Girls' Voices.

Otago Witness, Issue 1805, 25 June 1886, Page 26

Girls' Voices.

Parents and teachers have much to answer for in permitting young girls to force their unformed voices at school exhibitions. How melancholy it is to hear little girls singing songs that require understanding and the vocal culture of mature voices. The voice when forced beyond its capabilities, if it be not utterly ruined, often becomes disagreeable at the time when it should be a delight. Mothers should impress upon their daughters that the voice should never ba forced either in speaking or singing. Better that a girl should never recite or sing in public than that her voice should be roughened or forced. No matter how much girls sing, they ought never to sing beyond half the power of which they are capable. There are girls with strong musical feeling, who can sing florid operatic music as the birds sing. In cases of this kind the singing is not to be suppressed but to be kept within bounds. No matter how wonderfully a girl renders jioriturh passages, do not encourage, her to force her voice. A girl may be taught to read music parl-pussu with her primer, but vocal cultivation rarely ought to begin before the sixteenth year. The divas who have delighted the world with their " golden tones of melody ' have seldom begun their regular vocal instructions before this time. Patti, for example, could correct any falselysung operatic passages at an extremely tender age but, her musical education did not begin until she was past the age of 15 Frasini, whose wonderful powers were lost, to the public by her marriage to s one of the Wurtembcrg dukes, could sing whole operas at a very early age, but she was not allowed to sing with the orchestra until she was 15, in order that it might be determined whether she had sufficient talent to cultivate for the stage. When she sang " Sonuambula " with marvellous accuracy, giving the fiorituri pure and true, it. was decided that she might, receive vocal cnltivatiqn. In singing ballads or other music within the range of a young girl's voice, impress upon her the necessity of expression and distinct articulation. Before a song is learned let the singer read it aloud, giving it the same shades of expression as if it were an elocutionary exercise. In this way a correct method will be formed and true enjoyment will be imparted. If it is not possible to take singing lessons the voice may often be improved by singing the scale with a gradual crescendo and diminuendo on each note. Great benefit may be obtained also by simply singing the ascenc ling and descending scale with hall" the voice power.