The grounds and rules of musick explained, or, An introduction to the art of singing by note : fitted to the meanest capacities / by Thomas Walter, M.A. ; recommended by several ministers.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Walter, Thomas, 1696-1725.

Contributor:

Watts, Isaac, 1674-1748.

Mecom, Benjamin, 1732-approximately 1776, printer.

Johnston, Thomas, 1708-1767, bookseller.

Max C. and Zipora E. Baylinson Music Fund.

Anne and Joseph Trachtman Memorial Book Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Music--Instruction and study--Early works to 1800.

Music.

Sight-singing--Early works to 1800.

Sight-singing.

Psalmody--Early works to 1800.

Psalmody.

Music--Instruction and study.

Genre:

Hymnals -- Massachusetts -- Boston -- 18th century.

Penn Provenance:

Clough, Ebenezer, 1752-1781 (former owner) (inscription) (RBC copy)

Burpee, Thomas (former owner) (inscription) (RBC copy)

Burbank, Jonathan, 1762-1832 or 1833 (autograph) (RBC copy)

Burbank, Benjamin, 1765-1838 (inscription) (RBC copy)

Burbank, Ebenezer, approximately 1773-1849 (inscription) (RBC copy)

Burbank, Ebenezer, 1794-1868 (inscription) (RBC copy)

Burbank, Elizabeth Thurlow, 1757-1855 (inscription) (RBC copy)

Burbank, Gershom, 1792- (inscription) (RBC copy)

Burbank, Jonathan, 1786- (inscription) (RBC copy)

Burbank, Moses 1798-1888 (inscription) (RBC copy)

Burbank, William, 1769-1844 (inscription) (RBC copy)

Goodhue, Elizabeth Burbank, 1788-1876 (inscription) (RBC copy)

Physical Description:

2 unnumbered pages, iii pages, 1 unnumbered page, 24 pages, 20 leaves of plates : music ; 12 x 19 cm

Contained In:

[Hybrid hymn book]

Other Title:

Grounds and rules of musick explained

Introduction to the art of singing by note

Some brief and very plain instructions for singing by note

Fingerprint:

nge- use- wnd) ansi (3) 1760 (Q)

Place of Publication:

Boston : Printed by Benjamin Mecom ... for Thomas Johnston ..., [1760]

Notes:

"In 1760 Benjamin Mecom published a fifth edition of [this work] in oblong form and somewhat larger in size than the previous editions ... The printed portion of this edition collates A to D in 4's, the reverse of D-4 being blank, but there is a variation in the number of plates of engraved music. Some copies have 20 numbered plates with signature marks running A to E in 4's. Other copies have 24 numbered plates, A to F in 4's ... The first 20 plates contain 32 tunes and plates 21-24 contain 8 tunes, a total of 40. The 'Boston News Letter' for March 27, 1760, advertises, 'Walter's Singing Book. This day published *** With eight tunes more than usual. Printed and sold by Benjamin Mecom, at the New-Printing Office, near the Town-House.' The reference to the number of tunes indicates quite clearly that the fifth edition was originally published with only twenty plates of music, and that plates 21-24 were added to unsold copies at a later time." --M.B. Jones, "Bibliographical notes on Thomas Walter's 'Grounds and rules of musick explained'" in Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society 42 (1932), p. 241, 243.

Running title: Some brief and very plain instructions for singing by note.

The second of two states of this edition. The first state has imprint: "Boston: Printed and Sold by Benjamin Mecom at the New Printing-Office near the Town-House. 1760." Cf. ESTC W39604. The second state "is undated and there are a few typographical differences (for example, the top line of the staff in the last column on the unnumbered page of musical characters), but in other respects it is identical with the Benjamin Mecom [first] issue ... and was without doubt published in 1760."--M.B. Jones, "Bibliographical notes on Thomas Walter's 'Grounds and rules of musick explained'" in Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society 42 (1932), p. 242.

Imprint date from ESTC.

Signatures: [A]⁴ B-D⁴, ²A-E⁴. (A variant has: [A]⁴ B-D⁴, ²A-F⁴. Cf. M.B. Jones, "Bibliographical notes on Thomas Walter's 'Grounds and rules of musick explained'" in Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society 42 (1932), p. 241.)

Woodcut illustrations (music). Plates 1-20 probably by Thomas Johnston; "plates 21-24 are in a very different style, and the engraved portion of the plates is somewhat larger. Plate 23 presents definite indication of renumbering, and the F signature marks are in the same style as those on the preceding plates. It would seem that plates 21-24 are the work of a different engraver, or were made with some other use in mind."--M.B. Jones, "Bibliographical notes on Thomas Walter's 'Grounds and rules of musick explained'" in Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society 42 (1932), p. 242-243.

Title within border of double rules.

Text printed in double columns.

Type ornament head-pieces.

"In both issues of this edition the reverse of the title-page contains material headed 'Thoughts on POETRY and MUSICK: by Dr. Watts.' The 'Recommendatory PREFACE' bears the same date as in the earlier editions. The names of the recommending ministers are the same as in the fourth [i.e. 1746] edition and are printed in the same order. The 'Preface,' pp. iii, is followed by an unnumbered page of musical characters and the 'Instructions' fill pp. 1-25. Plate 1 of the engraved music, as in the other editions, contains 'Rules for tuning the Voice.'"----M.B. Jones, "Bibliographical notes on Thomas Walter's 'Grounds and rules of musick explained'" in Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society 42 (1932), p. 242.

RBC copy has bound in after the last plate 12 leaves (24 p.) of contemporary ms. transcriptions of music (with titles of tunes and occasional lyrics), of which the first 8 pages are numbered 24-31 and the last 16 pages are unnumbered, followed by 18 leaves (36 unnumbered pages) of ms. accounts of Jonathan Burbank (1762-1832 or 1833) of Campton, N.H., dated from October 1786 to May 1806. For a fuller description of the ms. portion of this item, see record for: [Hybrid book of music and accounts]. Campton, 1760-1806.

Local Notes:

RBC copy bound with: [Hybrid hymn book]. [Duxbury, Mass.], circa 1762.

RBC copy imperfect: plate 20 (leaf ²E4) wanting; plate 18 largely torn off with only a portion of head inner corner remaining.

RBC copy acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Max C. and Zipora E. Baylinson Music Fund.

RBC copy acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Anne and Joseph Trachtman Memorial Book Fund.

RBC copy has on verso of plate 5 early ms. note ("Doctor Needs Colt the 9th October"); on verso of plate 11 various ms. inscriptions, including the names of Jonathan Burbank and Ebenezer Burbank.

RBC copy has some non-musical ms. inscriptions on the 12 leaves (24 p.) of contemporary ms. transcriptions of music following the last plate, including the names of Jonathan Burbank, Benjamin Burbank ("of Campton" -- Jonathan Burbank's brother, 1765-1838) and Elizabeth Burbank on p. [36] and the name Mary Edwards followed by the note "Mary Edwards and Elijah Hatch intend Marriage" on p. [46].

RBC copy has mentioned on the 18 leaves (36 unnumbered pages) of ms. accounts of Jonathan Burbank's various family members: Elizabeth Burbank (both his wife, 1757-1855, and his daughter, later Goodhue, 1788-1876), his brothers William Burbank (1769-1844) and Ebenezer Burbank (ca. 1773-1849), and his sons Jonathan Burbank (b. 1786), Gershom Burbank (b. 1792), Ebenezer Burbank (1794-1868) and Moses Burbank (1798-1888). Also mentioned are various people with whom Burbank did business: "Trustim [also "Tristim"] Bartlet" (i.e. Tristram Bartlett, 1768-1840), Josiah Blasdel (or Blaisdell, d. 1822), Daniel Blesdel (or Blaisdell, 1771-1852), Mary Briant, John Brown (1747-1807), "Mr. Bump" (probably James Bump or Bumpas, 1750-1792), Pelatiah Chapin (1746-1837), Carr Chase (b. 1746), Jabez Church (1747-1826), Samuel Darborn (i.e. Dearborn, 1745-1833), Polly Edwards, Ezekiel Elliott (1746-1833), "Mr. Foss," Polly Fose(?), "Mr. Hall," "Mr. Hatch" (possibly Elijah Hatch, d. 1818), "Captain Holmes" (possibly Samuel Holmes, 1750-1823), Joseph Homan (1765-1830), Edmund Marsh (d. 1845), John Marsh (1763-1846), John McCarter (or McArthur, 1742-1816), "McLallin" (possibly John McLellan, 1742-1817), Dr. Moses Nichols (1763-1849), Jonathan Pearson, David Pearce (possibly David Pierce, d. 1823), Daniel Persivill (i.e Percival, 1770-1843), Roland Persivel (i.e. Percival; either the father b. 1741 or the son b. 1763), David Perkins (either the father, 1739-1805?, or the son, 1778-1835), Joseph Pulsifer (1745-1832), John Robinson, Dr. Joshua Rogers (1769-1848), "Lieutenant [also "Captain"] Southmayd" (possibly John Southmayd, 1751-1839), Hannah Tory, Lucy Woodbery, and David Worcester (or Wooster, b. 1762).

RBC copy acquired for the Penn Libraries at auction from Doyle New York on 22 November 2016 (lot 253).

RBC copy has dated 18th-century ms. ownership inscription ("Rowley December The 12 1771 XX 12345 Ebenezer Clough his book. Amend") on front pastedown; ms. inscription ("Rowley December the") on front pastedown; other autographs of Ebenezer Clough on front pastedown (one dated 1772) and leaf A2r. This person is probably to be identified with Ebenezer Clough (1752-1781).

RBC copy has 2 early ms. ownership inscriptions ("Thomas Burpe His Book") on title leaf; ms. ownership inscription ("Thomas Burpee His Sing Bangor" followed by "Bangor" again) on leaf A2r.

RBC copy has autographs of Jonathan Burbank (1762-1832 or 1833) of Campton, N.H., throughout printed text and ms. leaves. Burbank married Elizabeth Clough (née Thurla or Thurlow; 1757-1855), widow of Ebenezer Clough, in 1785.

RBC copy: plate 19: portion of tail margin torn off; plate torn off at head inner corner and mended with thread.

Cited in:

ESTC W15530

Evans 8760

Related Work:

Watts, Isaac, 1674-1748. Thoughts on poetry and musick.

OCLC:

80193657

Online:

The Max C. and Zipora E. Baylinson Music Fund Home Page

The Anne and Joseph Trachtman Memorial Book Fund Home Page