Divine Song on the Northeast Frontier

The first book on Maine psalmody, this volume provides a fascinating look at the compilers, context, and contents of eighteen hymn-tune collections or "tunebooks" compiled in Maine between 1800 and 1830. The first part utilizes diaries, church records, town histories, newspapers, and other sources to provide the historical context in which the tunebooks were compiled and the social contexts in which they were used.

In the second part, the extant editions of tunebooks are compared and contrasted in terms of their prefaces, theoretical introductions, and overall repertory. Representative tunes by the Maine composers are discussed. Part III (Catalog of Music) provides an annotated index to the Belcher, Hartwell, Maxim, Robbins, and Washburn tunes printed in Maine collections from 1794 to 1830 and lists locations for the extant Maine tunebooks.