The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-03-17

play any game they wish that isn't too
noisy, and sometimes coax them to let
me read something interesting or get
them to help me in my work. 1 made
a screen last week and they helped.
They are not called upon to be here
before o'clock, which is practice hour
but sometimes they come as early as
haH-past 3, and 1t keeps them out of
mischief. 1 have started a little library
OF boys books especially for the choris
ters''
Th1s choir is formed from the children
OF a chapel congregation, and is not so
prohcient in music as is the carefully So
lected boy choir of the church which SUP.
ports it. The chorister who has fewest
oemerlts for week is entitled to the
silver medal given by the Young woman.
patroness. For slips and backslidings in
conduct the boys are fined out of their
ao cents month salary. But they ga
aIso compensated for regular attendance.
and have little excursions and boI,dav
games mapped out for them.
Some boys get many dement's Thev
nave high spirits They are very voune
ana 1t Is hard to keep entirely demure
, mtil!e they SIT through long service.
1Here Is continual prompting to hava
little sly fun with neighbors. And for
each Such infringement of the rules there
must be a cent paid.
some BOY choristers have very HtiA
time to reap their profits losing thcir
ch1ld-vofce at fourteen Others retain the
purity OF their tones until sixteen. and ~
Iney began training at eight, as many
DO, they have had years Of advances
I Often just when a boy has heconoe -
real value to the choirmaster that ouaer
premonitory squeak or rasping toms ;s
heard In his voice one day that nuts on
END to his career as chorfster Later
this peculiar voice-changing period ast
the boy may develop charming tenor or
bass voice. But his silvery, child tones a re-
gone ne takes off his choir vestmeuts and
retires to private life.
AT this juncture the use he hoe ,,o5o
of his time in the choir tells. IF he eave
promise in other lines than music. was
interested in books or alert in general
matters, somebody comes forward on7
heips him to a good education or TO busf-
ness employment.
Physloiogists say that this crisis In a
poys voice, when he has the tones of
neither a child nor an adult. is duo yoc,.o
ly TO the fact that the cartilage In. tho
larynx has grown too fast for the mus-
cies that control it to do their worI,
properly. The boys voice when tbis
happens gets off-key. All chorister ho1,s
know that this time will come and ,nai,o
some measure of preparation for if al
though there have been rare cases where
the boys voice never changed nor lost
ground, and the possessor became a nhe-
nomenal singer valued for the purity +bo
sinlessness (for want of a better ferroV
Of his tones LILY
Inc enthusiastic choirmaster saws that
no form OF singing can ever supply the
place OF chorister boys for church rousio
Ihe1r tones have a quality never heard
IN ADULT voices of either sex, a QUALITY
moreover that a choir composed of girl
singers cannot supply. The girl choirs
lack the breadth of tone that the bows
voices have, and choirmasters with rem
utations to sustain will have none pf
them. "
Inc choirmasters compete amicablv
with one another, each following what
ever school of teaching system annears
10 him best, and visiting the different
cnolrs frequently in order to Judge the
eifects OF various methods Of training
one VIII school his boys in elaborate
music, practicing each chorister half an
hour daily and imparting the same bril-
nancy or effect that is aimed at in train
ing Won1an's voice for concert or opera
another teacher will strive to have his
chorlster adhere to the style of music as
much apart from the world and worldly
effects as is possible
Inc BOY singers likewise have their own
e.dhoaros. Inc boy singer who takes
airs to himself or let's people make too
much of him is regarded as not much
good. And' indeed 1t is interesting to see
one or those little soloists receiving the
aonlrer who waits after service to speak
70 MN. His face is flushed He looks
naI-puzzled; good deal under con-
stFalnt. He does not smile much and he
says nothing. To be noticed and made
fuss over is not congenial to boy nat
IRE.