Institute for Studies in American Music, Department of Music, School of Performing Arts, Brooklyn College of the City University of New York,
Date of Publication
c1975.
Physical Description
vii, 43 p. ; 22 cm.
Series
I.S.A.M. monographs ;
Notes
Facsims. of the original tunes, with transcriptions in modern notation, with bass.
Bibliography: p. 40-43.
The Bay Psalm Book is the first book printed in British North America. The Reverend Jesse Glover imported the first printing press to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1638, some 18 years after the first English settlers landed at Plymouth Rock. A London printer, Stephen Daye, came with the press and established a printing office in Cambridge. The following year, the residents of the colony asked John Eliot, Thomas Welde, and Richard Mather to undertake a new translation from the Hebrew Book of Psalms, for use in the colony's churches. Mather was the principal author and translator, but was assisted by about 30 other New England ministers. The book was printed in 1640.
Part 1 includes 62 psalms; part 2 includes 390 hymns plus 3 appendices containing 35, 32 and 14 hymns. Name of melody to be used with each hymn keyed with melody index; melody printed at beginning of hymn for which it is named.
Includes indexes.
From the Collections of the Heritage Center, P98.48.1
Bookplate of front of first flyleaf: within a single-line blue border is the typical German text done in black ink with upper case letters done in either blue or red, with yellow highlights and scrolled ornamentation reading in German: "Dieses Buch gehoret mir Samuel L. Esh Geschrieben den 29ten Nov. 1938"; inscribed at the bottom in tiny black-inked script: "Written By A. Colora, Blue Ball, Pa."