The Cantica Sacra / Die Cantica Sacra; A Collection of Church Music, Embracing, Besides Some New Pieces, a Choice Selection of German and English Chorals, Set Pieces, Chants, etc., from the Best European and American Authors; adapted to the Various Meters in Use; with the Text in German and English [Shaped Note Hymnal / Songster / Music Book] by Fast, J. J. (John J.) - 1854

Hudson, Ohio: Published by the Hudson Book Company, 1854. First Edition First Printing . Hardcover. Good. Oblong Octavo. 352 pages, indexed. Hardcover bound in quarter leather with printed paper-covered boards. The binding is worn but sound. There is a little nick in the leather on the front hinge of the spine. The corners of the boards are bumped and chipped, and the bottom corner of the rear board is broken away (to about an inch up from the corner on the fore edge to an inch and a half along the bottom edge). The boards are a bit soiled and worn, but the lettering on the boards is not faded or rubbed off; very legible on the front. There is some scuffing on the rear board. The front blank flyleaf is torn away to a short tab, but the book contains both title pages: one for the German and one for the English. Pencil notations on a simple score on the front pastedown. The text block is sound. The last page of the index is a little crooked but is still solid, and the rear blank flyleaf is a little over half torn away. The text shows some foxing, but overall a sound, decent copy. A rare volume of mid-western Shaped Note music. John J. Fast was a Lutheran minister near Canton, Ohio. In 1837 he broke away from the local German-speaking Lutherans to set up an English-speaking congregation. The formed the "Evangelical Congregation of Canton, Ohio" and were joined by some other Lutheran ministers, although they did not join the Synod until years later. The congregation was joined by some members of the German Reformed Church who also wanted some services in English. In the 1840s it became connected with the Canton Male Seminary. This is a rare 7 shaped-note hymnal or songster for the use of that congregation and the German-Americans in Ohio. The text of some of the pieces is in German, and in some songs the text is given in both German and in English.