This 1889 singing-school round builds skills that are still relevant to singers today. When students examine the lyrics, what can they learn about long-ago students’ experiences in the singing school? What concepts and techniques do students still experience in the modern choral classroom?

Directors may choose to teach as many or few parts as suitable. Students may through-sing all the parts, or may stick to one repeated line. What different technical considerations should students keep in mind when singing different lines of the piece?

Invite students to examine the piece’s cover. Why might Case have chosen these visual elements – including familiar musical forms, symbols, and terms – and the shape of the pyramid?

Case, Charles Clinton. Sounds of the Singing School. John Church Co., Cincinnati, 1889. Notated Music. https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.100010961/.

Composer bio: https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200152696/