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The Lord's Prayer Composed by J. G. May. the Words by the Revd. C. E. [Engraved Philadelphia Sheet Music with Lyrics in English and German]
by May, J. G.; Revd. C. E
- Used
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Wilmington, Delaware, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Philadelphia: Published and Sold at G[eorge]. Willig's Music Store, 1817. [3], [1, blank]pp. 13 x 9¾ inches. First Edition, First State. Engraved Musical Score. Bifolium. Title from caption on page [2]; 16-line copyright statement dated 9 May 1817 on page [1]. Early, pictorial hand stamp for the Franklin Music Warehouse, Boston on p[1]. Removed; early paper tape spine reinforcement; light staining; very good.
Interesting Philadelphia engraved sheet music, possibly composed by a woman, with English and German-language lyrics. The latter is printed in English and German typeface; an unusual thing to see-bilingual American sheet music published at this early date.
The lyrics of J. G. May's The Lord's Prayer do not follow the Biblical text of the prayer "Our Father...," but are an extended variant of it, a textual reinvention of the Dominical prayer common within eighteenth and early nineteenth-century hymnody.
The English and German lyrics for the first verse are set within the music which is arranged in a three-stave format. Six additional quatrain verses, again, both in English and German, follow.
The opening quatrain gives a flavor of the hymn's text:
"Our Father Ruler of the Heavens!
Hallow'd be thy name Creator! Lord!
By the Seraph, by the Saint in Glory,
By cheerful living worm ador'd!"
The Biblical allusion to man as a worm (cf. Job 25:6) is resonant with Pennsylvania-German Pietist sensibilities and may suggest that the lyricist was a Pennsylvania German minister.
Rare sheet music from 1817 Philadelphia showing an unusual German-American bilingual presentation.
OCLC 64345015 (1 copy only). Wolfe, Secular Music in America, 1801-1825 5650, citing six additional locations and noting "May, J. G., Unidentified composer of Philadelphia or its environs, possibly a woman."
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Details
- Bookseller
- Ian Brabner, Rare Americana (ABAA)
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 146350
- Title
- The Lord's Prayer Composed by J. G. May. the Words by the Revd. C. E. [Engraved Philadelphia Sheet Music with Lyrics in English and German]
- Author
- May, J. G.; Revd. C. E
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
Terms of Sale
Ian Brabner, Rare Americana (ABAA)
We are members of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA) and the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB). As such, we abide by their code of ethics and conduct. We are also members of The Manuscript Society and The Ephemera Society of America (Lifetime). Ian Brabner is also a member of The Grolier Club.
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About the Seller
Ian Brabner, Rare Americana (ABAA)
Biblio member since 2020
Wilmington, Delaware
About Ian Brabner, Rare Americana (ABAA)
Established in 1995, Ian Brabner, Rare Americana buys and sells rare books and manuscripts covering diverse facets of American history.
Our inventory encompasses a broad spectrum of collecting interests, with a special focus on 18th- and 19th-century American history, including African-American history, women's history, and unique or unusual materials documenting the American experience. In our stock, you will also find rare pamphlets, documents, letters and correspondence, journals, diaries, significant archives, as well as original art, graphics, and photographs.
Our inventory encompasses a broad spectrum of collecting interests, with a special focus on 18th- and 19th-century American history, including African-American history, women's history, and unique or unusual materials documenting the American experience. In our stock, you will also find rare pamphlets, documents, letters and correspondence, journals, diaries, significant archives, as well as original art, graphics, and photographs.
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