OVER 2 YOU 200 (05/10/04)

JUST THE TONIC

My great grandfather and grandfather both wrote music, mainly hymn tunes and anthems, but all in Tonic Sol-Fa. It there such a thing as a program or web site that will help me to transfer their compositions into staff notation for modern performance?

Ed Elsey, via email

Tonic Sol-Fa notation is available as an optional add-on for Sibelius 2, and is included in later versions of this powerful music notation program. There are more details on the manufacturer’s web site, which you can find at: www.sibelius.com/products/

sibelius/2/detailed.html. I haven’t tried it and I am not sure if it can convert to staff notation but it should be worth investigating.

Sheila Wilson, via email

I’m not an expert but I believe that the music notation program Finale has a ‘plug-in’ for reading and transposing Tonic Sol-Fa script, You can find more details of Finale at: www.finalemusic.com/. There’s information about the plug-in at:

www.tgtools.com/index-en.htm

Alice Taylor, via email

I do not have an easy solution for your correspondent but it may help him to understand this style of notation and possibly devise a manual conversion method. There are several very good background articles on Tonic Sol-Fa on the Internet, which was devised over one hundred years ago by the Reverend John Curwen. Start by going to:

http://education.deakin.edu.au/

music_ed/history/curwen.html, which also has a

number of useful links. See also:

www.dolmetsch.com/musictheory1.htm

and:

www.informationblast.com/Tonic_Sol-fa.html

Michael Cullen, via email

PARADOX OBSOLETE?

I use a now obsolete database program called Paradox and would readily consider moving to current software such as Access. My difficulty is that although it is easy to export records containing text and numbers there seems to be no route to export graphics, (bitmaps), which get stored in a separate file to a Paradox table. I have searched the net and found utilities that reformat one form of database program table into another, but they do not appear to work with graphics.

Ian Newton, via email

Ian Newton might be surprised to learn that Paradox is far from obsolete. Reference to Corel’s web site (www.corel.com) will confirm that it is now part of the Corel WordPerfect Office 12. I have been using Paradox since DOS version 3; now in it’s 11th incarnation for Windows, including XP. Paradox is an intuitive and powerful relational database package, allowing the newcomer to create a database without even looking at the manual (although it would be useful to do so). I have no time for Access - it is a complete “no no” for me.
Les Borg, via email

WATERWHEELS

I have a small and fairly fast flowing stream at the bottom of my garden. Does anyone know if it would be possible or even legal to harness the flow with a waterwheel and generate my own electricity? It would be very satisfying to be able to power my PC or a few lights. If so where could I obtain more information and the necessary equipment?

Douglas Skinner, via email

The answer for Mr Skinner is for him to contact ITDG (Intermediate Technology Development Group) who, amongst many other projects, have provided small turbines for villages in Nepal.  These run off the mountain streams and provide light for school children to carry on their work etc.  www.itdg.org. 

John Naylor, via email

MUSIC SOFTWARE

Can anyone recommend a simple PC program so that my Father (who is 80 years old) can compose music on the treble staves, the program will insert appropriate bass notes, and then listen to the composition on the PC before printing it out.

Dorothy Wallis, Chester

In one of the replies given to this question mention was made of Easy Music Composes, however the address given led me to a Japanese web site, further investigation revealed that the full and complete address should have been: http://www5f.biglobe.ne.jp/~mcs/emc.html.

Tim Radlett, via email

GARDEN HELP

As I am getting older, I would like to redesign the back garden of my small semi-detached house, to make it easier to manage. I would like such things as a patio area, and raised flowerbeds, with flagstone paths and no grass! Is there a program somewhere, either on CD or on the Internet that I can use to help with the design?

Robert McInnes, Thornbury, South Glos.

Complete Gardens has made a nifty British made Mac and PC compatible plant care, plant finder program on CD-ROM. It has 2,500 plants and 6,400 photographs. It is being sold through the RHS Wisley shop, Amazon and through Complete Gardens Ltd web site at: www.complete-gardens.co.uk. The program is not a garden design application as such but it will help Mr McInnes find plants by flower and or leaf colour, month, soil type, Latin or common name and each plant is accompanied with plant care and illustrated pruning advice plus stunning photographs.

Neil Bromhall, via email

CAN YOU HELP?

Following on from the recent enquiry in Over 2 You about water wheels, I have often thought it would be a good idea to have my own, small, wind turbine attached to the roof of my house in order to create electricity for powering my home. Does anyone know if these exist, and if so where I could buy one? Also, would I need to obtain planning permission, or consult the Environment Agency before proceeding with this project?

Peter Cook, via email

I am looking for a simple (free or cheap) program to draw some outline plans of the house, garden and street as required for a Planning Permission application. I've tried a professional program on a friend's computer, but apart from the cost, the learning curve would take me longer than using the old fashioned drawing board method.

Brian J. Edwards, via email