THE TONIC SOL FA SYSTEM

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 204, 17 May 1918, Page 6

THE TONIC SOL FA SYSTEM

' sir-I w ish to correct a statement made in "Stray Leaves" in-Mondays issue of The Dominion, ■} tr ' bntu £ m ™s invention of the tome, sol fa M ot musical education to Hnllah. Phis i* quite wrong. Hullah had no pa tla the scheme. Tho crude idea ot us in?, the initial letters of do. re. nn, fa, sol, la,, si, instead of musical characters, wiw first put into practise by a lady, ana Mr. John Curwen saw excellence in the. plan,' and upon that foundation ho elaborated a simple and comprehensive text, book of musical culture, which has smco been amended by Mr. Spencer Curwen; Dr. M'Naught and others, until it has. now become tho most perfect and successful mode of vocal musical training. The Tonic Sol Fa Modulator is now suspended in most of tho English schools, and the sight-singing results aro marvellous. lam sorry to seo such nnabsenco of vocal music teaching in tho New Zealand primary schools. Teachers m England state that a drill on the modulator, occasionally is a good substitute for a reading lesson, and in the smaller school* it is an exercise that all can take parti in together, and it makes brightness in school life. In the great musical competitions m the North of England many primary schools compote, and the rivalry of school against school is very stimulating to both teachers and pupils, and in (his (ho Tonic, Sol, Fa is the only system used by the schools. When will our education authorities consider the claims o£ vocal music?—l am, etc., „„,„„ ROBERT BRASH. • Inglewood, May 14.