ON FORCE OF VOICE.

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ON FORCE OF VOICE.

By force of voice, we mean its strength or power, as the lion has more force of voice than the dog. The organ or the bugle has more force than the flute. Great force of voice is not always needed; but to the speaker it is sometimes of infinite importance, while it cannot interfere with any other vocal function

As an exercise to the voice in its louder or more impassioned tones, we recommend Collins' Ode on the Passions:

ODE ON THE PASSIONS.

When music, heavenly maid! was young,
While yet in early Greece she sung,
The Passions oft, to hear her shell,
Thronged around her magic cell;
Exulting, trembling, raging, fainting,
Possessed beyond the muse's painting.
By turns they felt the glowing mind
Disturbed, delighted, raised, refined:
Till once, 'tis said, when all were fired,
Filled with fury, rapt, inspired,
From the supporting myrtles round,
They snatched her instruments of sound;
And, as they oft had heard apart,
Sweet lessons of her forceful art,
Each, for madness ruled the hour,

Would prove his own expressive power.

First, Fear, his hand, its skill to try,
Amid the chords bewildered laid;
And back recoiled, he knew not why,
E'en at the sound himself had made.

Next Anger rushed, his eyes on fire,
In lightnings owned his secret stings,
In one rude clash he struck the lyre,

And swept with hurried hand the strings.

With woful measures, wan Despair-
Low sullen sounds!-his grief beguiled:
A solemn, strange, and mingled air;
'Twas sad by fits, by starts 'twas wild.

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CN FORCE OF VOICE.

But thou, O Hope! with eyes so fair,
What was thy delighted measure?
Still it whispered promised pleasure,
And bade the lovely scenes at distance hail.
Still would her touch the strain prolong;
And from the rocks, the woods, the vale,

She called on Echo still through all her song:
And where her sweetest theme she chose,

A soft responsive voice was heard at every close;

And Hope, enchanted, smiled, and waved her golden hair.

And longer had she sung-but, with a frown,

Revenge impatient rose.

He threw his blood-stained sword in thunder down;

And, with a withering look,

The war-denouncing trumpet took,

And blew a blast so loud and dread,

Were ne'er prophetic sounds so full of wo;

And, ever and anon, he beat

The doubling drum with furious heat:

And though, sometimes, each dreary pause between,
Dejected Pity at his side

Her soul-subduing voice applied,

Yet still he kept his wild unaltered mien,

[his head.

While each strained ball of sight-seemed bursting from

Thy numbers, Jealousy, to naught were fixed;

Sad proof of thy distressful state!

Of differing themes the veering song was mixed:

And now it courted Love; now, raving, called on Hate.
With eyes upraised, as one inspired,

Pale Melancholy sat retired;

And, from her wild sequestered seat,
In notes, by distance made more sweet,

Poured through the mellow horn her pensive soul,
And, dashing soft from rocks around,

Bubbling runnels joined the sound;

Through glades and glooms, the mingled measure stole,
Or o er some haunted stream, with fond delay,
Round a holy calm diffusing,

Love of peace, and lonely musing,

In hollow murmurs died away.

But, oh, how altered was its sprightlier tone!
When Cheerfulness, a nymph of healthiest hue,
Her bow across her shoulder flung,

Her buskins gemmed with morning dew,

Blew an inspiring air that dale and thicket rung,

The hunter's call, to Faun, and Dryad known.

ON FORCE OF VOICE.

The oak-crowned Sisters, and the chaste-eyed Queen,
Satyrs and sylvan Boys were seen,

Peeping from forth their alleys green;

Brown Exercise rejoiced to hear;

And Sport leaped up and seized his beechen spear.

Last came Joy's ecstatic trial:

He with viny crown advancing.

First to the lively pipe his hand addressed-
But soon he saw the brisk awakening viol;
Whose sweet, entrancing voice he loved the best.
They would have thought who heard the strain
They saw in Tempe's vale, her native maids,
Amidst the festal-sounding shades,

To some unwearied minstrel dancing:
While, as his flying fingers kissed the strings,
Love framed with Mirth a gay, fantastic round,
Loose were her tresses seen, her zone unbound,
And he, amidst his frolic play,

As if he would the charming air repay,
Shook thousand odors from his dewy wings.

O, Music, sphere-descended maid,
Friend of Pleasure, Wisdom's aid,
Why, goddess, why, to us denied,
Layest thou thy ancient lyre aside?
As in that loved Athenian bower
You learned in all-commanding power,
Thy mimic soul, O nymph endeared,
Can well recall what then it heard.
Where is thy native simple heart,
Devote to Virtue, Fancy, Art?
Arise, as in the e der time,
Warm, energic, chaste, sublime!
Thy wonders, in that godlike age
Fill thy recording sister's page-
'Tis said, and I believe the tale,
Thy humblest reed could more prevail,
Had more of strength, diviner rage,
Than all which charms this laggard age,
Even all at once together found,
Cecilia's mingled world of sound-
Oh, bid our vain endeavors cease,
Revive the just designs of Greece;
Return in all thy simple state;
Confirm the tales her sons relate!