Sarah Glover was an early pioneer in music education in the 18th century. She developed an innovative method for teaching music reading that started with sound before symbols. Her method used solfege syllables and hand signs adapted from Guido d'Arezzo's system. She published her method in 1835 but it remained relatively unknown until Reverend John Curwen adapted her ideas and popularized what became known as the Tonic Sol-fa system. While their relationship was strained due to his modifications, Glover's vision of teaching sound before symbols through solfege laid the foundation for modern approaches to music education.
2. Early Life
• Born 1786 in Norwich, England
• Daughter of a clergyman
• Began taking piano lessons aged 6 in line with
contemporary education of young ladies
• Became quite an accomplished musician
3. Introduction to teaching
• 1815: in her late twenties given responsibility for music
in her father’s church
• After a period of time the church became known for the
excellent choral singing
• She began to train other choir directors and developed
a method to teach skill in reading as well as singing
4. Approach to Music Reading
• A fresh, enlightened approach compared to contemporary
approaches
• Glover believed that it was best to teach music reading
to children as they
• “…are taught speech; by deducing theory from practice
rather than practice from theory.” (52)
• Unusual for the time when education required memorising
of facts without any practical experience
5. Elements of the Method
• Started with pasting letter names on keys for a piano
student to help him retain pitches
• For choir soon discarded this in favour of using the
tonic Sol-fa system adapted from the Continental system
set up by Guido d’Arezzo: te for seventh note as
opposed to si
• Solfa syllables were used to establish familiarity with
intervals in preparation for staff reading
• Moveable doh and a minor scale starting on lah
6. Elements (2)
• Sharpened and flattened notes indicated by a change in
the solfa syllable e.g. soh-soy-sow
• Part singing encouraged from the beginning – starts with
canons
• Rhythmic notation evolved into a system of hyphens to
indicate note lengths, one beat rests used + and further
rests used numbers
7. Teaching aids
• Norwich Sol-fa Ladder: a chart containing three octaves
of solfa syllables
• Table of Tune: a further chart introducing modulation
• Glass Harmonicon: a dulcimer with glass resonators and
a moveable chart of solfa syllables on a roller – allowed
teachers with minimal skills to fix a key and demonstrate
the pitch of a melody
9. Publication of the Method
• 1835 she published Scheme to Render Psalmody
Congregational
• Distributed locally and remained relatively unknown until
1841
• Reverend John Curwen given a copy
• He was already well known as a brilliant teacher of
English to children
• Invited by the Sunday School Union to devise a method
of teaching music reading in Sunday School
11. Curwen and Glover
• Curwen immediately saw the value of Glover’s approach
• He set about adapting it making changes to both solfa
and rhythmic notation
• He wrote to her in 1841 requesting her approval for his
modifications
• She was not impressed!
• Their relationship remained strained for many years
• The Curwen family went on to develop a highly
successful system of music literacy both vocal and
instrumental.
12. Pioneer
• Moveable doh system of hearing, reading and writing
music at the heart of music education today
• Sound before sign integral to approaches to teaching
music and language today
• Glover deserves far more recognition for her vision and
musical approach
13. Article
Bennett, Peggy D. “Sarah Glover: A Forgotten Pioneer in
Music Education.” Journal of Research in Music Education
32.1 (1984) 49-64
