Curwen

English family of music educationists and publishers:

John (1816–1880), founded the Tonic Sol-fa method of music notation (originated in the 11th century by Guido d'Arezzo), in which the notes of the diatonic major scale are named by syllables (doh, ray, me, soh, lah, te) to simplify singing by sight; he established the Tonic Sol-fa Association in 1853 and the publishing firm in London in 1863.

John Spencer (1847–1916), son of John. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music, London, under Macfarren, Sullivan, and Prout, carried on his father's work, and began the competition festival movement in England with the Stratford (East London) Festival in 1882.

Annie (Jessy), born Gregg, later Matlock (1845–1932), wife of John Spencer. She studied at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, married in 1877, and wrote a number of books on a music-teaching method of her own.