The air (or breath) in these exercises should be exhaled consciously
and inhaled unconsciously. That is, you must be conscious of the
relaxation of the parts you have been exerting ; the air enters and leaves
the lungs without any special thought being given to that particular
matter. Meantime the shoulders must be undisturbed.
The upper part of the chest must be free from exertion. In expand-
ing the chest in full inhalation, you must be sure that neither chest nor
abdomen is drawn upward. If this is done the breath cannot be prop-
erly controlled by the only parts that should control it, viz., the lower
part of the body.
The exercise here given is designed to give pupils control of the
proper organs in managing the breath in singing and also to strengthen
those very organs. Practice faithfully and you will be ready then to
produce tones ; but learning to breathe is the foundation of all good
singing.
STRENGTHENING THE VOICE.
Practice two or three times a day, but at first no longer than ten min-
utes at a time, and let one of these times be before breakfast ; exercise
the extremity of the voice, but do not dwell upon those notes you touch
with difficulty; open the mouth at all times, in the higher notes, espe-
cially ; take nothing to clear the voice but a glass of cold water, and
always avoid pastry, rich cream, and coffee and cake when you intend
to sing.
For putting the voice in good order for singing or speaking, the fol-
lowing recipes have been given : A teaspoonful of compound tincture
of cinnamon beaten up with a raw egg. A raw egg beaten up with a
large cup of black tea and good milk or cream. For troublesome
hoarseness chew a piece of horseradish.
For hoarseness arising from over exertion of the voice, dissolve in the
mouth a piece of gum catechu✪ Voice Strengthening Recipe about the size of a pea.
To preserve the voice in good order, practice daily without fatiguing
the voice. Over exertion and want of practice are the chief causes of
disorder in the voice. Rest cures the results of the former, and prac-
tice those of the latter.
THE CHILDREN'S CONCERT.
Haydn has written a pretty symphony, especially for children's con-
certs. It consists of an allegro, a minuetto and trio, and a finale. The
THE CHILDREN'S CONCERT. 259
composition is prefaced by a descriptive prologue, at the end of which
the full orchestra falls in as though trying to drown the voice of the
speakers. This orchestra consists of eight toy instruments, made in
Germany. They are the cuckoo, night owl, rattle, quail, trumpet, drum
and the cimblestar; besides, an accompaniment is written for the bass
viol and two violins or the piano ; in buying, state which you wish.
You will require eight bright children who will not laugh during the
performance, but will be earnest and attentive to every movement of
the leader, in the choice of whom be especially particular. It is well to
have each child not only perfect in his own part, but familiar with the
entire piece. Drill them thoroughly before the public exhibition, and
you will have a concert that both old and young will enjoy. If desired,
the children may wear fancy costumes :
Prologue:
Near Salzburg, once, good Father Haydn
Some leisure spent at Berchtolds-gaden
(A rustic hamlet cheer' d by mountain rills
Perch'd like a birdling's home among the hills)
Where, with much thrift, the villager employs
Page 256 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1886. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
The air (or breath) in these exercises should be exhaled consciously and inhaled unconsciously. That is, you must be conscious of the relaxation of the parts you have been exerting ; the air enters and leaves the lungs without any special thought being given to that particular matter. Meantime the shoulders must be undisturbed.
The upper part of the chest must be free from exertion. In expanding the chest in full inhalation, you must be sure that neither chest nor abdomen is drawn upward. If this is done the breath cannot be properly controlled by the only parts that should control it, viz., the lower part of the body.
The exercise here given is designed to give pupils control of the proper organs in managing the breath in singing and also to strengthen those very organs. Practice faithfully and you will be ready then to produce tones ; but learning to breathe is the foundation of all good singing.
STRENGTHENING THE VOICE.
Practice two or three times a day, but at first no longer than ten minutes at a time, and let one of these times be before breakfast ; exercise the extremity of the voice, but do not dwell upon those notes you touch with difficulty; open the mouth at all times, in the higher notes, especially ; take nothing to clear the voice but a glass of cold water, and always avoid pastry, rich cream, and coffee and cake when you intend to sing.
For putting the voice in good order for singing or speaking, the following recipes have been given : A teaspoonful of compound tincture of cinnamon beaten up with a raw egg. A raw egg beaten up with a large cup of black tea and good milk or cream. For troublesome hoarseness chew a piece of horseradish.
For hoarseness arising from over exertion of the voice, dissolve in the mouth a piece of gum catechu about the size of a pea.
To preserve the voice in good order, practice daily without fatiguing the voice. Over exertion and want of practice are the chief causes of disorder in the voice. Rest cures the results of the former, and practice those of the latter.
THE CHILDREN'S CONCERT. Haydn has written a pretty symphony, especially for children's concerts. It consists of an allegro, a minuetto and trio, and a finale. The
THE CHILDREN'S CONCERT. 259
composition is prefaced by a descriptive prologue, at the end of which the full orchestra falls in as though trying to drown the voice of the speakers. This orchestra consists of eight toy instruments, made in Germany. They are the cuckoo, night owl, rattle, quail, trumpet, drum and the cimbals; besides, an accompaniment is written for the bass viol and two violins or the piano ; in buying, state which you wish.
You will require eight bright children who will not laugh during the performance, but will be earnest and attentive to every movement of the leader, in the choice of whom be especially particular. It is well to have each child not only perfect in his own part, but familiar with the entire piece. Drill them thoroughly before the public exhibition, and you will have a concert that both old and young will enjoy. If desired, the children may wear fancy costumes :
Prologue:
Near Salzburg, once, good Father Haydn
Some leisure spent at Berchtolds-gaden
(A rustic hamlet cheer' d by mountain rills
Perch'd like a birdling's home among the hills)
Where, with much thrift, the villager employs
Records on this page
Voice Strengthening Recipe