David W. Music

Baptist Hymnody in America is a collection of primary documents on congregational singing among Baptists in the United States from the eighteenth through the early twenty-first centuries. These documents—many of which are not readily available and are gathered here for the first time—record the struggles and triumphs of Baptists as they have sought to provide acceptable sung forms of worship, suggest how certain types of song became identified particularly as "Baptist," demonstrate the varying philosophies of hymnody expressed among Baptists for the past four hundred years, and reveal the historic diversity of Baptist worship practices.The introduction describes the purpose, format, and organization of the collection. Subsequent discussions take up the British Baptist background in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries; the beginnings of Baptist hymnody in America; the earliest Baptist hymnals; local and regional collections in the early nineteenth century; sectional, national, and denominational collections in the mid-nineteenth century; the Sunday school song and revival hymnody; hymnals of the late nineteenth century; hymnals of denominational identity; and new currents in Baptist congregational song. Each chapter is prefaced by a general introduction, and each document or group of documents is provided with a commentary that contains biographical information on the author, the context and a summary of the writing, and a description of the source. The documents included are not only of intrinsic interest but also provide a foundation for engaging current and future issues regarding congregational song within Baptist life.

Baptist Hymnody in America is a collection of primary documents on congregational singing among Baptists in the United States from the eighteenth through the early twenty-first centuries. These documents—many of which are not readily available and are gathered here for the first time—record the struggles and triumphs of Baptists as they have sought to provide acceptable sung forms of worship, suggest how certain types of song became identified particularly as "Baptist," demonstrate the varying philosophies of hymnody expressed among Baptists for the past four hundred years, and reveal the historic diversity of Baptist worship practices.The introduction describes the purpose, format, and organization of the collection. Subsequent discussions take up the British Baptist background in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries; the beginnings of Baptist hymnody in America; the earliest Baptist hymnals; local and regional collections in the early nineteenth century; sectional, national, and denominational collections in the mid-nineteenth century; the Sunday school song and revival hymnody; hymnals of the late nineteenth century; hymnals of denominational identity; and new currents in Baptist congregational song. Each chapter is prefaced by a general introduction, and each document or group of documents is provided with a commentary that contains biographical information on the author, the context and a summary of the writing, and a description of the source. The documents included are not only of intrinsic interest but also provide a foundation for engaging current and future issues regarding congregational song within Baptist life.

The present collection of essays examines specific texts by Charles Wesley in multiple dimensions (theological, poetical, historical, biographical, etc.), demonstrating both the profound nature of the hymns and their continued relevance for Christians today. The discussions are organized by theological/liturgical topics, and each essay treats us to the hymn in its complete original form (noting significant variants as necessary), explains the historical context of its composition, provides a theological interpretation, and relates it to the life and faith of the believer. In the pages of this book, the reader will find both information and inspiration. Scholars of hymnody and of Charles Wesley will appreciate the depth of inquiry in the chapters. Just as importantly, laypersons and hymn lovers (as well as scholars) will find much spiritual benefit from the study of hymns they know and love, as well as texts with which they may be less familiar. This exploration of these profound hymns will surely lead to a deeper understanding of the ""amazing love"" responsible for changing the course of Charles Wesley's life, who in turn changed the course of Christian worship. With contributions from: Steve Weaver Jonathan A. Powers Patrick A. Eby Christopher P. McFadden C. Michael Hawn Josh Dear Joe Harrod Paul W. Chilcote Roger D. Duke Michael A.G. Haykin Margaret Garrett Jim Scott Orrick

The present collection of essays examines specific texts by Charles Wesley in multiple dimensions (theological, poetical, historical, biographical, etc.), demonstrating both the profound nature of the hymns and their continued relevance for Christians today. The discussions are organized by theological/liturgical topics, and each essay treats us to the hymn in its complete original form (noting significant variants as necessary), explains the historical context of its composition, provides a theological interpretation, and relates it to the life and faith of the believer. In the pages of this book, the reader will find both information and inspiration. Scholars of hymnody and of Charles Wesley will appreciate the depth of inquiry in the chapters. Just as importantly, laypersons and hymn lovers (as well as scholars) will find much spiritual benefit from the study of hymns they know and love, as well as texts with which they may be less familiar. This exploration of these profound hymns will surely lead to a deeper understanding of the ""amazing love"" responsible for changing the course of Charles Wesley's life, who in turn changed the course of Christian worship. With contributions from: Steve Weaver Jonathan A. Powers Patrick A. Eby Christopher P. McFadden C. Michael Hawn Josh Dear Joe Harrod Paul W. Chilcote Roger D. Duke Michael A.G. Haykin Margaret Garrett Jim Scott Orrick

First Published in 1998. This series presents the music of early American composers of sacred music—psalmody, as it was called—in collected critical editions. Each volume has been prepared by a scholar who has studied the musical history of the period and the stylistic qualities of the composer. The purpose of the series is to present the music of important early American composers in accurate editions for both performance and study. This volume presents selected music by one of the best known and most prolific composers of New England psalmody during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Oliver Holden was a native and life-long resident of Massachusetts.

The source readings in Hymnology are primary documents illustrating the philosophy and practice of congregational singing during various historical periods of the Christian church. They are drawn from a wide variety of sources including letters, diaries, periodicals, hymnal and tunebook prefaces, theological treatises, certain controversial books and pamphlets, and deliberations of church councils. The material ranges in date from the beginning of the second century to the 1960s. All the major streams of Christian song are covered, including early Greek and Latin hymnody, pre-Reformation vernacular hymnody, the Lutheran chorale, Reformed psalmody, and English and American hymnody from the sixteenth to the twentieth century. The book is suitable for use as a text or supplementary text for courses in hymnology, a professional reference work for ministers and church musicians, and a book for laymen interested in the history of church music.