SPEECH AND SONG. 251 



period. With, regard to the first of these questions I am strongly 

 of opinion that training can hardly be begun too early. Of course, 

 the kind and amount of practice that are necessary in the adult 

 would be monstrous in a young child, but there is no reason why, 

 even at the age of sis or seven, the right method of voice-produc- 

 tion should not be taught. Singing, like every other art, is chiefly 

 learned by imitation, and it seems a pity to lose the advantage of 

 those precious early years when that faculty is most highly de- 

 veloped. There is no fear of injuring the larynx or straining the 

 voice by elementary instruction of this kind ; on the contrary, it 

 is habitual faulty vocalization which is pernicious. The sooner 

 the right way of using the voice is taught the more easy will it be 

 to guard against the contraction of bad habits, which can only be 

 corrected at a later period with infinite trouble. Many of the 

 finest voices have been trained almost from the cradle, so to 

 speak. I need only mention Adelina Patti, Christine Nilsson, 

 Jenny Lind, and Madame Albani ; but there are numbers of 

 other queens of song who owe great part of their success to the 

 same cause. 



As for the other point, I am still an obstinate dissenter from 

 the "orthodox" teaching of singing-masters on the subject. I 

 have already more than once expressed my belief that there is no 

 reason why training, within certain limits and under strict super- 

 vision by a competent person, should not be carried on when the 

 voice is in the transition stage of its development from childhood 

 to adolescence. The stock argument, invariably advanced to prove 

 the necessity of suspending the education of the voice till it has 

 passed through the " breaking " period, is that, as the parts are 

 undergoing active changes, they therefore require complete rest. 

 This would equally apply to the limbs, and, in some degree, also 

 to the brain. Yet I am not aware that it has ever been proposed 

 to forbid growing lads from exercising their bodies, even in games 

 involving considerable muscular violence, or to interrupt the edu- 

 cation of the mental powers till the brain has become fully formed. 

 Overpressure there may be, no doubt, in voice-training as in other 

 kinds of instruction. All voices are not capable of bearing the 

 same amount of training. Each case must be dealt with accord- 

 ing to what doctors call the particular " indications " that may 

 arise. My thesis holds good only as a general rule, to which there 

 may be many individual exceptions. A judicious teacher will, 

 however, have no difficulty in deciding as to the best course to 

 adopt in any given instance. 



After the voice has been developed to its utmost capacity, the 

 next thing is to keep it in perfect condition. How is this to be 

 done ? As Danton said that the three things needed to insure 

 success were De Vaudace, de Vaudace, et encore de Vaudace, I say 



