HIGH SCHOOL' MUSIC.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21054, 17 June 1930, Page 7

HIGH SCHOOL' MUSIC.

TO THE EDITOR. ..®? J ~ Rep . Iyin M° letter by Culture " be persists in suggesting that boys snouid continue singing with cracked or broken voices, will he say what the voice then' becomes at such a stage, and what music could such a voice sing? The voice cannot be termed treble because that is nniened with or well-nigh over, and it certainly cannot be a tenor, baritone, or a pass. As to what Sir Walford Daviesreading between the lines, it means absolutely nothing. He did hot say, “let the boy carry on with his/voice broken," did he? And imagine Sir Walford Davies jus knowledge. of the boy's voice requiring to be advised by Edward Lloyd!, As for Santley being “a magnificent example it would be much’ more correct ' to. say .rattier was he a magnificent exfu pt - 1 T» 0 <f 1 - . The remarks by the editor of the Musical Mirror as to massed singing by the developing youth are distinctly ■ harmful, as distinctly harmful as it would 1 be to make a crowd of boys with injured «?? r s n ,l n -3„race. I knew vßobert M Leod, Mua. Bao., F.R.G.0., for many ?f arS, '?? ( A a^eo bad met Herbert Wise- _ man, MvA,,. who became organist and ■ choirmaster in the church I had left a . number or years previously. I am not unacquainted with the work required of such gentlemen and others holding simidar ■positions -in training colleges or schools. ; They do good work along certani lines, but that work, in the main; is witii massed singing, not • individual tuition. , Individual instruction in the - - art of singing and how to produce the voice correctly is, really, the only teaching worth having',- The opinions of such /supervisors as I have quoted regarding , the boy s voice carry no weight with me , whatsoever. It will suffice to quote two eminent authorities; Albert B. Bach, famous singer and teacher of voice production and singing, who lectured at the Koyal Academy of Music, London, June 29,. 1880, on the - “ Cultivation of the voice. Writing.of the breaking of the. says, “This great change is shown ■ by. the roughness, and .hardness .of the by uncertainty of attack, and by cracking of the voice, not only in singing, out also in speaking.” . . ..-"At, the period of mutation ■ the voice must be very carefully managed; to economise is then the first condition, of its preservation. The indivdnal must, during this period, - , speak - moderated tone, and ’ strictly avoid straining his voice.' even, in speaking, ochoplboys should especially avoid shouting in the open air during their games, as through straining the voice at this they lose for ever all softness, TOimdness. and beautiy of tone.” ... ! When the real breaking ■ of the. voice begins, singing must be entirely given up.” What does Wesley Mills, MA., M.D., E-K-S-Cvlprofessor of physiology in M’Gill • University, and lecturer of vocal physiology and hygiene in the M'Gill University Conservatorium of Music, Montreal, Canada, say? . “This epoch is known as the period of puberty-or adolescence, and may be considered that,of the gravest . moment during one's whole life.” . . “ The vocal organs,: especially in males, undergo very marked changes in relative proportions to actual growth." , “The so-called breaking pi the voice is largely confined to males, because' the, growth, changes, etc-, as already said, are mostly marked in boys. At this time, also, there is frequently an excess of blood supplied to the larynx, with possibly some , degree of stagnation or congestion, which results in a thickening of the vocal bands, , unequal action of the muscles, etc., which must involve imperfections in the voice. In all such 4 cases common sense and physiology .alike plainly indicate that rest is desirable. All shouting,., singing, etc., should be refrained from, and even Ordinary speech. as much as possible in ■very marked cases,' especially when the individual is even slightly indisposed or weary.” In; the face of those’ statements it . would be interesting to hear what Dr Gairstow. Mr Cyril Winn, M.A., and Dr Sydney Nicholson "had to say. Allolw me to give my .own experience as a hoy singer. I received a very skilful training under an eminent choirmaster, and organist, who, by the way, was a pupil of Sir George Martin’s, of St. Paul’s Cathedral, London- From him I, doubtless, had ideas inculcated as to what ah hoy may do with his voice or what he may not do. I can remember what happened as clearly as if it had been only yesterday. The-voice became gradually unsettled and confidence was gone. The x voice would go off unexpectedly making funny sounds, causing the oth-er boys to turn round. It would crack, it would ascend*'when it shqhld have descended, and so on until you were cleared out, finished for three years. >My case was not an exception. It was natural that it should happen, and my 'experience is unquestionably .the experience of countless numbers of -boys. Nevertheless it is in this very state of cracked voice that " Culture” would have boys continue singing. The last quotation by “ Culture ” is very weak. What boy cares a fig for his voice when he is on the football field shouting to urge on his chums? He does not think. Possible injury to hig voice never enters his head. He just opens his mouth and shouts himself hoarse!—l am, etc. t David Blais, F.R.C.O.