gregation. It is in personal relation to the members of the congregation, to the life of the church in all its aspects and phases. It becomes representative, therefore, in a sense that no quartet choir can possibly be. Being representative there are bonds of sympathy and interest between the choir and the congregation that make effective results possible that are entirely out of the question with the quartet choir. It is also much more impressive and effective than the choir of four solo voices. The large mass of voices render possible the singing of majestic music which is beyond the limitations of the quartet choir.

In developing the chorus choir the pastor can have a very comfortable sense of adding to the strength and culture and effectiveness of his own people. It will also bring many more persons into a more direct relation with the church life and so add to their interest and usefulness in other aspects of church work. It presents, moreover, another opportunity for the development of the social life among his people, for these singers will come from different elements, coteries, and strata of his people and so form another bond of good-will and fellowship which are only too sorely needed in many of our congregations. That with a good chorus it is possible to form a men's choir and a women's choir for occasional use is another valuable feature. Indeed in a well organized and developed chorus choir one can have the solo work, the quartet choir, the men's choir, and the women's choir, and so provide a richness of resources, a possibility of variety, that will add endless interest to the work of the church if wisely and tactfully used.

It is true that the volunteer choir is a difficult proposition. Taken from all classes of society and of intellectual

life, there are possibilities of friction that must be taken into account. Musical people are naturally sensitive people. They are, therefore, sometimes difficult to handle, and the choir often is a thorn in the side of the pastor. Their frequent quarrels, irregularity in attendance, their whims and notions regarding the music they sing, all serve to keep the minister in painful suspense. Some of the singers will flat, others will sharp, many are laggard in time, and all these and many other musical shortcomings and failings will add to the difficulties of the leader. The uncertainty of attendance at any given service is often a source of great anxiety and sometimes of painful mortification to the minister. But with all the shortcomings and difficulties attending the volunteer chorus choir, it still remains the ideal choir, with the largest possibilities, with the best results.

But the special music of the church need not be confined to this chorus choir. Variety demands an occasional change which can best be secured by dropping out the regular choir and using some substitute for it. What that substitute shall be must depend on the local situation. An adjunct choir or choirs will be entirely feasible. This may consist of children, either boys or girls, or both, or of young people who are either not sufficiently developed to sing regularly or who do not care to sacrifice the necessary time. There may be one choir consisting entirely of small children, another of half-grown girls, another of half-grown boys, and another of young people. There may even be such a choir of grown persons who are musical and well-trained who are not in a position to sing regularly.

Depending on the character of the material such an organization may be called the Adjunct Choir, or the

Choir Club, or the Junior Choir, or the Children's Choir, as the case may be. Social organization will be even more advisable than in the case of the regular choir, as otherwise there will be no regular work to keep the organization in motion. Of course, there must be meetings for instruction and practice under the general, if not the immediate, direction of the choir leader. The music must depend on the general ability of the organization, but must be adapted to actual use in the church service. Such supplementary resources may be used in connection with the regular choir as an extra relish, so to speak, or in place of it from time to time, giving the regular singers a little vacation.

A

III

THE PERSONNEL OF THE CHOIR

S far as possible the chorus choir should ordinarily contain all the accessible vocal talent in

the congregation. There are many voices that have no fitness for solo work, which, supported by stronger voices, add not only body but richness to the tone of the chorus. Unless it is too strident and marked, a slight individuality of timbre is not objectionable in a voice for chorus work. The "off-colour" voices occasionally add a brilliant value to the tone of the whole chorus that is often immensely effective and impressive. There is occasionally a fastidiousness of ear in the choice of singers that is quite unfortunate, as it shuts out from active service persons who need the help such an opportunity to help would afford. Besides, some of these " ugly ducklings" have a very strange way of turning out to be swans under the educational advantages work in the choir affords.

Eight voices equally divided as to parts is usually spoken of as a double quartet, rather than as a chorus choir. Lowell Mason held that "The smallest number which can constitute a choir according to the modern use of the word is twelve. An ordinary church. choir cannot be successful with a less number than about twenty-four voices, or six voices on a part." With all due respect to Dr. Mason, there are probably more efficient chorus choirs in the land having less than twenty

four than there are those having twenty-four or more voices. Of course, the more good voices one can secure the better. The individuality of the voices, and their several shortcomings and defects, are lost in the general effect in a larger choir, as they cannot be in a double quartet or in a choir of ten or twelve voices. Too much depends on the average character of the voices, on their force, quality, training and blending that Dr. Mason's rule should have any great weight.

His suggestion that there should be an equal number of voices on a part is misleading. Men's voices as a rule are stronger than women's. A robust tenor or a bassoprofundo will balance two average women's voices. In a choir of sixteen voices four basses and three tenors will likely balance three altos and six sopranos. Too much depends on the individual voices to apply any rule without discrimination. A single strong low bass will count for as much as two average baritones.

A very important matter is the securing of a perfect blending of the voices. The more nearly the voices resemble each other in quality, the more perfect is their harmony. A single voice of peculiar timbre will spoil the work of a small choir, while a large chorus will only be the richer for the partly submerged individual quality. In any chorus, the standing out separately of any voice, because of its force or its colour of tone, is a blemish. The ideal is the loss of the individual voice in the general mass of blending tone.

The better the singers can read music the more valuable they are, of course; but where good readers are not plentiful, there should be organized a junior choir, to whom regular instruction is given, until one by one they can be promoted into the regular choir. If possible, every