The Psalm Tune Book ; containing eighty-two Tunes from the
Psalter ; harmonized for three equal Voices. Edited by JOHN HULLAIL As a collection of tunes for the children of schools, and for use in rural places where part-singing is attempted, the Psalm Tune Book may be found useful. Arranged for three voices, however, tne endings are often necessarily poor—confined sometimes to one sometimes to two notes ; while the attempt to make the parts flowing and vocal deprival_ the tunes of mueh characteristic and striking harmony. We cannot think with Mr. Hutr...aw, that when sung by two sopranos and a con- tralto. the third part may be doubled by a bass with good effect. A bass stalking in octaves with a contralto is not a disposition of harmony that can be safely recommended to any but the most uncultivated ears. Leave out the alto part if you will, and the bass may not offend, how- ever it may make the thinness of three parts more apparent. Surely it is erroneous to call this an arrangement for equal voices, when the editor informs us that it is to be sung by two sopranos and a contralto, or two tenors and a bass? Had he said by three sopranos, three tenors, &c., the expression "equal voices" would have been more correct-that term referring in strictness to voices of the same register and character.
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