ninth regiments of the line, fifty from each.
M. Cheve accepted all as they came, and agreed formally to bring
eight-tenths of the class of one hundred and fifty in one year to the
following results: (1) To understand the theory of music analytically;
(2) To sing alone and without any instrument any piece of music within
the compass of ordinary voices; (3) To write improvised airs from
dictation.

"Candor compels us to admit," says the report, "that nearly all of the
soldiers showed the greatest repugnance to attending the course, and
did so only because they were ordered to do so. Several months elapsed
before this bad spirit could be conquered, and before the majority
of them could be brought to practise the vocal exercises. Some even
refused to try to sing, on the ground that they were old, that they
had no voice, that they could not read, etc."

The first lesson took place October 1, 1842. There were five a week,
of an hour and a half each. At the end of the month the professor
wished to classify the voices, and required each pupil to sing alone.
The experiment was rather discouraging. _More than two-thirds were
unable to sing the scale_: twelve refused to utter a sound, and
declared that nothing would induce them to try. These twelve were
immediately dismissed. The rest remained, though some confessed that
they had not sung a note since the beginning of the course. These,
however, now promised to practise all the exercises in future. Under
these unfavorable circumstances the professor engaged anew to fulfil
his contract, on condition that the pupils would submit to practise
the exercises conscientiously and attend regularly. From this time,
with the exception of three or four rebellious spirits, none were
rejected.

The month of October was not very profitable to the pupils, on account
of continual absences necessitated by military reviews. April and May
of the following year (1843) also brought many interruptions through
the various demands of the service. Sickness, promotions, punishments,
mutations, and the disbanding of the class of 1836, which took away
several under-officers, gradually reduced the class, so that in July
only a little over fifty were left. This falling off greatly troubled
Professor Cheve, especially when the army at Lyons went into camp and
left him with only twenty-eight pupils. This reduction of the class
could not have been foreseen or prevented. M. Cheve could not be held
responsible