Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 4.djvu/160

144 has been, lest their distinctive qualities of tone should be destroyed. But orchestral qualities, considered as a whole, do slowly change. It would not now be possible to restore the orchestral colouring of Handel or Bach.

The most strident reed-tone is heard in the harmonium. In that variety called the American organ, the force of the high upper partials engendered by the action of the reed, is qualified by altering its position and form. It is impossible in a dictionary article to carry out the discussion of various qualities of tone, even as far as the subject is already known; the writer can only refer the inquirer to the best existing sources of our knowledge: to the great work of Helmholtz already referred—to especially in Mr. Ellis's translation, which contains appendices of great importance; to the writings of Dr. Stone and M. Mahillon on wind instruments; to Mr. Walter Broadwood's translation of an essay by Theobald Boehm, on the flute, and to some interesting articles 'In the Organ and in the Orchestra,' written by Mr. Hermann Smith, and published in 'Musical Opinion.' The writer can only lay claim to independent investigation as regards the pianoforte and its congeners. [See .] [ A. J. H. ]

TONES or TUNES, GREGORIAN. The most typical examples of the Church, which are described at p. 340 b of vol. ii. [See also , in Appendix.] [ G. ]

TONIC SOL-FA is the name of a method of teaching singing which has become popular in England during the last thirty years. It is the method now most generally used in primary schools, and is adopted widely for the training of popular choirs. Its leading principle is that of 'key relationship' (expressed in the word 'Tonic'), and it enforces this by the use of the ancient sound-names, do, re, mi, etc., as visible, as well as oral, symbols. These names are first put before a class of beginners in the form of a printed picture of the scale, called a 'Modulator.' For simplicity's sake they are spelt English-wise, and si is called te to avoid having two names with the same initial letter.