Mason's Singing included:
Sol-fa (Sight Singing and Ear Training)
English and Foreign Language Folk Songs
Carols and Hymns 

Mason's Music Education

I was taught in my music education courses that a good music education consisted of four components: Singing, Moving, Listening and Playing. 

To read more about my Mason Music research, check out my recent blog post about some of the fun discoveries I have been making! 

​But to cut to the chase, included below is an outline on what Mason's programmes looked like for music study and singing! I hope this helps you implement Music Education in a Charlotte Mason way! Here are a few Free Sol-fa Lesson  examples!  Lesson 1 and Lesson 2  ( I am still researching, so these will most likely change as I learn more. They are based on Mason's Philosophy combined with my music education training.) 

Singing

​P.N.E.U.  School programs had singing included every year of school. 

Form 1b (1st Grade) and 1a (2nd and 3rd Grade): 
  • Sol-Fa (Ear Training and Sight Singing) 2 times per week for 15 minutes each
  • Foreign Language Folk Song- 1 time per week for 15 minutes (Mason Did French, I do Spanish), 2 songs per 12 week term
  • 2 English  Folk songs per term - I believe this was included in either the Sol-fa lessons, Music Games (see Drill time), or in the afternoon time at home during times of Masterly Inactivity. 
  • Hymns: Included in Repetition time (Christmas Carols learned near Christmas time)

Form 2 (4th-6th Grade): 
  • Sol-Fa (Ear Training and Sight Singing) 1 time per week for 20 minutes 
  • Foreign Language Folk Song- 2 times per week for 20 minutes each (Mason Did French one day and German the other, I only do Spanish. so we work more on this during the week), 2-3 songs per language per 12 week term
  • 2-3 English  Folk songs - I believe this was included in either the Sol-fa lessons, Music Games (see Drill time), or in the afternoon time at home during times of Masterly Inactivity.  We do American Folksongs, Patriotic Songs and also some European and other cultural folksongs.
  • Christmas Carols included.  All CM Curriculums that I am familiar with list Hymn Study, but I do not see it in Mason's Programmes  (that have been digitized) beyond Form 1, besides Christmas Carols.  So more research is needed in this area. Even so, my family learns 2 Hymns per term and sing it every morning during our Bible time.  

Form 3 (7th and 8th Grade) :
  • Sol-Fa (Ear Training and Sight Singing)- 1 time per week for 20 minutes 
  • Foreign Language Folk Song- 2 times per week for 20 minutes each (Mason Did French one day and German the other, I only do Spanish. so we work more on this during the week), 2-3 songs per language per 12 week term
  • 2-3 English  Folk songs - I believe this was included in either the Sol-fa lessons, Music Games or English Country Dances (see Drill time), or in the afternoon time at home during times of Masterly Inactivity.  Our Family does American Folksongs, Patriotic Songs and also some European and other cultural folksongs.
  • Christmas Carols included.  All CM Curriculums list Hymn Study, but I do not see it in Mason's Programmes  (that have been digitized) beyond Form 1, besides Christmas Carols.  So more research is needed in this area. Even so, our family learns 2 Hymns per term and we sing it every morning during our Bible time.  

Form 4 (9th and 10th Grade), Form 5 and 6 (11th and 12th Grade):

Drill and Singing were done together midway through every school day.  I believe she did this as an active recess type of class.  Drill included Dancing, Exercises and Games.  Drill Exercises and marches  were done to music, similar to how we do aerobics in  rhythm to music nowadays.  It seems that Drill was quite musical and so it makes sense that Singing and Drill would be done together. Along with musical drills (for P.E.), the hardest sol-fa exercises were learned, 3 French, 3 German, and 3 English Folksongs were memorized, and Choral/Unaccompanied pieces were sung. 
 
  • Form 4 - Drill and Singing together everyday for 20 minutes half-way through morning lessons. 
  • Form 5 and 6-  Drill and Singing together everyday for 25 minutes half-way through morning lessons. 


Below you will find a video that helps you understand what Sol-fa is. This video comes from the Kodaly ( pronounced Ko-Die) Method.  Mason's     Sol-fa books used a little bit different approach in that they learned Do and Sol first and then Mi and then some rhythm before moving on.  We'll be using a little bit of both of these methods on this website.  We want to do what Mason did, and use her methods and curriculum suggestions when possible, but also follow good, modern research ideas with our music learning as well!  If you want to learn more check out the Sol-fa Intro page and example lessons 1 and 2 I have posted. 
Links for Singing Resources: 
Sol-fa (Solfege)
Modern:
All Children of the Open Air Videos
Sing Sol-Fa
Solfege Cards
Raeanna Goss' Website
Solfa Sofa
​
Books/articles from PNEU Programs and Mason's Time: 
  • What is Sol-fa? The Story of Tonic Sol-fa - Parent's Review Article
  • Tonic Sol-fa By John Curwen. Curwen is the man who developed the system of Sight singing that Mason used. This book was not used in the schools, but it will help you understand the method.  Another by Curwen.
  • This is an American Book.  Mason did not use it, but it explains Sol-fa. Tonic Sol-fa System
  • Mason Used Sir Arthur Somervell's Books for Sol-Fa.  Here is a book about his ideas on Music Education. Might be worth a read! 
  • Somervell's main Solfege book that the P.N.E.U. used through all forms: 50 Steps in Sight Singing.  Each form and each term students would work through about 3-4 steps from this book.  This would be taught like Math or a Foreign Language where you would need some level of Mastery before moving on to a harder level.  In Form 2, they would use harder, Level 2 books, but if the child was a beginner they were to use the 1st level for Sol-fa Lessons.
  • This is a song book which includes both regular musical Staff notation and Tonic Sol-fa Notation.  Used in Form 4 for unaccompanied singing. The Shropeshire Song Book.   
  • Article about Ten Minutes' Lesson in Sight Singing by A. Larken.  Used in Mason's schools.  The book cannot be found online, but this article give us an idea of what the book was like.