Allebach, J. C.; Hunsberger, I. R. The Temple Harp: being a very Choice Collection of Sacred Music, comprising the Most Popular Psalm and Hymn Tunes, Anthems, &c. Ever Issued from the Press; in J. B. Aikin's Seven Figured or Character Notes; Including a New and Thorough Course of Instruction in the Elementary Principles of Musical Science. Designed for the use of Choirs, Singing Schools and Singing Societies. Philadelphia: S. C. Collins, (1872). [8849]
Leather spine, printed paper boards, front joint cracked and weak, rear good, covers scuffed. Oblong 15 cm (6 x 9 1/2 inches), title page is detached. Shaken, many pencil X marks, 384 pp., some page edges creased, last leaf with tear at tom affecting 3 lines of the Index. Contents complete. Fair. Hardcover.
A seven-shape shape-note tunebook.
Jacob C. Allebach (1851-1909), of Hatfield Township, Pennsylvania, "had an unusual occupation for a Mennonite. He had a long career as a music teacher, and published three books of music - a keyboard book titled Preceptor for the Organ and Melodeon in 1870, and two harmony singing books, The Temple Harp and Readable Notes for the Sunday School in 1872. Readable Notes and The Temple Harp were compiled in partnership with Isaac R. Hunsberger, a Brethren organ builder of Hatfield. For musical notation, Allebach and Hunsberger used J. B. Aikins's 'seven figured or character notes' (shape notes). Jesse Bowman Aikin, a native of Chester County, was Hunsberger's father-in-law and is buried in the Hatfield Brethren Cemetery...J. C. Allebach was a lifelong member of Plains Mennonite Church." - Forrest Moyer, Our Immigrant Heritage: Allebach, Mennonite Heritage Center online.
With a signed provenance card from the collection of A. Merril Smoak, Jr., DWS.