HINTS ON THE PRACTICE OF VOCAL MUSIC.

Patea Mail, 22 March 1882, Page 3

HINTS ON THE PRACTICE OF VOCAL MUSIC.

[Translated from the German.'} Director of music Zander, in NeuStrelitz, publishes the following observations in the Leipzig Musical World; —lt is a well known fact that we have not always equal control over our vocal organs ; even with the best inclination and the greatest possible expense of power, we do not always succeed in intoning correctly or in retaining a faultless intonation. Not in every case are the commonly attributed reasons of this painful circumstance sufficient to explain it; namely, a diseased state of the soundproducing organs, and a bodily or mental relaxation : more probably it seems rather that we must look for the real cause in many instances to the state of the weather, and that neither in the past nor the present, but in a future state of it. My experience in this matter can be reduced to the following points. When dull and and rainy weather was preceding bright and clear weather, then this change used to announce itself about 30 hours previously, by considerable detonation towards the bottom of the scale ; the sound of the voice being essentially flat at the same time. If rainy weather was about to be followed by bright weather, then there was an inversed state ; the intonation was pure, the voice fresh and metallic, and the singers showed a far greater capability than in the former case. If after mild weather a strong and clear frost was approaching, then there appeared not rarely an inclination to sing too high ; the sound of the voice was clear, and the singers had the same power as mentioned in the second case. During my long activity as leader of a church choir, and as singing master to the high school, the proceeding points became rules for me, which, certainly were not without their exceptions. Of course, in this matter it is of the greatest importance that the observer should hear correctly. Our ear also is not infallible at all times, especially where the judgment of sounds is concerned. From another point of view, the matter is of a greater significance to me, and that is, as to the instruction in singing. It is dangerous for the musical ear to hear much music, especially if the ear has first to be formed. For ever will remain in my mind the words of dear old Neithardt, who as former instructor of the cathedral choir in Berlin, has certainly a right to be heard ; “If we wish to succeed in attaining correct singing in the choir, then we must take care that our singers do not hear any incorrect singing, and even more, that they do not assist in choirs which do not sing correctly. In one hour there is often more spoiled than, even with the greatest diligence and care, we can make good again in a week,” To this must be added that it is not allowed to demand very great exertions from the voices of children, lest injury be done to voice and health. For these two weighty reasons, it appears to be advisable to limit the practices in singing, according to the method of tonic extent and time in those cases in which, combined with a perceptibly flat sound, a scarcely conquerable inclination for detoning towards the bottom of the scale is appearing, even when the reasons for such disagreeable appearance are not quite plain and clear. But if the sound of the voices is strong and metallic, if correct intonation comes as if spontaneously, then double exertions may be safely demanded ; a full hour of work will then not be so exhausting as half an hour in the former case.