The Village Harmony (Samuel Wakely)

General information

Publication and description of contents

Samuel Wakely's book The Village Harmony was published in 1846: it is undated, but this date is given by the British Library catalogue for the copy at shelfmark H.1181.(40.).

Publication date and place: 1846 by John Peck in London.

The first page of music is unnumbered, but is followed by page 2: this first page has a drop title which describes the work as 'containing two anthems & fifteen psalm tunes, with canons and rounds'. Of the fifteen 'psalm tunes', the first fourteen are all settings of the 'New Version' metrical psalms by Nahum Tate and Nicholas Brady: the fifteenth is a setting of Thomas Ken's doxology 'Praise God from whom all blessings flow'. The drop title identifies Wakely as the 'Author of the well known Tunes called Reuben & Navarino': it describes Village Harmony as his 'Book 5', and gives its price as 5 shillings. The work was published in London, 'for the Author, by J. PECK, 44, Newgate Street'. Humphries and Smith indicate that John Peck operated alone at this address c1836-1850: he was previously in partnership with his father James Peck (p255, Humphries & Smith, 1970). James Peck had been the publisher of Wakely's earlier works, during Wakely's time in Bridport.

Village Harmony was published by subscription, and the list of subscribers is printed on p20 of the work. Many of the subscribers are from west Hampshire, south Wiltshire or east Dorset, the area local to Wakely who was living in Rockbourne at the time.

The psalm tunes are laid out in full score in four parts, which are not labelled but appear to be Tenor - Alto - Soprano - Bass, with the melody in the soprano part: the upper three parts are given in the treble clef. The tenor and alto parts are notated an octave above sounding pitch, and the soprano and bass are bracketed together. The canons are in two parts (treble and bass clefs), while the rounds are in three parts (treble clef). The anthems include four-part choruses laid out in the same format as the psalm tunes, as well as solo, duet and verse sections.

The vocal bass parts in the anthems and psalm tunes are figured, and there are some sections of the bass parts in both anthems and psalm tunes which are clearly instrumental: some, but not all, of these are marked 'Inst:'. There are also some treble-range instrumental sections in both anthems and psalm tunes, marked 'Sym:' to indicate 'symphonies'. The canons and rounds show no indication of independent instrumental accompaniment.

Subscribers

Carnagie, Revd J. Cranborne. Cooper, Revd Mr Stratford. Everett, Revd T. Fordingbridge. Harris, Revd C. Wilton. Hatch, Revd C. Fordingbridge. Longlands, Revd T. Damerham. Maturin Revd C. H. Ringwood. Newington, Revd. F. Breamore. Palmer, Revd J. N. Breamore. Purvis, Revd R. F. Whitsbury. Peaty, Revd T. Cranborne. Yonge, Revd W. J. Rockborne. Atkings, Mr J. Fordingbridge. Aylward, Mr Salisbury. (2 Copies.) Axford, Mr J. Steeple - Ashton. Budd, R. Esqe Fawley. Brier, Mr Southampton Barns, Mr R. Broughton. Barter, Mr J. West Lavington. Bishop, Mr C. Bittern. Blackmore, Mr Wilton. Corry, Mrs West Park, Hampshire. Curtis, Mr T. Organist, Fordingbridge. Clark, T. Esqe Martock, Somerset. Cable, Mr Wallop. Crouch, Mr Winsome. Chalk, Mr J. R. O. Downton. Dewey, Mr C. Shrewton. Dewey, Mr J. Shrewton. Dibben, Mr Moor - Critchell. Dennett, Mr W. H. Martin. Goodfellow, Mr W. Cranborne. Giles, Mr Steeple Langford. Hann, Mr G. Stoke Abbot, Dorset. Hood, Mr C. Whitsbury. Heald, Mr H. G. Wilton. Harvey, Mr F. Cranborne. Harvey, Mr I. Witchampton. Hardiman, T. Esqe Tarrent Hinton.

Lewis, Mr J. Bucklington. Lampard, Mr T. Barford St Martin. Lush, Mr Damerham. Miles, Mr W. Shrewton Miles Mr I. Do May, Mr I. Durington. Maslin, Mr G. Keevil Mattock, Mr R. Steeple Ashton. Norman, Mr Martin's Town. Newton, Mr Moor Critchell. Newman, Mr South Newton. Orchard, Mr J. Keevil. Pothecary, Mr J. Rockborne. (2 Copies) Pothecary, Mr I. Do Pothecary, Mr G. Abbot's Ann. Rogers, Mr S. Wilton. Rawlence, Mr G. Fordingbridge. Salmon, Mr Broad Chalk. Sandel, Mr I. Amesbury. Truckel, Mr C. Do Thorne, Mr E. Organist. Bradford Abbas. Tucker, Mr Southampton. Vincent, Mr C. Semley. Watts, Mr I. Hinton. Worthy Slater Mr Do Wyatt, Mr Organist. St: Helier's Jersey. (6 Copies) White, Mr W. Martin. Yarham, Mr R. Salisbury. CHOIRS Bradpole. Bonethenhampton. Bulford. Cranborne. Tidworth. Wallop. Nether Wallop. Semley.

List of works

Pages	Description	Text
01[1]-5	The Musician’s Funeral Anthem.	My harp is turned to mourning
026-9	I am thine, O save me. An Anthem on the 119th Psalm.	I am thine, O save me
0310	Inspection. L.M. Psalm 14th Ver: 2. 3. 5. 6. 7.	The Lord looked down from heaven's high tower
0410	Heavenly Light. L.M. Psalm 43. Verse 3.	Let me with light and truth be blest
0511	Hooper. S.M. Psalm 25. Pt: 2. N.V.	Since mercy is the grace
0611	Cranmer. C.M. Psalm 102. N.V.	When I pour out my soul in prayer
0712	Wickliffe. L.M. Psalm 89. N.V.	Thy mercies, Lord, shall be my song
0812	Ridley. S.M. Psalm 142. N.V.	To God with mournful voice
0913	Invitation. L.M. Psalm 95. N.V.	O come, loud anthems let us sing
1014	Tindal. L.M. Psalm 101. N.V.	Of mercy's never-failing spring
1114	Luther. L.M. Psalm 18. Pt 2.	The Lord did on my side engage
1215	Latimer. C.M. Psalm 141.	To thee, O God, my cries ascend
1315	Bradford. C.M. Psalm 86. N.V.	Teach me the way, O Lord, and I
1416	Grand Ascension. C.M. Psalm 24. Ver: 7. &c: N.V.	Erect your heads, eternal gates
1517	Saunders. L.M. Psalm 139. N.V.	Thou, Lord, by strictest search hast known
1617	Philpot. C.M. Psalm 22. Pt: 2. N.V.	Thus in thy sacred courts will I
1718	Ken. L.M.	Praise God, from whom all blessings flow
1818-19	Canon. To be sung before Meat.	The eyes of all wait upon thee, O Lord
1919	Canon. To be sung after Meat.	O thank the Lord, who giveth food to all flesh
2019	A Round for three Voices. From the 65th Psalm N.V.	Thy goodness does the circling year
2119	A Round for three Voices.	Arise, O Lord God, and lift up thine hand
2220	SUBSCRIBERS

Works at CPDL

Title	Year	Page	Genre	Subgenre	Vo.	Voices
Since mercy is the grace	1846	11	Sacred	Hymns	4	SATB
The Lord looked down from heaven's high tower	1846	10	Sacred	Hymns	4	SATB

References

• Charles Humphries & William C. Smith, Music Publishing in the British Isles, 2nd edition, Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1970.