THE CONGRESS OF WOMEN.

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are not in themselves interesting except to the intelligent student, but with right use will develop a beautiful singing and speaking voice, saving years of time and practice.

EXAMPLE.

do de ra re fa fe sol sei la le si do.

It has always been considered that the crowning glory of the voice is a perfect trill. To make a perfect trill in the shortest space of time, make the upper note as a grace note until you have the movement fixed, then locate it at the throne of the pharynx on the letter m, close to the lips; hold the whole throat perfectly loose, and by oscillation of the soft palate make it without effort.

The trill is made of two notes, but the shake is a tremulo or a tremor of the soft palate. We sometimes hear singers with good voices make the shake instead of the trill, because they think they can not make the trill. But the trill is much the easier and far less fatiguing and wearing to the voice; excessive practice of the shake or tremulo will soon destroy a beautiful voice. Anyone who can make a shake can make a trill as soon as he gets movement and t location. The nightingale makes the trill. The canary bird makes the shake, introducing a few notes of the trill. The bird-tones which are so much admired just at the present time are made mostly with shake movement on the different vowel sounds.

We have been taught to believe that the trill is a gift of nature to a favored few, but we know from long experience that anyone with a little perseverance, who can sing four tones correctly, can make a beautiful trill with a little persevering practice. Formerly the student was taught that the trill was made with the oscillation of the vocal cords. As I failed to make it in that way after long practice, I concluded nature had not favored me. But in listening to Madam Diormis’ delightful trill I felt that she made it with the oscillation of the soft palate, instead of the vocal cords, and I caught the movement at once, and when I went to Italy the first thing the master said was, you have a “ natural trill.” Nature gives us all the elements, but we must adjust them appropriately. If we would master all our vocal possibilities we might have a prima-donna in many a home that we little dream of.