Harmonia Sacra
Encyclopedia
Harmonia Sacra is a Mennonite
shape note
hymn
and tune
book, originally published as A Compilation of Genuine Church Music in 1832 (Winchester
, Virginia
) by Joseph Funk
(1778-1862).
The original publication was a "four-shape" shape note book using the shapes and syllables "faw, sol, law, and mi". Funk designed A Compilation of Genuine Church Music for use in singing school
s. It contained 208 pages, including rudiments of music and tunes harmonized for three voices. Funk released a second edition in 1835, and a third in 1842. The 1847 fourth edition was the first publication by Joseph Funk and Sons at Singers Glen. The name was changed to Harmonia Sacra in 1851, using the original title as a subtitle. In 1851, Funk also changed from the four-shapes to the seven-shape shape note system. Rather than adopt the Aiken system, Funk devised his own. Further editions were released, including 1860, 1866, 1878, 1980 and 1993. In 1866, called the 12th edition, the three voice parts were expanded to four. After 1878 (17th edition), the rudiments of music were deleted. In 1980, the 24th edition, the format was changed, changing the old four stave oblong tunebook to an upright modern soprano-alto-tenor-bass format. The 25th edition (1993) restored the old oblong tunebook format, as well as the rudiments of music and 27 three-voice hymns from the first and second editions. A newly typeset 26th edition is available. An online edition of the 26th edition provides tunes in both four- and seven-shape settings.
According to the Mennonite Encyclopedia this "music textbook ... has reached a total issue of nearly 100,000 copies." The book is still is in use by Mennonites today. Most singings are held in the Dayton
-Harrisonburg
area of Virginia.
Mennonite
The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after the Frisian Menno Simons , who, through his writings, articulated and thereby formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss founders...
shape note
Shape note
Shape notes are a music notation designed to facilitate congregational and community singing. The notation, introduced in 1801, became a popular teaching device in American singing schools...
hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
and tune
Tune
Tune may refer to:* A melody* A tune-family* A tune , a short piece of instrumental music, usually with repeating sections, and often played a number of times* British slang term, often said when referring to a piece of music that is enjoyed...
book, originally published as A Compilation of Genuine Church Music in 1832 (Winchester
Winchester, Virginia
Winchester is an independent city located in the northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 26,203 according to the 2010 Census...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
) by Joseph Funk
Joseph Funk
Joseph Funk was a pioneer American music teacher, publisher, and one of the first American composers.Joseph Funk was born April 6, 1778 , in Berks County, Pennsylvania, the son of Henry and Barbara Funk, and a grandson of Bishop Henry Funck...
(1778-1862).
The original publication was a "four-shape" shape note book using the shapes and syllables "faw, sol, law, and mi". Funk designed A Compilation of Genuine Church Music for use in singing school
Singing school
Historically, singing schools have been strongly affiliated with Protestant Christianity. Some are held under the auspices of particular Protestant denominations that maintain a tradition of a cappella singing, such as the Church of Christ and the Primitive Baptists...
s. It contained 208 pages, including rudiments of music and tunes harmonized for three voices. Funk released a second edition in 1835, and a third in 1842. The 1847 fourth edition was the first publication by Joseph Funk and Sons at Singers Glen. The name was changed to Harmonia Sacra in 1851, using the original title as a subtitle. In 1851, Funk also changed from the four-shapes to the seven-shape shape note system. Rather than adopt the Aiken system, Funk devised his own. Further editions were released, including 1860, 1866, 1878, 1980 and 1993. In 1866, called the 12th edition, the three voice parts were expanded to four. After 1878 (17th edition), the rudiments of music were deleted. In 1980, the 24th edition, the format was changed, changing the old four stave oblong tunebook to an upright modern soprano-alto-tenor-bass format. The 25th edition (1993) restored the old oblong tunebook format, as well as the rudiments of music and 27 three-voice hymns from the first and second editions. A newly typeset 26th edition is available. An online edition of the 26th edition provides tunes in both four- and seven-shape settings.
According to the Mennonite Encyclopedia this "music textbook ... has reached a total issue of nearly 100,000 copies." The book is still is in use by Mennonites today. Most singings are held in the Dayton
Dayton, Virginia
Dayton is a town in Rockingham County, Virginia, United States. The population is 1,530 as of the 2010 census. It is included in the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Dayton is located at...
-Harrisonburg
Harrisonburg, Virginia
Harrisonburg is an independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia in the United States. Its population as of 2010 is 48,914, and at the 2000 census, 40,468. Harrisonburg is the county seat of Rockingham County and the core city of the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical...
area of Virginia.
External links
- Samples of Harmonia Sacra Singing
- Funk Shape Notes
- Harmonia Sacra Singings
- Review of the Harmonia Sacra, 25th edition
- Harmonia Sacra in Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online
- Online Edition of the 26th Edition of the Harmonia Sacra
- Harmonia Sacra Handbook