eld daily; one from nine till ten
a.m. is spent in getting up the service music. The afternoon practice,
at the close of evensong, is chiefly devoted to theory. A card hanging
up on the wall shows exactly how the time of the afternoon practice is
apportioned between the study of intervals, and scales, chanting,
responses, manuscript exercises, the singing of Concone's solfeggios,
and the practice of secular music. The excellent phrasing and pure tone
are partly due to the practice of secular music, which gives elasticity
and gentleness to the boys' voices. No formal system of voice-training
is in use. The boys enter at from 9 to 10-1/2, not older. A new boy is
placed in the middle of the row of choristers, so as to excite his
imitative faculty to the utmost. Twenty boys is the full number, but
only twelve of these are full choristers, the others being nominally on
probation, a plan which serves to keep up the discipline.

LINCOLN'S INN CHAPEL.

There are twelve boys here. They come, with a fair knowledge of music,
at about nine years of age, and receive from Dr. Steggall, or his
assistants, three lessons of about two hours each every week. On Sunday,
at the close of the morning service, there is a rehearsal with the men
of the music for the afternoon, and for the morning of the following
Sunday. The boys' practices are held in the choir-room, where Dr.
Steggall, seated at a venerable Broadwood grand, coaches his little men,
with care and neatness. On Saturdays, when half their lesson is done,
the boys walk across to the chapel, and go through the Sunday's music
with the organ. A pupil mounts to the instrument, while Dr. Steggall,
book in hand, paces the aisle, or retires towards the communion table,
constantly interrupting the singing to correct faults, or improve
delivery. Meanwhile, the organ is played quite softly, that the voices
may stand out clearly. Constant care is taken to prevent clipping of
words in the most familiar parts of the service.

THE TEMPLE CHURCH.

Dr. E. J. Hopkins, himself an ex-choir-boy of the Chapel Royal, realises
here his ideal of "quality, not quantity." He lays stress on the fact
that he takes his boys at eight years of age. For a year or more,
however, they are probationers. They do not wear surplices, although
they sit close to the choir. They undergo daily drill in musical theory
and voice-training, but in church they have no responsibility, and do
little more than listen. When,