A Missionary Inheritance: Tonic Sol-fa in India

Abstract

Choral singing was embraced by many missionaries as a means of attracting potential converts to Christianity. A principal choral singing method in 19th century Britain, Tonic Sol-fa, was introduced by missionaries and others to the Indian subcontinent where it was used as both a pedagogical method and a music notation system. Building on the inherent musicality of the Mizo people in Assam, a fine choral singing tradition developed. Hymnbooks were published with Mizo words and Tonic Sol-fa notation. Although aspects of Tonic Sol-fa are utilized in some contemporary school music teaching methods, there is now little or no use made of the original Tonic Sol-fa method for community choral singing in Britain. Nevertheless, it is still used in some former British colonies, particularly for congregational hymn singing in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Asia-Pacific. Tonic Sol-fa has been, and remains, the mainstay of choral music making in Mizoram and neighboring areas. As such, it is a worthy inheritance from the missionary presence in India during the 19th century.