Learning to Sing: Presbyterian Hymnals and Psalters
The Psalms of David Page 1
Early American Presbyterian governing bodies left the decision of singing psalms or hymns up to the individual congregations. As a result, Presbyterian churches across the young United States used a variety of psalters and hymnals in their worship. During this period, most psalms were “sung” in a “metered” rhythm using psalters which contained words but rarely music.
Initially published in 1719, The Psalms of David was one of the most commonly used psalters in the British Colonies and the United States. Frequently adapted, revised, and amended, it is the basis of numerous variations. This volume contains not only the text of the psalms, but also singing instructions, a list of first lines, a topical index, and tunes. Isaac Watts. The Psalms of David, Imitated in the Language of the New Testament, and Applied to the Christian State and Worship. London: 1772. (Image ID: 1772)
Timothy Dwight (1752-1817) is one of the most notable names of early American hymnology. A chaplain in the United States Army, Dwight later served as president of Yale College. This volume, used almost exclusively in Connecticut, is one of the numerous variations on Watts' Psalms of David.
Timothy Dwight. The Psalms of David, Imitated in the Language of the New-Testament, and Applied to the Christian Use and Worship by I.Watts. D.D. A new edition. New Brunswick [NJ]: A Blauvelt, 1804.
Olney Hymns Page 2
Olney Hymns, a collection of hymns by William Cowper and John Newton, served not only as a hymnal but also as a devotional book. It greatly influenced other hymn writers, and its use crossed all denominational lines.
Musical Education: Andrew Adgate Page 3
Early American churches lacked musical education not only for the congregation but for church leaders as well. To correct this problem, singing schools sprang up across America. With increased musical education, the desire for additional tunes grew and by 1800, over 130 different collections of tune books were in print. Initially, singers held two books, one with the words and one with the tune. By the mid-1800s, many tune books adopted a split format. In these books, tunes and words were printed on the same page but with the pages cut so that the two could be mixed and matched. After the Civil War, most hymnals conformed to what we have today, the text printed with the tune.
One example of an American singing school was the Uranian Academy organized by Andrew Adgate (d. 1793) and founded in Philadelphia as an institution to promote the knowledge of psalmody. Andrew Adgate. Philadelphia Harmony, or a Collection of Psalm Tunes, Hymns, and Anthems … Together with the Rudiments of Music on a New and Improved Plan. Philadelphia: Printed by A. Adgate, 1791.Andrew Adgate. Philadelphia Harmony, or a Collection of Psalm Tunes, Hymns, and Anthems … Together with the Rudiments of Music on a New and Improved Plan. Philadelphia: Printed by A. Adgate, 1791.Andrew Adgate. Philadelphia Harmony, or a Collection of Psalm Tunes, Hymns, and Anthems … Together with the Rudiments of Music on a New and Improved Plan. Philadelphia: Printed by A. Adgate, 1791.
Musical Education: William Little Page 4
Another American music instructor, William Little, developed a four-shape notation which is the basis for many Southern gospel books used in the twentieth century.
William Little. The Easy Instructor, A New Method of Teaching Sacred Harmony. Albany: Websters & Skinners and Daniel Steele, 1817.
Musical Education: Lowell Mason Page 5
One of the dominant influences on American musical education, Lowell Mason (1792-1872) introduced music classes in public schools, trained singing instructors, and published many tune books during his career.
Cover of Lowell Mason's The Sacred Harp: Beauties of Church Music. Boston: Shepley and Wright, 1841.Lowell Mason. The Sacred Harp: Beauties of Church Music. Boston: Shepley and Wright, 1841.
Split-Leaf Psalter Page 6
A split-leaf psalter enabled the user to mix and match tunes and text. Note how each psalm lists its appropriate tunes.
The Book of Psalms and Sacred Harmonies with the Words Printed for Expressive Singing. London: T. Nelson and Sons, 1862.
Official Hymnals Page 7
American Presbyterian governing bodies overturned efforts to form a sanctioned hymnal committee, but in 1819 the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. General Assembly finally granted approval. After much work and several revisions, Psalms and Hymns Adapted to the Public Worship (first printed in 1830) became the first official American Presbyterian hymnal in 1831. Other Presbyterian denominations continued to sing only psalms; the United Presbyterian Church of North America, for example, published its first volume that included hymns in 1927. As musical tastes and worship practices changed, Presbyterians compiled new hymnals and collections of sacred songs that provided a rich heritage of ways to “sing to the Lord a new song.” (Psalms 96:1)
The Psalter Hymnal: the Psalms and Selected Hymns. Pittsburgh: United Presbyterian Board of Publication and Bible School Work, 1927.The Presbyterian Hymnal was the first hymnal published by the newly reunited Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. “Old” and “New” schools under the direction of a committee of five headed by Joseph T. Duryea. The Presbyterian Hymnal. Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication, 1874.Edited by Louis Benson (1855-1930), one of the premier American hymnologists, this hymnal was the first to include the word “amen” at the end of each hymn.The Hymnal Published by Authority of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication and Sabbath-School work, 1895.Published during World War I, this hymnal includes tunes such as “God of Our Fathers,” “The Star Spangled Banner,” and “Battle Hymn of the Republic.”The Hymnal Published in 1895 and Revised in 1911 by Authority of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Education and Sabbath-School Work, 1917.This volume was a joint publication of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. In addition to hymns and musical responses, The Worshipbook also contains various orders of worship, litanies, prayers, and lectionaries. The Worshipbook: Services and Hymns. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1972.
