In Lighter Mood

886 IMPROVEMENT ERA.

by the Deseret News Co., and on sale by them at a very reasonable price, not more than thirty-five cents each. This book includes about fifty pieces, most of which are suitable for work in the mission field, both for the elder to sing, at the opening and closing of his meetings, and also in little social groups around the fireside, as there are nice little pieces in it in parts, and others suitable to sing in a little social singing club, if he has the opportunity to form one. They are arranged so that they may be used for male voices alone; so that if a few of the elders get together they can sing nicely in part, and the same pieces can also be sung by ladies and gentlemen, as may be deemed best at the time. So, in the absence of anything better, I would recommend that you try and use this little work, and the one you have in charge of your singing can be guided, more or less, as to the work to be done, by the material contained in this little volume. It is of a convenient size to be carried around in the pocket, which is not the case with the Psalmody. I believe

they also have a little, light, waterproof cover, so if the book gets wet it will not be ruined. 1 would advise, in order to get as good work done as possible, that you do your best to get the most energetic musical man in your settlement to take charge of the singing in your meetings of the Mutual Improvement Association, and give him something to take charge of. Let the singing be on an educational basis, the same as your other work. Have it understood that you will expect the leader to form the association, and thoroughly drill them in some hymn. First get the simplest work possible.and only have them sing the lead straight through, and then when they are able to do that well, try and add a part or two, an alto, a counter-tenor, and the bass: and in this way improve the singing of the association, and improve the ability of the members to do more profitable singing wherever they may be needed to work. I would strongly advise, even if you have to lengthen the time of the exercises, that you try and have this practice at every meeting, as the Sunday schools quite generally do now. This work in the Sunday schools is not exactly what we need; if it were, we would not need the Mutual Improvement Associations. You can get in more missionary work in the mutual meetings than in the Sunday schools, for, in the latter, the children have to be taught as well as the grown people, and a different class of songs may be used; though many of the Sunday school songs are as effective as anything in our hymn books for general use

everywhere, and I would advise that you use them once in a while as well as those in the little book to which I referred, and some of those contained in the Psalmody, and other hymns.

OUR WORK. 887

Also give some attention to getting a good organist. An organist is a great assistance to the leader, especially if he, or she, is a real assistant, and to be that they want to understand one another thoroughly, and aim to help each other. In Sunday School