A Timeline of Sacred Harp Editions, Illustrated and with Minimal Bibliographic Detail.
by Kevin Isaac

“Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.” —Ecclesiastes 12:12

INTRODUCTION

NOTICE:
THIS IS AN IN-PROGRESS PROJECT, PUBLISHED “EARLY” FOR COLLABORATIVE PURPOSES.
EXPECT CHANGES TO OCCUR AS LONG AS THIS NOTICE IS POSTED.

This timeline presents a selection of at least fifty different editions and iterations of The Sacred Harp by B.F. White and E.J. King, first published in 1844. It includes cover images and is based on Jesse P. Karlsberg’s work here. Significant contributions were made by Robert Vaughn, and additional thanks go to David Smead.

Many books followed the 1844 edition, with some clearly distinct from one another and others less so. While there has been thorough research on this topic, I believe this timeline is unique in its attempt to compile all known derivative works into a single, bibliographic format.

The Sacred Harp has numerous “branches,” and titles within the same branch often changed over time. I have chosen to present the information in a linear format, although I have not determined the precise order for books released in the same year if that information was not available.

Of interest to the reader who asks “why are there so many different branches” is this item from Newnan Herald & Advertiser (Newnan, Ga.) 1909-1915, September 15, 1911:

The “Sacred Harp” convention being in session at Broughton’s Tabernacle, in Atlanta, and having a desire to hear the old songs of by-gone days, we visited the convention and listened to a thousand voices, making these old songs ring. We were cheered to the very core of our heart, and felt like we were mingling voices with the friends of lung ago. The convention was presided over by Col. J. S. James, author of the “Union Harp,” a revised edition of the old “Sacred Harp.” the most noted song hook of the South, which was compiled in the 40’s by Maj. B. F. White, who died in Atlanta a few years ago. His son, Pref. J. L. White, also has out a revised edition of the famous old book, which he is anxious to perpetuate in memory of his father; but it seems that the copyright of father had expired, and, failing to renew it, he lost out. Col. James now claims to possess the copyright to the book, hence the split in the convention. Prof. W. M. Cooper, of Dothan. Al., is also publishing the same book by reason of a copyright which be procured several years ago. Now. it seems to us that this copyrighting business is run in a very slipshod manner by Uncle Sam, and needs a little knocking by some one. We had the pleasure of meeting with many old friends, as well as a lot of new ones, at the convention. Among them were Prof. E.T. Pound, author of several music books, and one of the finest singers in the South, and his brother. Rev. William Pound, who is also the author of several musical works. We were greatly pleased to form the acquaintance of Prof. W. M. Cooper, of Alabama, and Prof. Allen, of the same State. A year hence the convention will meet in Broughton’s Tabernacle by request of Dr. Broughton.

I have color-coded the different branches of The Sacred Harp by adding each branch’s “Informal Name” in a specific color after the book’s basic details. I’ve also included The New Sacred Harp, which was a seven-shape note book compiled by B.F. White’s two sons but ultimately failed. Additionally, I’ve included The Colored Sacred Harp in the timeline, even though it is not part of the King and White book’s printing history. This is due to its significant interest within the singing community and its intriguing placement alongside The Sacred Harp in the publishing timeline.

As a final nontraditional feature, I have noted the years in which significant editors and compilers of The Sacred Harp passed away. Notably, at least three of these individuals died before their respective “branches” were published, starting with E.J. King, one of the original compilers of the first edition.

Two items worth mentioning, though not included in the timeline, are books by J.S. James, editor of the “James Book” that later became the “Denson Book”:

Sacred Tunes and Hymns (1913) – This approximately 190-page tunebook served as a short-lived “companion” to James’ Original Sacred Harp. It features songs in four shape notes and four voices, with additional lines of music intended for instruments at the bottom of the page. The Preface acknowledges the contributions of Prof. S. M. Denson, highlighting his role in the volume’s arrangement. James is noted for framing The Sacred Harp in a nostalgic light, but this book represents a departure from his usual format.
Union Harp and History of Songs (1909) – This 220+ page tunebook established the page format for James’ Original Sacred Harp, published two years later. It includes biographical and historical sketches of the tunes and composers, which later became known as “cheese notes” due to James’ note about John Leland attached to the song “Religion is a Fortune.”

BRANCHES DETAILED HERE

“The Sacred Harp” (1844-1870)
“Cooper Book” (1902-CURRENT)
“White Book” (1909-1911*)
“James Book” (1911-1929*)
“Denson Book” (1936-CURRENT)
“New Sacred Harp” (1884)
“Colored Sacred Harp” (1934-1992)

*The chart above leaves off two recent “commemorative” editions of the “White Book” in 2017 and “James Book” in 2017 from their “usage date ranges”, though they are part of the timeline chart below. Both have been used in modern singings, but are extremely limited in usage, especially compared to the “Denson Book” and “Cooper Book” usage.

INCOMPLETE, AMATUER, AND SOMEWHAT SPECULATIVE

This study is informal and should not be considered definitive. It has been compiled with earnest effort by an amateur bibliophile, aiming to correlate original research with information from various sources. I have consulted with others and will continue to do so, but this work has only been developed over a few weeks, amounting to just a handful of hours. Additionally, the complete printing history of each state, edition, and branch of The Sacred Harp is not fully known, even to long-time scholars, so this study is necessarily incomplete.

The images included come from my own collection, contributions from collaborators, auction listings, used book websites, random online sources, and some academic references. There is a possibility that some sources may have inaccuracies regarding the edition or year of the depicted books. I have strived to use only clear and trustworthy images.

The legend below explains the preferred amount of information for each listing. Please note that this level of detail may not be available for every entry.

All original research presented here is placed in the public domain and may be used freely. If you have information that this collection lacks or if you can provide corrections, please reach out to me at baltimoreshapenote@gmail.com.

LEGEND

(YEAR PRINTED) – (TITLE AS APPEARS ON COVER) – (EDITION/STATE NOTES) – (BRANCH)
(PUBLISHER) / (PRINTER – IF KNOWN)
(NOTES)

The year printed may be different than the year associated with the edition. For example, there are several very different books that all state they are the 1971 printing of the Denson branch.

All of the books are “Sacred Harp” but the cover title was changed many times, sometimes to establish different “branches” of the book sometimes as a marketing strategy.

The “edition notes” is a brief statement about what unique printing the book is, based on either what the book has stated, what researchers have posited.

As there were many publishers involved in the different editions, and many different printers, I’ve detailed that information on the second line. The role of the publisher and the printer can vary greatly depending on the time and project. Early on the printer would have typeset everything, but more recent editions would often have often been typeset by the publishers, etc.

The third line will be used (sparingly) for any additional notes I would like to add that helps further identify and differentiate editions/states/printings.

NOTICE:
THIS IS AN IN-PROGRESS PROJECT, PUBLISHED “EARLY” FOR COLLABORATIVE PURPOSES.
EXPECT CHANGES TO OCCUR AS LONG AS THIS NOTICE IS POSTED.

The Illustrated Bibliographic Timeline

1800s

1844 – E.J. KING DIED

1844 – The Sacred Harp – First Edition, First Printing – “The Sacred Harp”
B.F. White & E.J. King, Hamilton, GA / T.K. & P.G. Collins
This is the first printing of the first edition.

1847 – The Sacred Harp – First Edition, Second Printing – “The Sacred Harp”
(PUBLISHER) / (PRINTER)
(NOTES)

1848 – The Sacred Harp – First Edition, Third Printing – “The Sacred Harp”
B.F. White & Joe King, Hamilton, GA / T.K. & P.G. Collins
This appears to be a third printing of the first edition with cover and title page featuring the year 1848. Note that Joel Kings name has replaced his brothers on the cover as a “proprietor.”

1850 – The Sacred Harp – Second Edition, First Printing “To Which Is Added an Appendix” – “The Sacred Harp”
(PUBLISHER) / (PRINTER)
(NOTES)

1857 – The Sacred Harp – Second Edition, Second Printing “To Which Is Added an Appendix” – “The Sacred Harp”
(PUBLISHER) / (PRINTER)
(NOTES)

1860 – The Sacred Harp – Third Edition “To Which Is Added Appendix I … Also, Appendix II.” – “The Sacred Harp”
S.C. Collins, Philadelphia
A facsimile of this edition was produced in 1968.

1869 – The Sacred Harp – Fourth Edition, First Printing “Fourth Edition, Much Improved and Greatly Enlarged” – “The Sacred Harp”
(PUBLISHER) / (PRINTER)
(NOTES)

1870 – The Sacred Harp – Fourth Edition, Second Printing – “The Sacred Harp”
Chas. P. Byrd, Atlanta / (PRINTER)
(NOTES)

1879 – B.F. WHITE DIED

1884 – The New Sacred Harp – “New Sacred Harp”
(PUBLISHER) / (PRINTER)
(NOTES)

1897 – The Sacred Harp – Fourth Edition, Third Printing – “The Sacred Harp”
(PUBLISHER) / (PRINTER)
(NOTES)

1900s

1903 – The Sacred Harp – 1902 Edition, First Printing “Cooper Book”
W.M. Cooper & Co., Dothan, Al
This first edition of the “Cooper Book” is dated 1902, but was not available until 1903.

1907 – – “Cooper Book”
W.M. Cooper & Co., Dothan, Al
This is a photo of a copy owned by the Texas State University in San Marcos.

1909 – The Sacred Harp – Fifth Edition – “White Book”
(PUBLISHER) / (PRINTER)
(NOTES)

1909 – The Sacred Harp – “Cooper Book”
W.M. Cooper & Co., Dothan, Al
(NOTES)

1910 – The Sacred Harp – _____ – “White Book”
(PUBLISHER) / (PRINTER)
(NOTES)

1911 – “Original Sacred Harp” – First Printing – “James Book”
(PUBLISHER) / (PRINTER)
Mr. Karlsberg has written about this “branch” at length here: https://jpkarlsberg.com/tag/original-sacred-harp/

1911 – “Original Sacred Harp” – Second Printing – “James Book”
(PUBLISHER) / (PRINTER)
(NOTES)

1911 – “Original Sacred Harp” – Second Printing – “James Book”
(PUBLISHER) / (PRINTER)
(NOTES)

1911 – The Sacred Harp – _______ – “White Book”
(PUBLISHER) / (PRINTER)
(NOTES)

19?? – The Sacred Harp – 8th Edition, Alternate State – “Cooper Book”
W.M. Cooper & Co., Dothan, Al
This example of the Eighth Edition was personally owned by S. J. Patterson of Newsome, Texas; dated May 28, 1916. We’re assuming the date inscribed may be close to the date this edition was printed.

1916 – W.M. COOPER DIED

1921 – “Original Sacred Harp” – Fourth Printing – “James Book”
(PUBLISHER) / (PRINTER)
(NOTES)
LINK: INTERNET ARCHIVE

1925 – J.L.WHITE DIED

19??– The Sacred Harp – “1927, 9th Edition” – “Cooper Book”
“Distributed by B.P. Poyner”
The cover of this book states “Distributed by B. P. Poyner,” and was apparently a printing done by Poyner after Cooper’s death and before the 1927 edition. Not much else is known about this edition.

1927– The Sacred Harp – “1927, 9th Edition” – “Cooper Book”
Dr. R. D. Blackshear, Panama City, Fla., Owner and Publisher.
The first printing of the 1927 edition still retained the name R. D. Blackshear as the publisher. He was Cooper’s son-in law. There are at least two other 9th edition printings (says 9th edition on the back) that vary slightly in the covers. There is a 9th edition that has the names of B. P. Poyner, B. F. Faust, and W. M. Faust on it (otherwise the same book, so far as I can tell). There is another 9th edition printing with the names B. P. Poyner and Saxon P. Poyner on it.

1929 – “Original Sacred Harp” – Fifth Printing – “James Book”
(PUBLISHER) / (PRINTER)
(NOTES)

1934 – The Colored Sacred Harp – First Edition, First Printing – “Colored Sacred Harp”
J. Jackson / (PRINTER)
This first edition was a paperback book and printed in a run of 1,000 copies.

19??-1947 – The Sacred Harp – “1927, 9th Edition” – “Cooper Book”
B.P. Poyner Sr. & Saxon P. Poyner, Dothan, Al / (PRINTER)

19??-1947 – The Sacred Harp – “1927, 10th Edition” – “Cooper Book”
B.P. Boyner Sr. & Saxon P. Poyner, Dothan, Al / (PRINTER)
Apparently, the next time B. P. and Saxon Poyner printed this book, they put 10th edition on the back cover. Maybe they forgot to do that with the first printing?

1935 – T.J. DENSON DIED

1936 – S.M. DENSON DIED

1936-‘?? – The Sacred Harp – “1927, 9th Edition” – “Cooper Book”
B.P. Boyner (Dothan, Al), W.M. Faust & B.F. Faust (Ozark, Al)
The Poyner-Faust-Faust, is a printing of the 1927 9th edition. The assumption is they three owned it, and then the Fausts were bought out by Poyners’ son.

1936 – “Original Sacred Harp” – Denson Revision – “Denson Book”
Sacred Harp Publishing Company, Inc., Haleyville, Alabama / (PRINTER)
There are three distinct variants I have documented that have been noted as being a 1936 edition. The first cover shown has a very distinctive typography, that reflects the title page inside the book, but also the title page of the red/orange cover. The photo showing the third variant was published in a recent online story and had the caption: “Two women sing from the 1936 revision of The Sacred Harp at the United Sacred Harp Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, 1940s.”

1947 – The Sacred Harp – 11th Edition – “Cooper Book”
Saxon P. Poyner, Dothan, Ala. / (PRINTER)
The Saxon Poyner 11th edition book was done sometime after his father died, but before the Sacred Harp Book Company was created — so apparently 1947-1948.

1949 – The B.F. White Sacred Harp – 12th Edition – “Cooper Book”
The Sacred Harp Book Co. Inc., Troy, Al / (PRINTER)
The 1949 edition examined has silver lettering on the cover, and the 1950 edition has gold(ish) lettering on the cover. However, the way one can be sure to tell them apart is just look inside and see whether it has the 1949 committee or 1950 committee.
Below is a red cloth cover also identified by a source as a1949 edition.
Because later editions used blue cloth, one could assume the red was printed first, but there is no direct evidence of the printing order.

1950 – The B.F. White Sacred Harp – “Cooper Book”
The Sacred Harp Book Co. Inc., Troy, Al / (PRINTER)
See note above.

1955 – PAINE W. DENSON DIED

1960 – The B.F. White Sacred Harp – “Cooper Book”
The Sacred Harp Book Co., Inc., Troy, AL / (PRINTER)
(NOTES)

1960 – “Original Sacred Harp” – “1960 Revision” – “Denson Book”
Sacred Harp Publishing Company, Inc. & Denson Music Publishing Co. Cullman, Alabama Owen W. Denson- Owner. (PRINTER)
(NOTES)

1960 – “Original Sacred Harp” – “1960 Supplement” – “Denson Book”
Published by Sacred Harp Publishing Company, Cullman Alabama / (PRINTER)
(NOTES)

1964 – The Sacred Harp: James Edition – “James Book”
Denson Music Publishing Company
(PUBLISHER) / (PRINTER)
This is a facsimile edition of the “James Book”

1966 – “Original Sacred Harp” – “Denson Book”
Sacred Harp Publishing Company, Inc., Cullman, AL. / (PRINTER)
(NOTES)

1968 – The Sacred Harp – Third Edition* – “The Sacred Harp”
Broadman Press, Nashville, TN / (PRINTER)
This is a facsimile of the Third Edition published in 1860. It has a new Preface from Davis C. Woolley and includes “The Story of the Sacred Harp 1844-1944” by George Pullen Jackson. Following that is a Postscript by William J. Reynolds.

1971 – “Original Sacred Harp” – 1971 Edition, First printing – “Denson Book”
Sacred Harp Publishing Company, Inc., Bremen, GA. / Kingsport Press, Kingsport Tennessee
(NOTES)
LINK: INTERNET ARCHIVE

1973 – The Colored Sacred Harp – First Edition, Second Printing – “Colored Sacred Harp”
H.J. Jackson, Ozark, Alabama / Paragon Press, Montgomery, Alabama
This is the first hardback printing. A small note at the end of the front matter reads: “This project is jointly supported by a grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts and Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, D.C. a Federal Agency.”

1977 – “Original Sacred Harp” – 1971, Second Printing? – “Denson Book”
Sacred Harp Publishing Company, Inc., Cullman, AL.
The cover reads “(Denson Revision) 1844-1977”, so I’m assuming the end date was the year of printing and not a typo. The Cullman, Alabama address seems like it might imply an earlier printing, as a previous and subsequent books are out of Bremen, Georgia.

“…I sell 5,000 books a year…” –Hugh McGraw “Sacred Harp Singing in Mt Zion GA (July 1977) & Extended Interview with Raymond Hamrick” (link)

1980 – “Original Sacred Harp” – 1971, Third Printing – “Denson Book”
Sacred Harp Publishing Company, Inc., Bremen, GA. / (PRINTER)
(NOTES)

An article in The Columbus Ledger (Sun, Sep 11, 1983 · Page 21) notes that Hugh McGraw, of The Sacred Harp Publishing Co., “ships 3,000 books a year of the unique music all over the United States and overseas.”

198_ – “Original Sacred Harp” – 1971 Ed., 4th or 5th Printing – “Denson Book”
Sacred Harp Publishing Company, Inc., Bremen, GA. / (PRINTER)
(NOTES)

198_ – “Original Sacred Harp” – 1971 Ed., 4th or 5th Printing – “Denson Book”
Sacred Harp Publishing Company, Inc., Bremen, GA. / (PRINTER)
(NOTES)

1983 – The Colored Sacred Harp – Second Revised Edition – “Colored Sacred Harp”
H.J. Jackson, Ozark, Alabama / Brown Printing, Montgomery, AL
In addition to the small note about funding added to the previous edition, the following was added to the same page: “Compiled and edited by H.J. Jackson, Ozark, Alabama, with assistance from Henry Willett, Assistant to the Director/Folklorist, Alabama State Council on the Arts and Humanities.

1987 – Original Sacred Harp – Denson Revision 1987 – “Denson Book”
(PUBLISHER) / (PRINTER)
(NOTES)

1991 – A Proposed Selection of Music 1991 Revision of The Sacred Harp – “Denson Book”
Sacred Harp Publishing Company, Inc., Bremen, GA / (PRINTER)
(NOTES)

1991 – The Sacred Harp – 1991 Revision – “Denson Book”
Sacred Harp Publishing Company, Inc., Bremen, GA / (PRINTER)
(NOTES)

1992 – The Colored Sacred Harp – Third Revised Edition – “Colored Sacred Harp”
H.J. Jackson, Ozark, Alabama / Brown Printing, Montgomery, AL
A section titled “Autobiography of Judge Jackson” was added to the front matter, and the Rudiments were expanded by a page.

1992 – The B.F. White Sacred Harp – Revised Cooper Edition – “Cooper Book”
The Sacred Harp Book Company, Samson, Alabama / (PRINTER)
(NOTES)

2000s

2000 – The B.F. White Sacred Harp – Revised Cooper Edition – “Cooper Book”
The Sacred Harp Book Company, Samson, Alabama / (No Printer Noted)
(NOTES)

2006 – The B.F. White Sacred Harp – Revised Cooper Edition – “Cooper Book”
The Sacred Harp Book Company, Samson, Alabama / (PRINTER)
(NOTES)

2007 – The Sacred Harp – 2007 Edition” – “White Book”
Weelyrd Publishing, Buckley WA / Colson Printing Company, Valdosta, GA
Completely retypeset version of the J.L.White “Fourth Edition, With Supplement” with new front matter and indices. The two printings have been “merged” to create what would technically be a new edition.

2012 – The Sacred Harp – “Revised Cooper Edition” – “Cooper Book”
The Sacred Harp Book Company, Samson, Alabama / Colson Printing Company, Valdosta, GA
(NOTES)

2015 – “Original Sacred Harp” – “James Book”
Pitts Theology Library & Sacred Harp Publishing Company / Bookmasters
This “Centennial Edition is a restored “James Book” created from a second edition in the collection of the Sacred Harp Publishing Company. There is new introductory matter added.