aught to avoid screaming, coarse laughing and bawling, and if
possible to speak in a clear way.

Voice studies are of two kinds. First come those which promote the
building and setting of the voice. These are generally sung slowly. When
the voice is becoming settled exercises for agility may be introduced.
Of agility exercises most voice-training books contain plenty. There is
a good selection in Mr. Sinclair Dunn's "The Solo Singer's Vade Mecum"
(J. Curwen & Sons, price 1s.) and Sir John Stainer has written a set,
printed on a card, which is published by Mowbray, Oxford and London,
price 6d.

When the system of probationers is at work the voice-building exercises
will not be much needed. The little boys will insensibly fall into right
habits. They will learn to produce tone as they learnt to speak--by ear.
But when a new choir has to be formed, the building exercises are
necessary. And the first object of these is to make the boy feel the
thin register and strengthen it by use. For this purpose such phrases as
these, which leap into the thin register, and quit it by step are the
best:--

[Illustration: KEY =E=[b]. d1 t l s d1 t l s m1 r1 d1 t d1]

[Illustration: KEY =G=. s f m r f m r d l s f s m]

These exercises should be sung to several vowels, but especially to the
sound "koo," which will at first immensely amuse the boys, but will
afterwards be found to throw the tone forward towards the teeth in a way
that no other sound does.

Pure vowel tone goes with pure and resonant voice. The broad and pure
vowels of the Yorkshire dialect have, more than anything else, produced
the Yorkshire voices. Hence the choirmaster must make a determined
effort to cure provincialisms in so far as they prevent the issue of
pure vowel sounds from the mouth. The vowels should be sung in their
vocal order as recommended by Mr. Behnke, oo (as in _you_), o (as in
_owe_), ah (as in _Shah_), a (as _pay_), and ee (as in _see_). These may
be taken to slow scales, thus:--

[Illustration: oo-o-ah-a-ee oo-o-ah-a-ee, &c.]

Let the choirmaster watch carefully for impure sounds, and call upon
each boy to sing two measures by himself from time to time.

In singing the boy should stand upright and free. He must not lean or
bend his body. The mouth must be fairly opened, but not too wide. As the
voice ascends the mouth opens wider. The lips must lie lightly on the
teeth, and the tongue should lie at rest, just touching the front teeth.
If, fo