To the chief musician, a psalm of david 1 the heavens do declare the majesty of god. Historic american hymnal bay psalm book from 1640 may fetch. The bay psalm book the first book printed in america is. Census of copies of the bay psalm book, with provenance, sale. Not only is the text in the public domain, the book can be viewed in pdf form. It was the first book printed in british north america. The edition of this facsimile reprint of the bay psalm book is limited to looo. This little book of 1640 was precursor to lexington and concord, and, ultimately, to american political independence. Bay psalm book was not only the first book printed in america, and the first book written in america. The bay psalm book, printed just twenty years after the pilgrims arrival. The whole booke of psalmes faithfully translated into. It was probably preceded by a small singlesheet production known as the oath of a freeman, of which no copy is extant. Today, only eleven copies are still in existence and fetch as much as fourteen million dollars at auction, making it also the most expensive book in the world. The bay psalm book 1640 and the new england primer 1683.
Bay psalm book being a facsimile reprint of the first edition, printed by stephen daye at cambridge, in new england in. Reissued in successive editions, it remained in use for more than 100 years. The first edition of the resulting bay psalm book was printed in cambridge, massachusetts, in 1640, and sothebys will auction one of the 11 surviving copies in the dedicated auction. Dec 11, 2012 last week, bostons old south church voted 274 to sell one of its two remaining copies of the 1640 bay psalm bookone of the most historic volumes in american religious history. With the reports today wbur, boston globe that the leadership of bostons old south church is considering the sale of one of its two copies of the 1640 bay psalm book, i thought it was worth taking a look at the eleven known copies. The bay psalm books publication in 1640 came at a time when few could read and write words, never mind musical notation, and there were few copies of the book created to share in churches. The translations are not particularly polished, and not one has remained in use, although some of the tunes to which they were sung. When one considers the difficulties of mere existence during this time, a mere 20 years after the first arrivals in plymouth in 1620, the magnitude of the. Some of the psalms and the music can be viewed and heard. Preface to the 1640 bay psalm book reformed theology at. The bay psalm book, as this work is commonly known, is the first book printed in british north america.
The bay psalm book was published in 1640, more than a century and a half after the first gutenberg bibles and 20 years after the pilgrims had landed at plymouth. Being a fascimile reprint of the first edition, printed by stephen daye at cambridge, in new england in 1640, wilberforce eames. Preface to the 1640 bay psalm book reformed theology at a. First printing indicated by a complete number line. The bay psalm book of 1640 was the first book printed in america. An american icon, a piece of heroic history it was both the first book printed in the colonies and it was also the first book entirely written in the colonies. The 1640 cambridge, massachusetts, whole booke of psalmes, or bay psalm book. Beginning of the american story the bay psalm book. Jun 15, 2007 the bay psalm book was the common hymnal of the massachusetts bay colony. The book is a metrical psalter, first printed in 1640 in cambridge, massachusetts. What you need to know about the bay psalm book christianity. Supervised by richard mather, thomas weld and john eliot. Jan 29, 2017 the whole booke of psalmes faithfully translated in to english metre 1640 also known as the bay psalm book was the first book length publication in the north american colonies.
Richard mather and a group of his fellow new england clergy transcribed biblical psalms into metered verse. This book, with which the pilgrims literally sang their praises to god, presents a translation of the psalms from hebrew, transposed into metrical rhyme for congregational singing. The bay psalm book, as it is known, is essentially sacred text to be sung during the liturgy. The bay psalm book is a very important piece of history. Thats a wrap the bay psalm book, the first book ever printed in british america, and the first book ever written in america. The puritan divines of the massachusetts bay colony set out to produce a translation from the hebrew that was reflective of their unique brand of calvinism and more literal than the most popular psalter. Preface to the 1640 bay psalm book the singing of psalms, though it breath forth nothing but holy harmony, and melody. The first edition of the resulting bay psalm book was printed in cambridge, massachusetts, in 1640, and sothebys will auction one of the 11 surviving copies in the. A2r from the bay psalm book remaining at the old south church, showing thomas princes annotations of variant readings from the 1647 reprint edition. Heath anthology of american literaturethe bay psalm book. As the antinomian or free grace controversy illustrated, new england puritans were far from unanimous on doctrinal issueseven psalmsinging, according to the bay psalm book preface, had become a source of discord. Nov 27, 20 the bay psalm book was published in 1640, more than a century and a half after the first gutenberg bibles and 20 years after the pilgrims had landed at plymouth.
Q2r from the bay psalm book remaining at the old south church. The bay psalm book was the first book printed in british north america. The first book printed in british north america, 1640 haraszti, zoltan on. Dec 03, 2012 the bay psalm books publication in 1640 came at a time when few could read and write words, never mind musical notation, and there were few copies of the book created to share in churches.
Music of the southwest various artists the first half of this collection, sung by the margaret dodds singers, is of music taken from the first book ever printed in what became the united states of. The whole booke of psalmes faithfully translated in to english metre 1640 also known as the bay psalm book was the first book length publication in the north american colonies. The translations are not particularly polished, and not one has remained in use, although some of the tunes to which they were sung have survived for instance, old 100th. A tiny hymnal from 1640 believed to be the first book ever printed in what is now the united states is set. Bay psalm book the whole booke of psalmes first edition. The bay psalm book 1st book printed in the colonies, 1640, html, free. As an electroniconly publication offered as a downloadable pdf, the digital bay psalm book takes advantage of digital technology to offer meticulously rendered photographs of the 7. The bay psalm book the bay psalm book, wilberforce eames the bay psalm book.
It was both the first book printed in the colonies and it was also the first book entirely written in the colonies. The bay psalm book is a metrical psalter first printed in 1640 in cambridge, massachusetts. W4r from the harvard copy of the bay psalm book, showing a contemporary emendation to psalm 87, verse 6. Q2r from the bay psalm book remaining at the old south church, showing the unique reading in psalm 69, verse 23 see page 39. The whole booke of psalmes faithfully translated into english metre. The bay psalm book is a religious and cultural manifesto of the puritan fathers and a towering icon of the founding of the united states. Courtesy, houghton library, harvard university vault stc 2738 3. The bay psalm book was the collaborative project of over twelve leading puritan divines and the first publishing venture of the massachusetts colony. But did you know that the bay psalm book was first printed in the colonies in 1640 and in reissues remained in use for over 100 years. Chapter 2 examines a selection of these, ranging from the plain style of george wither, whose bid to supplant sternhold and hopkins ran afoul of the stationers monopoly, and the even more prosaic bay psalm book 1640, whose principal concern was wordforword faithfulness to the hebrew text, to the more literary work of george sandys, who wrote for private devotion rather than. The bay psalm book was the first book to be printed in north america, twenty years after the arrival of the pilgrims in massachusetts. For those curious about the book, or wanting to see it personally, old south church has. Free shipping on due to covid19, orders may be delayed.
Bay psalm book, the article about bay psalm book, the by. The whole booke of psalmes faithfully translated into english metre 1640, familiarly called the bay psalm book, was the first book. A committee of thirty learned elders, including john cotton, richard mather, and john eliot, set about the task of creating a new translation of the 150 hebrew psalms into. Its a book that was not created to be fancy or splendid or valuable in any way other than the significance of its content, says derick dreher, the director of philadelphias rosenbach library, one of the few institutions to hold a bay psalm book.
The first book printed in british north america, 1640. The founders of the massachusetts bay colony came to the new world seeking religious freedom, and their first publication was a hymnal. Title from the bay psalm book, a facsim, reprint of the first ed. Being a facsimile reprint of the first edition, wilberforce eames the bay psalm book. Originally, the colonys residents looked to a committee of thirty men led by john eliot, thomas welde, and richard mather to translate all 150 psalms from hebrew into english. Rarest american book at auction fine books and collections. Neither cottons essay nor the poems have been attended to by modern critics. Psalm 23 bay psalm book scriptures good books free. The reverend jesse glover imported the first printing press to the massachusetts bay colony in 1638, some 18 years after the first english settlers landed at plymouth rock.
The whole booke of psalmes faithfully translated in to english metre 1640 also known as the bay psalm book was the first booklength publication in. Institute for studies in american music, department of music, school of performing arts, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, 1975 ocolc662687. The 1700 copies of the first edition provided puritans with a plain and familiar translation designed to represent more faithfully the hebrew psalms than did the version used by the. Originally, the colonys residents looked to a committee of. With it, new england declared its independence from the church of england. The library of congress copy of the bay psalm book and david m.
The psalms in it are metrical translations into english. The whole booke of psalmes faithfully translated into english. The bay psalm book the first book printed in america. The singing of psalmes, though it breath forth nothing but holy harmony, and melody. Being a fascimile reprint of the first edition, printed by stephen daye at cambridge, in. Preface to the bay psalm book 1640 songs of the puritans. The first book written and printed in the new world, the bay psalm book holds a unique place in our cultural and religious history. Bay psalm book article about bay psalm book by the free. The bay psalm bookcambridge, 1640 mission music in california. Census of copies of the bay psalm book, with provenance. As such, puritans developed the practice of lining out the psalmhaving a deacon or clerk read each line of text before it was sung. Digital bay psalm book university of alabama press.
A committee of thirty learned elders, including john cotton, richard mather, and john eliot, set about the task of creating a new translation of the 150 hebrew psalms into english and casting the text into verse for singing. Printed in cambridge, massachusetts, on a press set up by stephen day, it included a dissertation on the lawfulness and. It was prepared by puritan leaders of the massachusetts bay colony. Bay psalm book, 1640, perhaps the oldest book now in existence that was published in british north america. The psalm book, written and printed by the puritans of massachusetts bay colony in 1640, was designed to allow a whole congregation to sing psalms together in church and at home. Psalm 23 and the bay psalm book the music that shaped. A london printer, stephen daye, came with the press and established a printing office in cambridge. Book published in 1640 sets a record at auction the new.
The bay psalm book, printed in cambridge, massachusetts, by stephen daye in 1640, was the first book printed by the newly established cambridge press. Bay psalm book in metre 1640 logos bible software forums. What is the bay psalm book but did you know that the bay psalm book was first printed in the colonies in 1640 and in reissues remained in use for over 100 years. Jun 11, 2018 but did you know that the bay psalm book was first printed in the colonies in 1640 and in reissues remained in use for over 100 years.
Printing the bay psalm book in 1640 required importing the tools and materials of printing to the new colony. Historic american hymnal bay psalm book from 1640 may. Psalm 23 bay psalm book scriptures good books free beta. The bay psalm book, formally titled the whole book of psalmes faithfully translated into english metre 1640, was the first book printed on angloamerican soil. If one of the old southbpl copies is sold, it will be the first time since 1947 that a first edition has come to auction, and would be the first time a copy. Its a translation of the old testament book of psalms, valuable for its rarity and because it was printed in 1640, the first englishlanguage book printed in america. Last week, bostons old south church voted 274 to sell one of its two remaining copies of the 1640 bay psalm bookone of the most historic volumes in american religious history.
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