New-York tribune., 1921-03-27
By Katharine Wright

a valuable contribution to the liter
ature of musical history is William J.
Hcnderson's Early History of Singing,
published by Longmans, Green & Co.
This volume represents material ac-
cumulated during fifteen years of study
of this subject by the music critic of
The New York Herald, long recognized
as an authority or the art of song, to
which field of musical activity he has
devoted special attention.
Mr. Henderson traces the develop
ment Of the modern art of singing from
the beginning of the Christian era to
the time of Alessandro Scarlatti in q
manner which both stimulates interest
and awakens admiration. The volume
is no dry, historical tract, for Mr..
Henderson has combined in an attrac-
tive fashion facts concerning the tech
mic and style of each periodw vivid
pictures of the times under discussion
and the life and habits of singers,
singing teachers and composers OF an
tiouity. In this way the book provides
not only important information for the
student of singing, but entertaining
reading for the layman Of an inquiring
turn of mind.
The first chapter is devoted to "Ihe
Dawn of the Art" which had its begin
ming with the establishment OF schools
for the study of the correct manner OF
delivering the liturgical chants OF
the Roman Catholic Church. Early in
the fourth century school OF cnant
was founded in Rome by Pope Sylves-
ter. This school was undoubtedly in
stituted for the study of the chants
themselves and not for that of vocal
technic. but since unity in delivery was
desirable the necessity for impartlng
the rudiments of style Immediately de-
veloped This in turn led to the con-
sideration of management of breath.
Thus from ar endeavor to form
style of delivery for church chants
came the discovery of the fundamental
clements of vocal technic.
Mr.. Henderson refutes the popular
theory that the chants were entirely
plain, sung with broad, sustained
legato and alternated with forid
'kyries" and "alleluias," sung with
elegance and temperate brilliance. He
states that almost in their inception
the chants were touched by the luxu
rious taste OF professional singers and
decorated with "forituri." The original
simplicity of the chants was soon eff
l. Al ~11x- IF ofoc
sional singers in the church, the exist
ence from antiquity of q large stock
OF vocal technic and the development,
or at least the preservation, OF vocal
skill by the schools of chant.
sa. The tri!l, for example, which is said
to have been known in the first century,
certainly existed in the third, when
Pomponius Festus, the grammarian
defined it as "Vibrissare est vocem in
cantando crispare' re'--"vibrissare" tech
nical term of singing and "crispare," !"
meaning to shake backward and for
gard, to brandish.
The First Church Soloists
When in 367 the Council of Laodicea
oApeuc COuSIS&dtloIti singing litC
musical liturgy was placed in the hands
OF the canons or singing men. Since
ss only the clergy could take part in the
service these men were obliged to take
orders. They were the first church
'sleisks- Extremely vain of their posi-
,ation, they promptly introduced into
their singing the ornaments which had
existed long before their time. Wishing
to impress the people before whom they
chanted the verses of sacred melody,
hey developed fondness for personal
adornment and cultivated long hair,
which flowed luxuriantly over the soft,
silken tunics of the period.
The most important step in the di-
rcction Of forwarding the development
OF singing in the Middle Ages was the
founding in 500 of the Schola Cantorum
st Rome by Pope Gregory, the school