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THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 



theirs. The women sinj? two and sometimes three or four parts in alto and 

 soprano. Often a single female voice will depart from the others for a time 

 to give a shrill, wikl call like that of a piccolo, in the same way that the 

 tenors sometimes do. No instruments are used by way of accompaniment; 

 only the full rich tones of the wonderful voices are heard. 



Three and four times a week the people so gather, impelled by sheer 

 love of their vocal art. Scores of songs are sung, all of them known only by 

 tradition. ^ ery few indeed of e\en the better educated natives under- 

 stand written or printed words. But when mere babes they go with their 

 parents to the houses of song, and thus gradually accjuire the tribal knowl- 



A circle of natives beating ihe ground vvitli tiieif hands to gi\e tlii' rliytlini for the ilances 

 of tlie maidens in the center 



edge of music-. Ordinarily it is one of the women who leads. After there 

 has been an inter\al of chatting and smoking, this leader starts with two or 

 three high notes, and tlien the others join with their proper parts as though 

 an orchestral conductor directed them with movements of his baton. 

 From the first-sung notes,.all recognize the melody and know through their 

 continual practice what are their allotted parts. 



At the time of the Oreat Feast in July the peopl(> of Tahiti come to- 

 gether in Papeete for a week's enjoyment, during which they compete, 

 village by village, for prizes bestowed for the best singing and dancing, 

 for accuracy in throwing the spear and for other acconii)lislun(>nts. In 

 preparation for this great time, singing practice has been held almost 



