The Village Harmony: or, Youth's Assistant to Sacred Musick; consisting of Psalm Tunes and Occasional Pieces, selected from the works of the Most Eminent Composers. To which is prefixed, A Concise Introduction to Psalmody. Newburyport: E. Little & Co. | C. Norris & Co. Printers, (1813). Eleventh Edition, Corrected and Enlarged. [8982]
The original binding had a leather spine and plain blue paper over wooden boards. Sometime repaired with another piece of leather over the spine, plain white or oatmeal paper folded over the covers and pasted to the inside paste-downs. Binding now all of one piece, but separated from the text block, which is shaken; small piece of clear tape on outer paper. Oblong 13 cm (5 x 9 inches), "Ira Fullers Property" in brown ink on ffep. (2), (1)-315, (3). Text block shaken with some loose leaves, complete. Fair. Hardcover.
Advertisement written from Exeter, January 1813.
First published in 1795 (111 pp.), this round note tunebook went through 17 editions by 1819 (over 300 pp.). No author or compiler is printed on any of the imprints, but it is known that Henry Ranlet, the publisher of the first six editions, the co-publisher of the seventh, and who signed the Advertisement on the fifth, was directly involved.
"The newspaper advertisement of the first edition...(30 July 1795) indicates that Ranlet received the help of active psalmodists in bringing it out..." Britton & Lowens, American Sacred Music Imprints, 1698-1810, p. 592.
With a signed provenance card from the collection of A. Merril Smoak, Jr., DWS.