tive part, and the student is advised to practice
vowel formation without the use of the lips. He is likely to use them
enough in any case provided he ensures the formation of pure vowel
sounds, and people seem to have an extraordinary facility for
over-doing the use of lip movements, for getting the teeth in the way
and thus spoiling tone, that was begun well, before it has escaped
from the mouth. It may be observed that those who get their living on
the streets by the use of the voice, and who use the voice much and
often speak rapidly, and in spite of this are heard well, so construct
their words that the lips are not seen to move to any appreciable
extent except as the lower jaw moves. The lips seem to be always
apart. It is not the amount of movement that is important but the kind
of movement, especially its rapidity.

Muscular efforts for the production of consonants should be neat,
decisive, sharp, rather than held ones, which tend to spoil the word
as a whole. As a rule, one is safe in holding the vowel as long as
possible and in making the time dwelt on the consonant as short as
possible--_i.e._, consistent with distinct and musical utterance.

The same applies to singing with even greater force. In speaking
especially short pauses not printed in the text may be made to great
advantage, and this is often better than dwelling on consonants. The
mouth of the speaker and still more that of the singer should not
attract the attention of the listener, so the less movement of the
lips of a kind readily open to observation, the better. Besides such
movements being unnecessary are a waste of muscular and nervous
energy.

Singers are not warranted in departing to any appreciable extent from
the pronunciation of words laid down as standard for speakers--_e.g._,
"shall" should not be sung as "sholl," and in such a word as "motion,"
the final syllable should not be made equally important with the
first one. Singers should observe the laws of a good elocution; in
other words, such treatment of the language of the song as an approved
reader would employ. The author would go so far as to say that no
singer should appear in public till he can utter every syllable as he
sings so that it is readily recognised by the listener. At present
such is rarely the case even with the best vocalists. All prospective
vocalists should study utterance by the speaking voice first and
continue it when the study of singing has been begun. The