Sacred Music Collection

For centuries, those who composed music for the church were arguably the major influencers on the development of music in the western world. At other times, the culture of music in vogue was adopted by the church and integrated into worship elements. Church music has generally been based on singing, written for individuals and choirs to express the words of Scripture and the experience of faith as encouraged by the words of Bible, "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:19).

From the early, simple monophonic chants sung by the clergy and monks alone, to the complex polyphony of the Renaissance sung by choirs, to the vibrant congregational singing inspired by the Reformation and the revivals, to the simple singing of the Psalms without instruments in the settlements of the New World, music has continued to lead God's people in personal and corporate worship experiences. This collection includes selected examples of church music starting with the plainsong of the Middle Ages on through the development of Gospel hymns and the shape-note tradition of the 19th century.

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Missale Romanum, 1570

The Cedarville University copy of the Missale Romanum, the liturgical book that contains the texts and rules for the celebration of the Mass in the Roman Catholic Church, is a line-cut facsimile of the original.
Cantiones quae ab argumento sacrae vocantur, 1575

Taking advantage of their monopoly on printing music, in 1575 Thomas Tallis and William Byrd produced their grandiose Cantiones sacrae, the first collection of Latin sacred motets published in England.
Book of Common Prayer, 1614

The Book of Common Prayer, first published in 1549, was a product of the English Reformation following the break from the Roman Catholic church.
Sternhold & Hopkins Psalter, 1614

Thomas Sternhold, Groom of the Robes to Henry VIII and Edward VI, was the principal author of the first English metrical versions of portions of the Psalms (1547).
The Bay Psalm Book, 1640

The Cedarville University copy of the Bay Psalm Book is a facsimile of the first edition, the earliest printed English work in colonial America.
Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, 1707

The Cedarville University copy of the Watts hymnal was printed in Cincinnati in 1840 and includes 200 to 300 additional hymns "from the best authors."
Hymns and Sacred Poems, 1739

The Cedarville University copy of Hymns and Sacred Poems is a photographic facsimile of the first edition published in London in 1739.
Olney Hymns, 1779

The Olney Hymns, first printed in England in 1779, was a collaboration of John Newton and William Cowper, the poet.