The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1903-05-28
Do, Be, Nj, "a, Sol, La. 81. Do

Youths Companion.
The old-fashioned singing-s b 90
ought to have historian before 1t IS
forgotten. It was the delight OF New
E. gland country life for thirty or forty
years. 1t gave to the love OF good mu-
sic an i'm oetus which is felt yet, and
it doubtless discovered scores OF voices
which finally found their way to the
great capitals OF tie world.
How simple 1t all was, and how Pioosss
ant! The teacher went from village to
village, usually with his own horse and
sleigh, and was a welcome guest at one
house after another among his patrons.
Sometimes be carried in his pt!ng a
.me.odeon, with a mysterious arrange
,nent of folding legs and pedals. Some
times he was master of a violin.
More often, however, the only musical
Instrument a: his command was tun-
Ing fork, whose "B-z-x-zz" was the de-
light of the small children At "early
candle lighting" the singers began to
gather at the schoolhouse or the meet
inghouse. A popular teacher would
often have hundred pupils, and these,
with fee of two dollars for twenty-four
lessons, gave him what was in those
DAYS generous income tor his winters
work.
The singing book was usually suita.
BILE for use in church choir, and enrich
ed with exercises for sigLt-reading in
the introduction. These collections
had quaint names-"The Boston Acad'
N.Y." The Sacred Lyre," "The Modern
Harp" "The Diapason" and "The
Shawn" were some of them. Lowell
Mason's compositions were the most
popular, and deservedly SO.
The prime object OF the singing.
school was to learn to read music, and
that end was painfully pursued. The
modern phrases about "tone produc'
ton" and "voice-placlng" were un'
known. To be able to sing at sight a
difficult anthem or part-song was the
aim of each school-and very useful
accomplishment it was, ,as any leader
of large modern choir, distracted by
the inability of his chorus to sing new
music, will testify.
The lamps llghted,-many of them
brought in the hands OF the singers
the work of the evening began. First,
there was vigorous attack on Do, re,
mi, ia, sol, la, 81, do! A large chart was
used, or the tlack board was utilized
and scales, arpegglos and "skips" were
practiced in various keys, until the
teacher was satisfied. Then began the
real joy of the evening. This ranged
all the way from a round, like "Scot.
lands Burning" to hymn-tune with
the dolorous harmony of "Chlna"
from dashing anthem like ''Speed
Away" to an oratorlo chorus like Gle
Watches Over Israel"
OF course, the finest effects were not
achieved, but the freshness of the
voices, the enthusiasm OF the singers
and the conscientious persistence of the
teacher accomplished wonders. When
rbo ovcnipU concluded with uproice
God from Whom all blessings flow" al
the singers felt more or less Clearly thai
it had been good Tor them to be there
and that they had had a glimpse into
a new region where beauty reigned, anG
the heavy cares of the work-a-day
world melted before the touch OF art.
Then came the exciting moment
when one and another of the group o.
bashful boys at the door plucked uT
courage to Ego home" with the girl O
his choice. The white fields and the
starlight and the encircling hills mace
a setting tor many romance-and the
evening begun with music often ended
in love. A love so framed was pretty
apt to be a wholesome one. The part
ing on the stone step in the frosty all
was as sweet sorrow as that OF Romeo
and Juliet under Italian skies-and fal
more likely to end in happy, useful