John Curwen

John Curwen ( born November 14, 1816 in Heckmondwike, Yorkshire, † May 26 1880 in Manchester ) was an English Kongretionalistenprediger that popularized invented by the music teacher Sarah Ann Glover Norwich sol -fa as tonic sol -fa. It was a based on the solmization and suitable especially for schools method of singing lessons. The initial impetus came from the decision of a conference of Sunday school teacher in Hull in 1841.

1843 Curwens Grammar of Vocal Music, 1853 he founded the Tonic Sol - Fa Association ( Tonic -sol -fa Society), 1863, the Tonic Sol - Fa Agency ( later publisher J. Curwen & Sons) and 1879, the Tonic Sol - Fa College. In 1864 he gave up his official preacher and devoted himself entirely to the education of his method.

Of his other tutor books are:

• The Standard Course of Lessons and Exercises or The Tonic Sol - Fa Method (1861, 2nd edition 1872)
• Musical Statics (1874, 2nd edition 1906)
• The Teacher 's Manual of the Tonic Sol - Fa Method ( 1875)
• How to Observe Harmony (1861, 2nd edition 1875)
• Tonic Sol - Fa primer ( Novello )
• Musical Theory ( 1879)

He also gave out 1851, a monthly magazine ( The Tonic Sol - Fa Reporter) and published many classical works ( oratorios, etc.) in tonic sol -fa notation.

His son John Spencer Curwen ( born November 30, 1847 in Plaistow, † August 6, 1916 in London) wrote several works on the tonic sol -fa method, and a biography of his father ( Memorials of John Curwen, 1882). From 1866 he was editor of the Musical Herald.

His son, John Kenneth curves took over in 1920 the publishing house and led him to his death on 25 February 1935.