Curwen's 'modulator' hanging over the blackboard - as it had been hung for over a hundred years before - and teacher with long pointer, making what seemed like random prods at the names whilst encouraging her pupils to hit the right note (sometimes using hand signs too). Singing lessons in schools have changed a lot over the years but this was the experience of many of us who were at school in Scotland in the late 1950s.

Like other teaching methods of the time (learning 'times tables' or memorising poems) it was perhaps little bit less 'child friendly' than Maria's approach in Sound of Music's 'Doh-a Deer' but, surprisingly, it was actually very effective - if a little taxing for those of us who endured it. Teamed with time names (remember 'ta-fa-te-fe-ti-fi'?), it gave everyone a starting point for coping with reading pitch and rhythm. Interval leaps and sight singing from sol-fa became second nature and when presented with a page of printed sol-fa, many of us could read it as fast, if not faster, than 'lines and spaces'.

Hands up who can say what this song is, children (click on each one to find out the answers)

Practicality must have been Congregationalist minister, John Curwen's (1816-1880) watchword. He wanted to improve singing in Sunday Schools and was the great disseminator of Sarah Glover's (1785-1867) original invention of 'Norwich Sol-fa', developing it into what became known as 'Tonic Sol-fa' (the 'movable doh' system).

This accessible form of writing down music messages could cope with pitch and rhythm (yes, rhythm - don't let doubters tell you otherwise!) and made modulation (changing key) a 'breeze'. Interestingly, in America, although it's unlikely Curwen would have known it, a similar system was being developed by D. Sower called 'The Norristown New and Much Improved Music Reader' which used letter names on the staff.

Printed Tonic Sol-fa was a simple and inspired way to produce accessible music at a fraction of the cost of engraved staff notation - a very important consideration for mass education. Curwen eventually set up a printing works to cope with demand. It became so widespread in its use that even a Sol-fa College was established - awarding its graduates the most spectacular engraved certificates. Many hymnals were produced in Sol-fa versions.

Whole choirs in the burgeoning towns of industrial Britain learned from Curwen's method and often even undertook works like Handel's 'Messiah' in this format. In Wales particularly, the tradition was very strong. Pioneered by Eleazar Roberts - a great and unsung music educator, it underpinned all music making in the Principality from the 1860s. Even when presented with it now, children in Welsh schools will tell you that they can't work it but 'Nain' (grandma) can!'

Today in classrooms around the world there are still children learning to sing with John Curwen's method. It underwent a major revision in the 1970s and 80s to become the 'New Curwen method' using the hand signs almost exclusively.

But for those of us lucky enough to have caught the end of its full force, it gave us the confidence to sing out. The only problem came when we had to move on to conventional notation - but that's another story...

Further information
Robin Steven's fascinating work on the subject
John Curwen Society website
Solmization article in the Canadian Encyclopedia