The Christian Lyre (Joshua Leavitt)

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General Information

Title: The Christian Lyre
Editor - Compiler: Joshua Leavitt

Description: A very popular and influential book. After mid-1833, the two volumes and supplement were bound together. Volume 1 was printed with "Patent Notes" (FaSoLa 4-shape notation) in 1832; music is the same as other editions of Volume 1.Leavitt was apparently not a musician, so he hired an editor for these works. "The editor Leavitt hired was a promising young musician named Deodatus Dutton, Jr., a divinity student in New York and an organist of some reputation" (Downey 1986, quoting Stribling 1976).

"The Christian Lyre was commenced in November, 1830, as a monthly repository of music and hymns, for social worship. Vol. I., containing six No's, or 216 pages, was completed the first of April, and Vol. II. the first of October, 1831. At that time, there had been published no less than Nine Editions of Vol. I., each edition consisting of 2000 copies." (Preface to 1837 edition of the Supplement)

Apparently each monthly "number" was 36 pages, which means the first 72 pages were published in 1830, the rest in early 1831.

External Links

References

  • Davis, Hugh H. 1969. The Reform Career of Joshua Leavitt, 1794-1973. Ph. D. Dissertation, Ohio State University, 403 pp.
  • Downey, James C. 1986. Joshua Leavitt's The Christian Lyre and the beginnings of the popular tradition in American religious song. Latin American Music Review 7(2):149-161.
  • Kane, Paula. 1980. American Revival Songs, 1820–1850: The Christian Lyre and Spiritual Songs for Christian Worship. Fenwick Scholar Thesis, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts. 179 pp.
  • Stribling, Cynthia. 1976. "Joshua Leavitt's The Christian Lyre: An Historical Evaluation. M. A. Thesis, William Carey College.

Volumes

Volume 1

Publication date and place: 1830 by Jonathan Leavitt in New York, New York, 216 pp. Additional Editions in 1831, 1832, 1833, and 1837 (includes Vol. 2 in 1833 and following). – Volume 1

Editions of Volume 1

Ed. Yr. Pp. Scan Comments
1 1830 216 [1] No indication of edition, no subtitle. Copyright October 16, 1830. Issued monthly starting November, 1830, first 72 pages in 1830 (ending with Marseilles). Pages 73-216 in early 1831.
3 1831 216 [2] Come and Welcome on p. 73, replacing duplicate of Expostulation.
5 1831 216 [3] Come and Welcome on p. 73, replacing duplicate of Expostulation.
8 1831 216 [4] Farewell on p. 106; The Rock of Our Salvation on p. 107.
1832 216 [5] "First Patent Note Edition." Vol. 1 only, music the same as Ed. 16 of 1832.
16 1833 216 (a)[6]
(b)[7]
No apparent differences in music from 1832. Bound with 16th Edition Vol. 2 and (a) 1831 Supplement (b)Undated Supplement.
18 1833 216 [8] No apparent differences in music from 1832. Bound with 1833 Vol. 2 and 1831 Supplement.
18 1837 216 [9] Apparently a reprint of eighteenth edition from 1833. Bound with 1833 Vol. 2 and 1837 Supplement.
19 1839 216 [10] Bound with 1839 Vol. 2 and 1839 Supplement.
26 1842 216 [11] Apparently a reprint of eighteenth edition from 1833. Bound with 1842 Vol. 2 and 1842 Supplement.

Volume 2

Publication date and place: 1831 by Jonathan Leavitt in New York, New York, 216 pp. Additional Editions in 1831, 1832, 1833, and 1837 (includes Vol. 1 in 1833 and following). – Volume 2

Editions of Volume 2

Ed. Year Pp. Facsimile Comments
1 1831 216 First issued October, 1831.
1833 216 Edition not numbered, dated 1833. No apparent differences in music from 1832.

Supplement

Supplement to The Christian Lyre, Containing More Than One Hundred Psalm Tunes, Such as are Most Used in Churches of All Denominations.

Publication date and place: 1831 by Jonathan Leavitt in New York, New York, 106 pp. Additional Editions in 1831, 1832, 1833, and 1837 (Bound with Vols. 1 and 2 in 1833 and following). – Supplement

Works at CPDL

Title Year Arranger Lyricist First Line Vo. Voices Meter
Charleston 1799 Robert Robinson Come, thou fount of every blessing

Mercy, O thou son of David

4 SATB 87. 87
Eden of Love 1835 E. C. Tillou How sweet to reflect on these joys that await me 4 SATB 12 11. 12 11. D
Happiness 1813 Charles Wesley O how happy are they Who their Savior obey 2 TB 669. 669
Solicitude 1813 Joseph Swain O thou, in whose presence my soul takes delight 2 TB,SB 11 8. 11 8
Star in the East 1831 Deodatus Dutton Reginald Heber Hail the blest morn, see the great mediator 2 TB 11 10. 11 10 with refrain
Wallace 1830 Deodatus Dutton Jared Waterbury Soldiers of the cross, arise / Lo, your Captain 2 SB,TB 77. 76. D