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THE CONGRESS OF WOMEN.

particular. Professor Bernardi of Milan makes execution a study, especially the trill and shake; even bird tones he considers legitimate practice, as well as all vocal feats and movements used by the orator, reader or impersonator.

Madam Fabrie’s principal theme was legato, a smooth, flowing style Professor Morley* agreed with Delsarte that every note should be sung at first staccato, making a clear, decisive touch. The attack of a note was his care, so that each tone should represent a distinct pearl example. You will ask why I went from one grand master to another. I was in search of information and I found that each master had some­thing to impart that I had not gained from the other. There was Sangiovanni s mas­terly and beautiful phrasing, Lamperti’s method of voice building and Bernardi's execution and trill. Each master has brought out fine voices through opposing meth­ods, and many fine voices have developed in spite of method. But we hear little of the thousands of voices which have failed, even though endowed by nature with talent and early promise of a brilliant career. Many such failures have come from attempts to make the voice fit a certain method, instead of making a method applicable to each individual voice. Beautiful voices are mourned as lost when there is often only some simple obstruction to the operation of the natural law governing song which might be easily removed or restored.

This has been the object of my study—to know the causes of voice failure, its restoration, preservation and building, and it is astonishing how a small and seemingly insignificant thing may temporarily unbalance a voice. Let us look for some of the causes of impairment. “One of the most simple (common), is dryness of the throat and nasal cavities, caused by inaction or paresis of the glands. They fail to secrete enough moisture to lubricate the parts. This may be temporarily overcome by intro­ducing into the nostrils, pharynx, and throat a very little glycerine just before using the voice Glycerine and cream, equal parts, is still better. There may be an excessive secretion, from inordinate activity of the glands, producing weakness or catarrh, or there may be swollen tonsils.” Elongated uvula, nasal polypus, inflamed, congested, relaxed or closed eustachian tubes, hoarseness, congestion of the vocal cords, or they may have become thickened from chronic congestion or covered with mucus, or partially paralyzed from over-taxation or weakness, or one may have lost the full vigorous action of the muscles or nerves. The diaphragmic muscle may have lost its tone from illness, weakness or over-exertion. The chest and all the organs of the viscera may have fallen somewhat out of their normal position from weakness, long continued indigestion, constipation, insomnia; other causes may be anxiety, mental strain, mental depression, sedentary habits, low state" of the circulation of the blood and vital fluids, excitability of the nerves, anything that exhausts or depletes the vital forces, nerve prostration, debility or lack of nervous energy, may, in many instances, prevent the free, forcible use of. the muscles upon which the voice depends The power of the voice organs depends upon the tone and vigor of the whole system, and any mode of life that promotes health and strength is favorable to voice production; and upon the contrary, anything that fatigues or exhausts is detrimental to the voice. The decline of the beautiful voice of Gerster was caused by over-taxation, unbalanced nervous condition. Notwithstanding singers know the baneful effects of singing directly after eating, when nature’s efforts are engaged in the digestion and assimila­tion of food and should not be distracted, how many go directly from the table to the piano and sing for hours? One should never sing when he is tired, or use stimulants to urge the voice to action.

From illness, weakness, or from imitating others, one may form habits entirely foreign, not only in childhood but in any stage of life, even after years of correct prac­tice. If the organs become weakened or relaxed the same effort will not produce the same result; all pure tone depends upon certain conditions. If the conditions are changed we must change the effort. If the organs are relaxed we must reinforce by controlling and supporting the breath by the diaphragm and at the throne of the pharynx. If these two points have lost their firmness the support may be equally