The bay psalm book was the first book, that is still in existence, printed in british north america. 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. Nancy taylor, senior minister and ceo of bostons old. En route to sothebys, bay psalm book traces nations seesaw. Bay psalm book, 1640, perhaps the oldest book now in existence that was published in british north america. The preface to the bay psalm book is a remarkable statement of purpose. Bay psalm book project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. 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 bay psalm book was the first book printed in the colonies and the first book printed in english in the new world. The book is a psalter, first printed in 1640 in cambridge, massachusetts. A work written specifically for boys voices by featuring an extended alto range, bay psalm 23 offers cascading melodic lines and comforting harmonies that will delight audiences and performers alike.
They were not like the gutenberg bible, a large, impressive bible for a church or a fine home. For other uses, see the lord is my shepherd disambiguation. Peters church in downtown cleveland, april 6, 2014. The bay psalm book 1 the lord to me a shepherd is, want therefore i shall not, he in the folds of tender grass doth make me down to lie to waters calm he gently leads restore my soul doth he he doth in paths of righteousness for his names sake lead me. Printed in cambridge, massachusetts, on a press set up by stephen day, it included a dissertation on the lawfulness and.
Psalm 23 is the 23rd psalm of the book of psalms, beginning in english in the king james version. Of course, the massachusetts bay puritans had psalters in england, and they undoubtedly. Bay psalm book wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. Nov 21, 20 the book, on display at sothe bys manhattan headquarters, opened to psalm 23, is physically unimposing. In 1640, the bay psalm book, a new translation of the psalms into metrical english verse, was produced by richard mather and john eliot for the massachusetts bay colony. Stephanie tubiolo and hannah carr not pictured, sopranojacob swi. The bay psalm book, as this work is commonly known, is the first book printed in british north america. The library of congress copy of the bay psalm book and david m. The founders of the massachusetts bay colony came to the new world seeking religious freedom, and their first publication was a hymnal. Psalms into metrical english verse, was produced by.
Bay psalm book offers valuable insight into how colonial divines shaped. Bay psalm 23, the first work in the bay psalms set, is a delicate reflection on one of the most beloved psalms of all time coupled with a repeating mantra of the word alleluia. Richard mather and john eliot for the massachusetts. 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. The bay psalm book was the first book to be printed in north america, twenty years after the arrival of the pilgrims in massachusetts.
As such, puritans developed the practice of lining out the psalm having a deacon or clerk read each line of text before it was sung. Because the bay psalm book published a new translation of the psalms made in north america, it was also the first book written in north america, north of mexico. World heritage encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias available, and. Henry ainsworth was born about 1570, studied at cambridge, and then joined the separatist movement.
The psalms in it are metrical translations into english. Book published in 1640 sets a record at auction the new. Written by richard mather mather, richard, 15961669, british puritan clergyman in north america, b. The whole booke of psalmes universally known as the bay psalm book was produced in the virtual wilderness of massachusetts bay colony by the congregationalist puritans who left england in search of religious freedom.
Richard mather, born 1596, lowton, lancashire, eng. A new poetical translation of the psalms, intended to express the hebrew original, was made by the leading scholars and ministers of colonial new england john cotton, richard mather and john eliot among them and the book was printed on a press sent, with paper. At sabbath meetings of the massachusetts bay churches, they sang psalms without musical accompaniment. It was for congregational singing, which took place at least three times a week. Apr, 20 the 1640 edition of the bay psalm book is the earliest surviving product of the dayes press, and was immediately adopted by nearly every congregation in massachusetts bay hence the volumes familiar name. Rubensteins copy, on loan to the library for this exhibition, were at originally part of the. Of particular note is an extremely rare copy of americas first book, the whole booke of psalmes 1640, commonly known as the bay psalm book. Psalm 23 bay psalm book scriptures good books free. The book, on display at sothe bys manhattan headquarters, opened to psalm 23, is physically unimposing. A seventh edition of the bay psalm book, the first book. Elizabeth became british americas first book publisher in 1640, using the only printing press in north america. Nov 22, 20 the book, on display at sothebys manhattan headquarters, opened to psalm 23, is physically unimposing. One of the most expensive books in the world began its life in the little home elizabeth glover established on crooked lane, massachusetts bay colony.
Psalm 23 bay psalm book scriptures good books free beta. The decision to print a book of psalms metered for singing may seem an odd choice as the first book to be printed by the settlers of massachusetts bay, but this modest book served the larger purpose of the colonyto live within the reformed church. It is worth noting that the bay psalm book s translations of psalms 19, 23, and 107 are anthologized in the library of americas volume of american poetry. The bay psalm book s 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. It was prepared by puritan leaders of the massachusetts bay colony. En route to sothebys, bay psalm book traces nations. A new poetical translation of the psalms, intended to express the hebrew original, was made by the leading scholars and ministers of colonial new england john cotton, richard mather and john eliot among them and the book. In the psalms of david, which describe his own spiritual wilderness experience, they found hope and consolation. 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. Psalm 23 is the 23rd psalm of the book of psalms, generally known in english by its first verse, in the king james version, the lord is my shepherd.
The whole booke of psalmes faithfully translated into. Nov 27, 20 the bay psalm book visited houstons bayou bend in september for a oneday exhibition. However, the psalms are popular for private devotion among many protestants and still used in many churches for traditional worship. American beginnings, featuring the bay psalm book duke. Nov 16, 20 but the bay psalm book, as it is known, has a special place in bibliophiles hearts, so much so that michael inman, the curator of rare books at the new york public library, said the auction was.
Psalm 23, low dutch tune richard muenzainsworth, h bay book of psalmes the cooli. The printer, a trained locksmith who arrived with the press, had his idiosyncrasies, including spelling psalm two different ways. Provided to youtube by naxos of americathe whole booke of psalmes. The bay psalm book is valued not only as an object of extreme rarity, but also as a symbol of a future nations identity. The bay psalm book is a metrical psalter first printed in 1640 in cambridge, massachusetts. Boston, november 2023, i94i when the psalm book was bought for its. Let bidding begin for the bay psalm book from 1640 the new. 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. By the 20th century, they were mostly replaced by hymns in church services. Nov 27, 20 the copy of the bay psalm book from 1640 that went on the auction block is one of just 11 known copies of the religious volume, said the rev. Let bidding begin for the bay psalm book from 1640 the. The first book printed in north america was a collection of psalm settings, the bay psalm book 1640. Bay psalm book article about bay psalm book by the free.
Psalm 23in memoriam jack murraymusic by patrick murraywith sincere gratitude and thanks to. Bay psalme book article about bay psalme book by the. The whole booke of psalmes faithfully translated into english. A revised and enlarged edition, under the title of the psalms hymns and spiritual songs of the old and new testament, was printed at cambridge in 1651, in an. Psalm 23 bay psalm book, 1698, by john playford 16231686. Nov 25, 20 three hundred and seventythree years ago, when the chief puritan divines of the young massachusetts bay colony printed their own translation of the bibles book of psalms, they prided themselves on importing the continents very first english printing press and establishing the colony as a cultural and educational center. Check out our psalm book selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our digital prints shops. It is not surprisingly then, that these psalms appeared in the first book printed in america, the bay psalm book of 1640. Not until its ninth edition, printed in 1698, were any tunes printed in the bay psalm book. 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 translations are not particularly polished or poetic, and no. The new psalm book was adopted at once by nearly every congregation in the colony of massachusetts bay, and for that reason it came to be known as the bay psalm book. Pilgrim worship from the book of psalms plymouth rock. The digital bay psalm book gives scholars, researchers, and enthusiasts alike a rich and intimate experience of the book.
The bay psalm book 1640 and the new england primer 1683. The bay psalm book and the new england primer were, next to the bible, the most commonly owned. To waters calm he gently leads restore my soul doth he he do th in path s of righteous ness for his names sake lead me. En route to southebys, bay psalm book traces nations. Bay psalm book, common hymnal of the massachusetts bay colony. Dec 03, 2012 the bay psalm book s 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.
May 24, 2017 the bay psalm book, as this work is commonly known, is the first book printed in british north america. Bay psalm book traces nations seesaw religious history. Both the first edition of 1640 and the seventh edition of 1693 were workhorse books. Neither cottons essay nor the poems have been attended to by modern critics. Apr 02, 2021 so the bay psalm book was a tool to do a job. About 7 inches high and 4 inches wide, it is largely undecorated. In 1640, the bay psalm book, a new translation of the. In that edition, thirteen tunes were added to which the psalms were to be sung, the. En route to southebys, bay psalm book traces nations seesaw. Heath anthology of american literaturethe bay psalm book. The bay psalm book, as it is known, is essentially sacred text to be sung during the liturgy. Massachusetts bay colony ministers believed this was a matter of faith and thus religious necessity to sing them psalm 23 written in common meter. A revised and enlarged edition, under the title of the psalms hymns and spiritual songs of the old and. It was the first book printed in british north america.
The book of psalms is the third section of the hebrew bible, and a book of the christian old testament. Apr 01, 2020 though the bay psalm book, published at cambridge in 1640, and revised later, is better known, it is important to remember that ainsworths contribution to the pilgrim church was unique. A london printer, stephen daye, came with the press and established a printing office in cambridge. This exhibit explores the early history of our nation through a remarkable selection of maps, texts, and other historical documents from the rubenstein librarys collections and the private map collection of michael stone, t84. He studied at oxford, began preaching, and was ordained in 1620. Publication date 1903 topics bible publisher new york. Stephen daye issues the bay psalm book, the first book written. A few years after the puritan great migration of 1630 from england to massachusetts bay, the settlers undertook an ambitious project, writing and printing their own book of psalms. In recent years, a new generation of scholars has returned to the book, seeing it from fresh perspectivesas a social document, for example, and as a physical artifact of early american life in the massachusetts bay area. 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.
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