Jan. 22, 1880] 



NATURE 



271 



VOCAL PHYSIOLOGY AND HYGIENE 

 A Treatise on Vocal Physiology and Hygiene j with 

 Especial Reference to the Cultivation and Preservation 

 of the Voice. By Gordon Holmes, L.R.C.P. (Edin- 

 burgh : Churchill, 1879.) 



IT is one of the most singular facts connected with 

 music that, notwithstanding the very wide spread of 

 musical education, the kind of performance which is within 

 the most general reach, namely, singing, receives the 

 least amount of earnest culture. Almost every indi- 

 vidual in ordinary health possesses the means of singing, 

 which consist simply of a voice that can produce musical 

 tones, and an ear that is capable of guiding its inflections. 

 The latter qualification is, it is true, not so common as the 

 former ; but in all probability the cases where the human 

 ear is absolutely wanting in the discrimination of musical 

 pitch are extremely rare. Yet out of this great mass of 

 mankind what a small proportion actually sing; and of 

 those who do, what a still smaller proportion even aim at 

 singing well ! 



Let us consider for a moment how the case stands in 

 regard to that small fraction of mankind who attempt 

 to sing in some fashion or other. The great majority of 

 these never learn at all ; they sing by the light of nature, 

 using their voices in any way that will produce the notes 

 their ears guide them to ; and, no doubt, with naturally 

 good voices and naturally good ears, music may some- 

 times result, which is quite tolerable, though infinitely 

 inferior to what it might be made. But many persons 

 do " learn to sing," and instruction of this kind forms a 

 tolerably large professional avocation. What, then, does 

 this imply ? In most cases, unfortunately, little or 

 nothing, so far as the true art is concerned. If a girl who 

 finds she can sing a little asks for some lessons from an 

 ordinary teacher, we know pretty well what will be done : 

 there may be, just as a matter of form, a few exercises 

 given ; but the great aim will be to teach her the notes of 

 certain songs, so as to provide her with a small repertory 

 for social exhibition. This, however, is rather teaching 

 music than singing, and the same may be said of the large 

 number of classes for vocal performance in parts, where 

 nothing is attempted beyond attention to the pitch of the 

 notes used, and the time they are sung in. If we go a 

 little further and include the cases where the teachers en- 

 deavour to give their pupils some idea of style, we about 

 exhaust the category of vocal instruction which is common 

 in private circles, and we need not wonder at the fact 

 that, to educated judges, ordinary amateur singing, when 

 it is not offensive, is at all events wretchedly poor. To 

 learn to sing in the proper sense of the word is quite a 

 different thing from learning songs ; the voice is an 

 instrument, the capabilities of which, in many respects, 

 transcend those of any other known, and the cultivation 

 of the voice, and of the singer's power over it, so as to 

 use it to the best advantage, requires not only careful and 

 judicious training, but long, hard, and laborious practice. 

 It is consequently only among the professional ranks 

 that we are accustomed to expect thoroughly good singing, 

 and even here, whether from deficient education, imperfect 

 powers, or defective taste, it is not often that what we 

 expect is really found. 

 We might extend these remarks, in some measure to 



speaking. Although the natural use of the voice suffices 

 for common practical purposes, there are cases where 

 considerable art and education are required to employ it 

 to the best advantage, and yet little or no attention is 

 paid to the matter, as is evidenced by the miserable 

 attempts at untrained elocution we are so often doomed 

 to listen to, in preaching, reading, and public speaking. 

 The stage is an exception, as there the artistic manage- 

 ment of the voice is indispensable, a fact at once perceived 

 when amateur acting is compared with that of the members 

 of the dramatic profession. 



Undoubtedly one of the great causes of the evil in 

 both these cases is the general ignorance as to the nature 

 of the voice and the manner in which it admits of 

 management ; and we welcome with pleasure the appear- 

 ance of a work which sets forth these and kindred 

 topics in a way that cannot fail to be largely useful. 

 Although written by a man who is fully conversant with 

 all the technicalities of his subject, it is yet essentially 

 popular in its style, and may be studied with advantage by 

 all who are interested in the cultivation of the voice for 

 any object whatever. 



The introduction and the first chapter are devoted to 

 an Historical Review of the Origin and Progress of Vc-nl 

 Culture, and to an explanation of the general nature of 

 musical sounds. These are somewhat lengthy, occupying 

 one-fourth of the book ; but one may fairly allow for the 

 author's wish to render his treatment of the subject com- 

 plete. In the remainder of the work he is more clearly 

 on his own ground. Chapter II. is devoted to a descrip- 

 tion of the anatomical construction of the vocal organs, 

 and Chapter III. to an investigation of their physiological 

 mode of action. Both these are admirably treated of, and 

 are illustrated, where necessary, by copious figures. The 

 author gives, under the latter head, an interesting survey 

 of the various theoretical attempts that were made to 

 explain the vocal phenomena before the great invention 

 of the laryngoscope in 1854, by Manuel Garcia, gave the 

 power of actually observing the processes at work. By 

 the aid of this ingenious apparatus, the explanation be- 

 came comparatively easy. There are, however, some 

 points, particularly connected with the falsetto voice, 

 which are yet somewhat obscure. 



Chapter IV r . is the one to which, probably, the greatest 

 importance is to be attached ; it treats of "The Physio- 

 logical Principles of Vocal Culture." The author says : — 



" The cultivation of the voice amongst civilised nations 

 has for its object the complementary development of the 

 powers of organs which have already attained a hi^h 

 degree of perfection in the performance of their functions. 

 Through the exertion of influences acting from without, 

 and not directly controlled by the will, man proceeds 

 instinctively and intuitively as a mere agent to the evolu- 

 tion of speech and language. But here, as in many other 

 of his relations, beyond a certain point the unerring guide 

 of nature leaves or only follows him with a perpetually 

 widening interval, and his further advance is made volun- 

 tardy and with self-consciousness of his aim. . . . Hence 

 we may recognise two grades in the employment of the 

 voice— the first necessitated by the conditions of social 

 life as a means of intercommunion, and the second under- 

 taken with a view to the aesthetic observation of the 

 listeners. 



" The technical training of the voice lies immediately 

 in the hands of teachers of elojution and singing. On 



