Excerpt from Musica Sacra, or Springfield and Utica Collections United: Consisting of Psalm and Hymn Tunes, Anthems and Chants; Arranged for Two, Three or Four Voices, With a Figured Bass for the Organ or Piano Forte

On perusing the following pages, however, it will Ii: observed that some of the old tunes are diflhrently harmonized from the copies selected from W illiams and Tansur, and other authors of less note. But, to those persons who are forward to condemn every copy that dillers from the one they formerly have seen, it should be mow generally known that those cap in are grossly incorrect. Europe, as well as America, has her pretenders to science, and such were certainly Williams and Tansur and several others, whose compositions have already had a sufficient circulation. We would not be understood to complain of the Airs that those authors have compiled, for my them are tmly excellent: but the manner in which they have harmonized them, is such as no person of science or taste can, approve. Several American compis lers, however, being ignorant of this fact, have published the pieces as they found them, not even correcting the most palpable errors of the press.-others, knowing their inac curacy, have neglected the remedy from motives of [it'lldt'nca - A third, and by far the most numerous class of compilers, have failed in their attempts to correct the pie ces, from a want (1 sufficient skill in the science of Musical Composition. A con sideration of these circumstances induced us to avail ourselves, as much as possi ble, of those copies which have been proddced by the msrntcursnnn masters or Euaorz. Wherever, among classic authors, the same piece was found to be differ ently harmonized, we endeavored to select that copy which would be sung with the most interest, and which at the some time should diifer least from the one in general use. The pieces which compose this volume (with the exception of a few original ones) are derived from works of the most distinguished reputation; and the greatest care has been taken, to have them correctly printed in this editim, that We might preclude as much as possible the necessity of future alterations.

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