1186
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
No. 53

slacking a fire; different fuels; economy of fuel; how to light and keep
down a fire; gas-fires and oil-stoves. Lighting; good light for eyes;
restful colours; effect of sunlight; comparison of candle, lamp, and gas
and electric light; effect of lighting on air in room. Essential properties of
a good lamp; devices for perfect combustion; dangers of impure paraffin.
Precautions to be observed as regards heating and lighting rooms. Beds
and bed-making; healthy and economical beds and bed-coverings. How
to set a table; the care and cleaning of crockery, glass and silverware, and
cutlery. Kitchen utensils: the materials of which they are made; the
behaviour of these materials under heat and with domestic acids and alkalies
such as vinegar and soda. Prevention of rust; use of black-lead. Mechanical
action in cleaning of whiting, emery-powder, glass-paper, sand-soap, cinders,
&c. Removal of grease; properties and uses of soap and soda and of com-
mon domestic solvents such as ammonia, turpentine, benzene, naphtha, and
alcohol; precautions to be observed in the use of these agents. Different
kinds of foods; objects and methods of cooking meat, fish, eggs, vegetables,
cereals, and fruit. Principles on which culinary processes are based; action
of heat on foods. Care and storage of food, with special reference to milk;
care of larder; marketing; cost of foods; how to recognize defects in
foods; adulteration of food. Suitable meals for children and adults. Pro-
perties and preparation of common beverages such as tea, cocoa, and coffee.
Use and abuse of condiments in common use. Solution, melting, solidifica-
tion, boiling, evaporation, condensation, crystallization, coagulation, and
fermentation; action of yeast and baking-powder. Soups and broths, pies
and puddings, scones, bread and cakes. The local water-supply, its source
and distribution. Pipe, well, and rain water. Hard and soft water, pollu-
tion and waste of water, drainage; disposal of refuse; the use and action of
disinfectants and deodorizers in common use. Implements and materials
used in the laundry, precautions as regards their use. Washing, bleaching,
drying, and ironing; washing coloured materials; paraffin washing; stains
and their removal.

SINGING.

The following is the program recommended in singing. To suit the
conditions of various schools a modification of this program, or, indeed,
any other program, may be accepted, provided that it gives promise of
securing a good vocal training, and conforms generally with the intentions
of the regulations.

Preparatory Division.—(1.) Natural breathing and voice-training ex-
ercises. (2.) Cultivation of the sense of time and rhythm by means of
songs learned by ear. (3.) A beginning to be made towards learning the
scale and common chord, using the tonic sol-fa syllables. (4.) The use of
hand-signs. (5.) Simple ear exercises by imitation. (6.) Songs as closely
related as possible to the subject-matter of the other lessons; nursery-
rhymes set to music; action songs. All notes of the songs to be well within
the compass of the children’s voices. All singing to be soft and sweet from
the outset, the aim in view being sweetness and purity of tone. The in-
troduction of two or three minutes’ singing at intervals during the day’s
work is recommended.

Junior Division.—I. Voice-training: Breathing and voice-training ex-
ercises practised regularly with a view to cultivation of good quality of
tone and clear enunciation. Training the “headvoice” by singing, always
softly, descending scales to the sound of oo in coo, and o in ol or on, using
the scales E, Eb, D, Db, C. Correct vowel-sounds. Opening of the mouth,
flattened position of tongue.

[II. Musical Knowledge and Practice, Sol-fa Notation.—(a.) Tune: To
sol-fa from the modulator and the hand-signs, exercises involving easy
intervals in the diatonic major scale; singing at sight, easy exercises.
(b.) Time: To sing on one tone to syllable lah exercises in two-pulse, three-
pulse, and four-pulse measures containing one, two, or more whole-pulse
notes, half-pulse notes, and whole-pulse rests on the non-accented pulses of
the measures; time-names. (c.) Ear-training: Tune, to give sol-fa names
of phrases containing only the notes d, m, s, in any order; time, to give
the time-names of easy exercises containing any of the pulse divisions given
in (b).]

III. Songs.—Suitable songs in unison, for two equal voices, action songs,
rounds, or catches. The greater part of every lesson should be devoted to
the songs, through which a great deal of the musical knowledge may be
approached.

In schools where a full course of singing is not found practicable the musical
knowledge set out in Section II of the Junior and Senior Divisions above may be
omitted, except in so far as it is required for voice-training and ear-training and for
the proper learning and interpretation of the songs. In large schools, where music is
made a strong feature, the teacher may be able to teach most of it without difficulty.
In small schools almost the whole of the work that can be attempted will be made
incidental to the songs.