dwell upon those consonants which admit of extension, such as l, m, n, r, f, s, c, z These require just so much time and no more to be given them, as will make them audible.

4. BREATHING. The habit of inhaling the breath in an audible manner is a vicious one.

Also, breathing at regular intervals.

Singing when the lungs are almost exhausted of air.

Failing to inhale a full supply, when possible.

Wasting the breath. All bad.

Many faults in breathing are owing to the improper constraints which the fashion of dress imposes upon the free play of the muscles of the chest. The best way to correct faults in Time or Tune or any other particular, is for the teacher to imitate them with his own voice, taking care to exaggerate them somewhat that they may be seen by all. Then sing the passage correctly.

Describe in each case as far as practicable the particular cause of the difficulty.

If the fault be in time, shew in what measure, on what note; and whether the beginning or end of the note, it begins to be committed. - point out the cause of the particular error.

If in Tune

ART. 175. The teacher may proceed in the latter part of a term to practice entirely with words carefully correcting every fault, in accent, emphasis, pauses, and grouping of words.

ᎪᎡᎢ. 176. It is much better to have a moderate catalogue of tunes well committed to memory and correctly sung, than to skim over in a superficial manner, a large number.

ART. 177. Chanting may be introduced soon after the class commence singing the words. Directions are given for this practice in the latter part of the book.

ART. 178. Short anthems and sentences, may be sung toward the close of the term, but it is not expedient to sing many in a first course of lessons, under ordinary circumstances. The same strict attention should be given to accent, emphasis, pauses and every other element of good performance, in the singing of chants and anthems, as in psalm tunes.

ART. 179. The class should be exercised in singing from the Hymn book, other suitable words than those adapted.

CHAPTER XV.

THE CONDUCTOR.

ART. 180. At the close of a school it is the custom for choirs to choose a Conductor or Leader. The proper qualifications for this officer do not seem in all cases to be well understood. A few words upon this topic may not be amiss.

It has been the practice formerly and it is now, to a considerable extent, to select the man who can sing Tenor the loudest, without regard to any thing else. It is certainly very well that the Conductor should have a powerful voice, but it is by no means absolutely essential.

The requisites are these

1. He should be a man against whom as a man there is no well founded objection.

2. He should possess good taste and judgment.

3.

He should be accurate in Time. This is indispensable. 4. He should have confidence in himself.

It is of little consequence whether he sing Tenor or Base or play the violin or the organ, and it is not absolutely necessary that he should sing or play at all. It is worth much more to have such a man barely to direct the performance of a choir, if he do not sing or play a note, than to have the best singer or player who can be found, who is at the same time destitute of any one of these qualifications.

ART. 181. The practice of choosing leaders, as it is called, for the several parts, is worse than useless. It seldom fails to give rise to envyings, hatred, malice and all uncharitableness. It is not possible it should do any good whatever.

ART. 182. There can be no necessity for choosing vice-leaders or persons to conduct in the absence of the regular leader.

ART. 183. The singers ought to hold themselves in subjection to the just authority of the conductor, and so to act and so to sing as to contribute to produce the best united effect; and not be anxious merely to

display their personal skill and power of voice. In a choir individuality should be merged in the mass.

ART. 184. A choir ought not to quarrel with their conductor, and remove him from office unless there are strong reasons to justify it. A change ought not to be made in this office until there is abundant reason to believe that the choir will be benefitted by it: and it is to be remembered that nothing is gained by exchanging a leader obnoxious to one portion of the choir, for another equally disagreeable to another portion. Neither is it of any use to turn out a leader with one set of faults, and put in another with a different set of faults. It is the easiest thing in the world to make objections to the present administration, but it is not always quite so easy to set up one on the whole to be preferred to it. ART. 185. Let choirs study peace, union let individuals practice conciliation and let compromise triumph over every difficulty.

ART. 186. Practice abundantly learn every piece thoroughly be at your posts on the Sabbath punctually—and remember that a little sacrifice of personal feeling and preference, will be sure to bring an abundant reward.

ART. 187. INSTRUMENTS. These should not be introduced into school, (except one perhaps in the hands of the teacher,) until the class have sung by the syllables as much as is intended, and have become acquainted with the rules applicable to the singing of language. Many instruments are not desirable unless they are exceedingly well played. A Double Bass is useful when played smoothly and gently, otherwise it is the worst thing possible. No kind of flourishing' or attempted embellishment should be allowed, for the instruments are designed to support the voices and not to be heard above them so as to withdraw attention from the words sung.

ART. 188. The organ is the best accompaniment, when properly played, but is too often perverted from its proper function, to become the leading and most prominent part of the performance.

Great skill, sound judgment and fine taste may admit some degree of departure from the strict text, but people of limited attainments will find that modesty in the manner of performance, will be likely to gain for them more credit than abortive attempts at display.