The Musical Nature of Speech and Song

Extract

The human race must have been interested in the subject of Speech and Song from the earliest days. But scientific interest in the nature of human speech may be said to date from the year 1779. In that year the Russian Academy propounded for their annual prize the question “What is the Nature of the Vowel Sounds of the Human Speech?” and “Can these be Imitated by any mechanical device such as the vox humana stop of the organ?” I am quoting from memory. That naturally stimulated scientific interest throughout Europe, and from that year onwards various advances have been made.