president's address — SECTION J. 723 



the claptrap futilities which are so commnoly used for anniversaries, 

 their taste is cultivated as well as that of those who come to hear 

 them sing, and their minds are stored with a wealth of musical 

 treasure which they will never forget. 



I have been furnished by the courtesy of my friend Mr. Wrigley 

 of the University Teachers' Training College in Melbourne, with the 

 musical syllabus used in the Victorian State Schools, and it shows 

 that the right idea has been seized ; and if it is properly carried out, 

 no child should pass the sixth standard without being able to sing at 

 sight. But if I have not misunderstood it, the teaching of music- 

 reading is not begun soon enough ; it ought to begin in the very 

 lowest classes, and not be left till the child has reached the fifth 

 standard. No doubt there are members present who can tell us 

 what is done in the other States of the Commonwealth. 



It is not in the State Schools, however, but in the secondary 

 schools, especially those for boys, that music is most neglected. I 

 shall be glad to be set right if I am in error, but as far as I can 

 ascertain there is no thorough and systematic teaching of sight 

 singing in any of our secondary schools. There may be singing 

 classes for those boys who are willing to join ; and the whole school 

 may be taught by ear to sing a few school songs. But it is not recog- 

 nised that the teaching of singing should begin in the lowest class 

 and should be continued right through the school ; and that as 

 much time should be devoted to it as to any other subject in the 

 curriculum. It is still regarded as an extra — a mere accompHsh- 

 ment, not worth serious attention, and not as a fundamental part of 

 every child's education. 



The reason for this we all know. IMusic is not a compulsory 

 subject at any of our public examinations ; and the secondary 

 schools live for and by the results of these examinations. There is 

 no time for anything which does not help to swell the number of 

 passes and distinctions to be reported at the school speech day, and 

 the parents will have it so. The junior and senior public examina- 

 tions in music are only intended for students who are going on with 

 musical studies, and the stress is laid, not upon reading and 

 sight singing, which are the really important things, but upon 

 theory and technical proficiency in the performance of specified 

 songs and solfeggi. I do not propose to add singing of the sort I 

 am advocating to the subjects of University examination. For 

 heaven's sake let us keep one of the muses at least free from this 

 universal prostitution. I recognise, too, that under present con- 

 ditions no serious attention can be given to music in the higher 

 forms, which are necessarily dominated by the examinations. But 

 as a compromise, I would suggest that reading and sight singing 

 should be begun as soon as a boy comes to school and continued 

 until at any rate the fifth form is reached. By that time he would 

 have gained what I regard as the essential matter — the power to 

 read and sing at sight, and he might then drop music as a .schpol 

 subject, though facilities might be afforded for a voluntary singing 

 class for those who wanted to keep up their knowledge by practice. 



