Sacred Music Collection
Preview
Date
1640
Description
The Centennial Library's copy of the Bay Psalm Book is a facsimile of the first edition, the earliest printed English work in colonial America. It is a complete translation of the Psalms in English meter, produced by the Puritans on their own press only 10 years after their arrival in America and only 20 years after the arrival of the Pilgrims in 1620. Although none of the text settings remain in use today, many of the tunes to which they were sung have survived. The first edition to include notated music was the ninth edition (1698). The Cedarville University copy of the Bay Psalm Book is a line-cut facsimile.
Origin
Massachusetts
Medium
Line-cut facsimile
Language
English
Location
University Special Collections
Rights
The copy of the Bay Psalm Book used to create the PDF (Additional Files) and the flipping book (the Read Online button) is one of 11 copies of the first edition known to exist and one of only four perfect copies. The book is in its original binding, with the title page signed by Mather. It is reproduced here by courtesy of the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University.
