Front 5
PREFACE
The
composing
and
compiling
of
sacred
tune
and
song
books
in
the
United
States
has
grown
to
great
proportions,
but
the
credit
for
such
productions
in
the
published
histories
of
both
hymn
and
tune
books
has
been
decidedly
sectional.
While
many
valuable
hymns
and
sacred
music
books
have
been
composed
and
published
in
the
South
and
West
by
authors
of
undoubted
ability
as
musicians,
if
mentioned
at
all
in
these
histories,
it
has
been
done
in
such
condensed
form
as
to
give
but
little
idea
of
the
contents
of
the
works
mentioned.
It,
however,
is
gratifying
that
the
music
writers
of
the
South
have
kept
before
the
singing
public,
more
of
the
standard
living
hymns
and
melodies
than
in
any
other
part
of
America,
in
proportion
to
the
number
published
relating
to
sacred
music,
or
that
class
which
reaches
the
mind,
heart,
conscience
and
religious
feeling
of
the
people.
In
this
respect
the
South
is
in
the
lead.
Notwithstanding
this,
to
a
considerable
extent
the
sacred
song
books
of
this
section
and
in
many
cases
church
music
is
badly
tainted
with
operatic,
secular
and
rag-time
strains
of
music
forms
in
our
hymns
and
melodies.
Such
compositions
drive
away,
in
place
of
promoting,
religion
and
religious
feeling
among
the
church
people
and
lovers
of
sacred
music,
and
retards
the
great
work
of
the
Gospel
and
of
the
churches.
The
aim
in
the
presentation
of
this
volume
is
to
continue
in
a
simple
form
a
great
body
and
class
of
sacred
tunes
which
are
as
far
from
secular,
operatic,
rag-time
and
jig
melodies
as
it
is
possible.
To
this
end,
the
music
composed
and
compiled
is
in
four
shaped
notes,
and
written
on
four
staffs
in
dispersed
harmony-some
call
it
old
harmony.
In
these
compositions
there
are
but
few
of
the
twisted
rills
and
frills
of
the
unnatural
snaking
of
the
voice,
in
unbound-
ed
proportions,
which
have
in
the
last
decade
so
demoralized
and
disturbed
the
church
music
of
the
present
age,
in
this
section,
but
in
other
sections
to
an
alarming
extent.
We
do
not
think
a
note
of
warning
in
this
respect
is
out
of
place.
Atlanta,
Ga.,
August
16,
1911.
THE
AUTHORS.