Excerpt from The Harmonist: Being a Collection of Tunes From the Most Approved Authors, Adapted to Every Variety of Metre in the Methodist Hymn-Book; And for Particular Occasions; A Selection of Anthems, Pieces, and Sentences

IN preparing the present edition Of the Harmonist, the Book Agents at new-york recommended that a committee, composed of suitable persons with respect to Sacred Music, should be chosen in our principal cities, who should make such a selection of tunes as would suit the taste of the different sections Of the country they represented. These committees met by delegation in the city of New York, and from the mass of tunes thus furnished, selected the contents Of the present edition. In doing this, it was constantly borne in mind that different tastes exist in different parts of the country, and that each of these should be gratified as far as could be consist ent with suitable reference to the rest.

The rudiments, which are much enlarged in the present edition, are in the form Of question and answer. They will be found to be clear, concise, and yet sufficiently full for all the ordinary purposes of teaching. It would be best, on the whole, for teachers to put the questions to the school collectively, and let all answer. Occasionally, questions may be put to individuals. The school, up to its very close, should be frequently and faithfully reviewed in the rudiments. It is but just to say here, that the rudiments in this work are an abstract of those in the Handel and Haydn collection, the proprietor of that work kindly consenting to such use of them.

Great pains have been taken to omit all such tunes as could be ascertained were not much used, and to insert in their place the best tunes which could be found; a number of original tunes have also been added. On this part of the work unwearied labour has been bestowed; and we can confidently say, that no book ever published contains such a choice selection and pleasing variety of hymn tunes as the present edition Of the Harmonist. Our Hymn Book contains, in addition to the common, long, and short metre hymns more than three hundred hymns in twenty -eight different particular metres. This gives the greatest variety in regard to the perform ance of that interesting part of sacred worship, which this work Is designed to promote.

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