Mu& in educationthe male chorus and sometimes played a juvenile male lead. The other
parts were performed by leading amateurs in the district around this
institution, and competition to serve as a member of the ladies’ chorus
was very keen indeed. One of the principals singing in those days at
this institution is now a leading member of the Royal Covent Garden
Opera House, with an international reputation. It will be readily ap-
preciated that in the preparation and presentation of opera it is not
only the singers who are concerned, but the whole army of stagehands,
carpenters, designers, decorators and electricians, and this ensures that
a considerable number of persons in the institution play a very real
part in such a production.
To promote further the making of music in Borstal institutions, the
use of recorders taught in classes is making steady progress. It has been
found that to teach string, wood wind or brass instruments to Borstal
lads during the term of their training period is an accomplishment that
only a few can really master satisfactorily, but the recorders, being
simple to play, make a very good introduction which it is hoped will
lead on to the making of music, on release, in local orchestras.
In the prisons of England and Wales there has also been consider-
able development in recent years of the use of music to maintain,
stimulate and awaken the higher susceptibilities of prisoners. Both in
the men’s and the women’s prisons there are classes in the appreciation
of music. There is invariably a waiting list for these classes, as so many
wish to benefit by them, and it is interesting to note that it is from those
prisoners who have previously not had an opportunity of enjoying
music that the most enthusiastic members come.
At most of the prisons there are now also choirs and choral societies
where, again, from singing in unison there is the natural development
to singing in parts. At one prison containing both men and women pri-
soners it was possible to gather them together, voluntarily, into a
choral society. After singing in unison the members learned to sing
with descant supplied by the soprano voices, and later went on to
four-part singing. Eventually this choral society was able to sing chor-
uses from the oratorios, such as Handel’s ‘And the Glory of the Lord’
and-perhaps more appropriately-‘All We, Like Sheep, Have Gone
Astray’ (this particular chorus always being sung with tremendous
enthusiasm).
Classes using the recorder are also encouraged in the prisons, and
very good progress is made and great pleasure given.
It is possible with prisoners serving a long sentence to attempt the
teaching of orchestral instruments, and in three or four prisons, in