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Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 879, 8 February 1879, Page 2

Wtt have received Erotu the promoters a circular having refecenue to the newlyformed New Zeatand Tonic Sot-Fa Associatton, accompanied by a «opy of the rules of that institution. The head(■luarters of the Tonic S>V>t-F» Associuttott are ia Chcistchurch, and the otltcitvts and Committeemen are- such that there is every reason to believe that it has a prosperous career before it. Hut Sir. ff. fSßt>wytß.e is the only officer that resides out of Christchurch r and if it were possible to- secttre the cooperation of ether prominent tonic sotd'atsts m those ottier portions of the- Middle Island connected by railway, we think that it should have been done. The Society is making an effort to increase the number of its members, and to establish the system of teaching the art of singing which it favors wherever such a thing ts possible. HrttAft's established notation system is to be thanked for numbers of the- world's best vocalists : t>ut it i* a system the mastering of which: is drudgery when compared with the ease with which a knowledge of singing by means of the tonic 3ot-fa method may be aci.|ttired. Children are taught by its aid with almost, ttttraeiitons rapidity. After having passed t [trough ttfe* ordeal of a few weeks" tuition, an ordinarily intelligent child can read, the ease with wfikh h* reads his primer, school songs of which it would have been ignorant for years had tt been taught by the t-ther- method. Of eottrse the tonic sot-ft» systera wilt never altogether take the place- of tfw estat)tished notation. It is intended as a means ti» an end, and tttat end is the mastering of the old system as well a* th« new. We would like to see a took sol-fa etas* established in connection with tfce Mechanics' Institute. No more delightful or profitabte way eotild be found of spending a few hours a week than in learning fee* sing hj this metnod.