Mason, Lowell. Carmina Sacra: or Boston Collection of Church Music, comprising the most popular Psalm and Hymn Tunes in general use, together with a great variety of New Tunes, Chants, Sentences, Motetts, and Anthems...&c. Boston: J. H. Wilkins & R. B. Carter, 1841. Second Edition. [11141]
The book is covered in an old leather wrapper; the original paper covering is visible through the torn portion at the bottom corner of the front. The wrapper was pasted to the edges on the inside, with a free end paper pasted down front and back. Oblong 6 1/4 x 9 3/4, joints fine, covers scuffed. 348 pp. plus index. The text has foxing and light stains. Good. Hardcover.
Title continues: Principally by distinguished European Composers: the whole constituting One of the most complete Collections of Music for Choirs, Congregations, Singing Schools and Societies, extant.
Published under the Sanction of the Boston Academy of Music. The music is in four parts with round notes.
Lowell Mason (1792-1872), Massachusetts-born hymn composer, music publisher, one of the founders of public school music education in the United States. He is credited with composing over 1600 hymn tunes.
"To him we owe some of our best ideas in religious church music, elementary musical education, music in schools, the popularization of classical chorus singing, and the art of teaching music upon the Inductive or Pestalozzian plan. More than that, we owe him no small share of respect which the profession of music enjoys at the present time as contrasted with the contempt in which it was held a century or more ago. In fact, the entire art of music, as now understood and practiced in America, had derived advantage from the work of this great man." - Hall, Biographies of Gospel Song and Hymn Writers (1914).
