Charles Edward McGuire. Music and Victorian Philanthropy: The Tonic Sol-Fa Movement. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Pp. 264. $90.00 (cloth).

This book offers a fresh perspective on Victorian social history by examining the Tonic Sol-Fa sight-singing system and its societal impact. Charles Edward McGuire combines musicology, social history, and theology to explore music's perceived power in the Victorian era. Through case studies on temperance, missionaries, and women's suffrage, the book traces how John Curwen and his son developed and promoted this system globally, demonstrating the belief that music education could improve morals and transform society beyond just musical skill.