Originally published in Knoxville in 1867, The New Harp of Columbia is still used by shape note singers in Knox, Sevier, and nearby counties in east Tennessee. In 1978 the University of Tennessee Press published its Tennesseana edition, photographing a copy of a 1919 printing from the original stereotype plates (whose fate is unknown, possibly a World War II scrap metal drive). This printing is nearly exhausted, and a committee is writing a proposal to reprint it. This page will keep the committee and other interested people up to date on the project.
Pictures from the New Harp of Columbia illustrating this proposal.
Songs in the 1848 Harp of Columbia omitted from the 1867 The New Harp of Columbia.
Some additional words commonly sung will probably be added to the new edition.
Tunes now in use by New Harp of Columbia singers.
Toby Koosman's New Harp of Columbia web page with singing schedule and additional links.
Dr. Marion Hatchett at Sewanee University has been working on a book
A Companion to The New Harp of Columbia.
Draft of a Proposal to UT Press April 16th, 1999:
To reprint the University Press's 1978 Tennesseana edition of The New Harp of Columbia, an 1867 shape note tune book still in active use by shape note (Old Harp) singers in east Tennessee.
Kathleen Mavournin, Robert Richmond, and Toby Koosman, representing a committee of local Old Harp singers interested in working on a reprint of the book, met with Scot Danforth of the University of Tennessee Press on April 16th, 1999.
The committee proposes:
- To add approximately forty pages to the present book, consisting of:
- About forty songs reproduced from the 1848 Harp of Columbia, reproducing either the Hoskins Library copy or another copy
- New tune-name, metrical, and first-line indexes incorporating the additional songs, to be provided by us as camera ready copy.
- A short additional preface (retaining the present prefaces) outlining the history of Old Harp singing in east Tennessee since 1978.
- A list of Old Harp singings presently active in east Tennessee
- (Possibly) a list of songs led with the names of the leaders, from the annual Headrick's Chapel singing, either in 1999 or 2000.
- To consider re-photographing some or all of The New Harp of Columbia from a better copy than was used in for the Tennesseana edition, depending in part on whether the photographic film from the previous printing survives.
- We propose a much more durable binding of the new edition, at least UT Press's standard cloth binding of an academic monograph. (We emphasize the extremely hard wear a tune book undergoes in the course of its life.) The buff cover color needs to be retained, but the present cover reproduction of the old title page probably cannot (though it can be retained as a half-title inside the book).
- Size of press run: maximum of 1,000 - committee to provide some idea of the number of copies that singers will purchase.
April 20th, 1999
Today I met again with Scot Danforth (Editor) and with Kay Jursik (Design Production Manager) at the University of Tennessee Press.
We still do not know whether or not the films used to prepare the 1978 edition are still in existence [yes, they are - see below RSR 4-22-99]. If they still exist and are usable, then the decision will probably be made not to change any of the existing content of the book (though new pages can be added in back or front) since the sequence of the films cannot be interrupted. If the films are not available, then presumably we would film (actually scan) one of the earlier printings.
Retitling the book (which will require redoing the title page) will presumably be necessary if additional pages from the 1848 book are added. We agree that the title The New Harp of Columbia cannot be changed, and the title would have to be something on the order of "The New Harp of Columbia, with additional tunes from the 1848 Harp of Columbia."
Financial support: It would be possible for the University of Tennessee Press to assume the entire cost of the republication. Grant money could however be used to reduce the eventual price of the book. Mr. Danforth noted that a joint publication with Jubilee Community Arts might be undertaken for the purpose of enlarging the base of potential grant support.
We agreed that it is time to write our proposal for republication, even though there are some loose ends. UT Press would also like to know when we can have the prefatory material ready.
After the meeting I spoke briefly with Brent Cantrell, the director of Jubilee Community Arts (of which the Epworth Old Harp Singers are an affiliate organization). He agreed that a joint publication of UT Press and Jubilee Community Arts was a possibility.
Just wanted to pass along the good news that our printer still has the film
that we used to produce the last edition of New Harp of Columbia and that
it's in fine shape. - Scot Danforth 4-22-99
Another draft, dated April 27th, 199 of the proposal to reprint The New Harp of Columbia
Proposal: To reprint the University Press's 1978 Tennesseana edition of The New Harp of Columbia, an 1867 shape note tune book still in active use by shape note (Old Harp) singers in east Tennessee.
To add approximately forty pages to the present book, consisting of:
- About forty songs reproduced from the 1848 Harp of Columbia, reproducing either the Hoskins Library copy or another copy
- New tune-name, metrical, and first-line indexes incorporating the additional songs, to be provided by us as camera ready copy.
- A page of additional texts commonly sung to existing tunes, but not printed (or inconveniently placed) in the present book.
- A short additional preface (retaining the present prefaces) outlining the history of Old Harp singing in east Tennessee since 1978.
- A list of Old Harp singings presently active in east Tennessee
- (Possibly) a list of songs led with the names of the leaders, from the annual Headrick's Chapel singing, either in 1999 or 2000.
To re-title the book: The New Harp of Columbia, [subtitle] with additional tunes from the 1848 Harp of Columbia
To use existing film to reproduce the present New Harp of Columbia.
To do a stronger binding of the book, presumably the press's standard cloth binding of an academic monograph. The buff color can be retained, but the present reproduction of the old title page probably cannot (though it can be retained as a half-title inside the book).
To attempt to obtain grant support, presumably with the help of Brent Cantrell of Jubilee Community Arts, possibly resulting in a joint publication between UT Press and JCA.
To help decide on the size of the press run.
E-mail Bob Richmond.
Return to Bob Richmond's site map page.
August 11th, 1999