The Boy's Voice A Book of Practical Information on The Training of Boys' Voices For Church Choirs, &c.   By: John Spencer Curwen (1847-1916)

[Illustration: CHORISTER BOYS .

Photographed by Mr George Hadley, Lincoln .]

THE BOY'S VOICE

A BOOK OF PRACTICAL INFORMATION ON THE TRAINING OF BOYS' VOICES FOR CHURCH CHOIRS, &c.

BY

J. SPENCER CURWEN Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music; President of the Tonic Sol fa College.

[Illustration: Decoration]

London:

J CURWEN & SONS, 8 & 9 WARWICK LANE, E.C.

NEW YORK: CHARLES SCRIBNER AND SONS.

Price Two Shillings and Sixpence.

=1891=

LONDON: J. CURWEN AND SONS, MUSIC PRINTERS, PLAISTOW, E.

PREFACE.

The value of this little book, as the reader will soon discover, depends less upon my own work than upon the large number of choirmasters whose experience I have been fortunate enough, directly or indirectly, to lay under contribution. The conditions of the choir trainer's work vary, in an endless way, according to his surroundings and opportunities. And it is just when work becomes difficult that contrivances and hints are most fruitfully evolved. Hence I have given in great detail the experiences of many correspondents, and some of the most useful suggestions for ordinary church choir work will be found to proceed from writers holding no great appointment, but seeking quietly and unostentatiously to produce good results from poor material.

In view of a second edition, I shall be pleased to receive letters from readers who have further experiences to offer.

J. S. C.

June , 1891.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I. PAGES The Healthfulness of Singing 1 5

CHAPTER II. Management of the Breath 6 7

CHAPTER III. The Art of Managing Choir Boys 8 11

CHAPTER IV. Voice Training 12 22

CHAPTER V. Information on Voice Training, collected by the Salisbury Diocesan Choral Association 23 26

CHAPTER VI. Pronunciation in Singing 27 28

CHAPTER VII. Singing by Ear and by Note 29 30

CHAPTER VIII. Flattening, and Singing out of Tune 31 39

CHAPTER IX. On the Training of Boys' Voices 40 48

CHAPTER X. The Special Difficulties of Agricultural Districts 49 58

CHAPTER XI. Notes on the Practice of various Choirmasters in Cathedrals, &c. 59 68

CHAPTER XII. Notes on the Practice of various Choirmasters in Parish Churches 69 74

CHAPTER XIII. Alto Boys 75 89

CHAPTER XIV. Schools for Choristers 90 98

CHAPTER XV. Concert Songs for Boys 99 103

[Illustration: THE BOY'S VOICE.]

CHAPTER I.

THE HEALTHFULNESS OF SINGING.

The boy's voice, though an immature organ of delicate structure, is capable of much work, providing only that its mechanism be rightly used and not forced. Some people are unnecessarily nervous about boys; as a rule, under competent guidance, they will get nothing but good from vocal work. A cathedral organist wrote to me the other day:

"Our best solo boy, who has a splendid voice and who sings beautifully, has been unwell, and the Dean and Chapter doctor (who has an idea that every choir boy should be as robust as a plough boy) has just stated that the boy is too feeble to remain in the choir. Notwithstanding my remonstrances, the Dean and Chapter decided yesterday to uphold the doctor. I tried his voice last week, and he sang with full, rich tone up to the C above the stave, and that after he had been skating from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. I should have thought that a boy who could skate all day could not be in such a 'feeble' state as represented by the medical man. Three months ago a boy with a beautiful voice was sent away for the same reason. So you see what uphill work it is for me."