Abstract
This article concerns the printing of Tonic Sol-fa music during the 19th century, and the way in which its availability and significantly reduced price contributed to the surge in popularity in choral singing. In a climate where singing sacred music was considered an act of worship in itself, Tonic Sol-fa, a system of musical notation developed by congregational minister John Curwen (1816-1880), enabled many thousands of people to engage in choral singing. The article explores the pricing of Tonic Sol-fa music, including a comparison with the price of traditionally-notated music, and highlights use of the music on a practical level.