THE FARMER'S EVENING ENTERTAINMENT, 1804

ASMI 274 

Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, good will to men! The Farmer's Evening Entertainment. Containing, I. Characters, rules and directions for vocal music. II. A number of new tunes of as various airs and metres as the compass of the book will admit. III. New hymns, taken from sacred writ, and adapted to the tunes; calculated for social worship. By Solomon Howe, A.M.

I. When lab'rers quit their cares for rest, / With calm content and friendship blest; /They may their ev'ning hours employ, / In gratitude and social joy. 2. Sweetly their tuneful voices join, / To shew their maker's praise divine; / Sincere delight attends their songs, / In their united hearts and tongues. 3. Domestic pleasures cheer their mind, /While male and female voices join'd; / Attract the heart and charm the ear, / And God supreme delights to hear! / 4. Thus let our tuneful voices prove, / The means of friendship, peace and love; / Improv'd to serve and honor God, / - Prepar'd for his sublime abode.

Copy right secur'd to the author fourteen years. Printed at Northampton, By Andrew Wright-for the author. Sold by him, in Greenwich; and by the booksellers in Northampton, Boston, N. York, Albany, Hartford, Exeter, Providence, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and country merchants. - Price 25 cents. 1804.

32 p. 13 x 21.5 cm.

Advertisement dated Greenwich, Mass., April 1804. Northampton Republican Spy, 25 Sept. 1804, advertises work as just published; notice dated 24 July 1804. p. [1], t-p.; p. [2], 'Advertisement'; p. [3]-6, 'Rules of Music'; p. 7-32, music; p. 32, 'Index.' 'As Farmers and Mechanics are the support of the community it may be proper, humbly to offer them the product of one of their weakest brethren, whose winter evenings, have been a little devoted to the study of Music; tho', perhaps the following tunes will not suit the taste of the public, as there may be a disagreeable sameness, in the estimation of some; but I hope not so disgustful, as to render the whole work useless. Many complain that there are too many music books now extant; if the charge is true, I hope the Hymns in this work may give some satisfaction, to the honest Farmer and Mechanic, whose winter evenings may be employed in social Harmony, or communicating the practical knowledge of Music, to the pliant minds of youth; which may be the pleasant and easy means of one branch of human happiness during life. Nothing can give parents greater pleasure, than to see children readily receive instruction of the most useful kind. The Purchaser may expect many imperfections, as the Author is very fallible, yet the candid will be disposed to overlook the necessary mistakes which often occur in books of this kind; and as my eye-sight (on some accounts) has fail'd me, for nearly forty years, I wish the singing Masters, who find minims of 7ths, 9ths, or 2nds, to remove them with their pen; for I have not designedly set any in that connection. . [New par.] Tho' Music has made vast progress in twenty-five years, yet some professed friends have made horrid havoc of it, in a few years; perhaps, to line their own pockets; as no other object appears to the public. Mr. Wm. Billings and Capt. Abrm. Wood were first Authors of Note in America, Anno. 1770, &c. A number since, in succession, have offered their acceptable works to the public, whose names are too numerous to be mentioned; but some Authors and Publishers of Tunes, who, (in a number of the states) seem to be void of stock, have been bold enough to take tunes from Billings, Wood, Babcock, Reed, Kimball, Gillet, Brownson, &c. &c. without leave and publish and sell them without the Author's notice, chiefly before the Congress had given power to Authors for securing CopyRights; this laid those Authors under the necessity of loosing the benefit of their best compositions. This mode of avarice, has been practiced by some printers, wishing to appear, as Authors, rather than Publishers, have, wasted cartloads of paper, which must forever lie, as useless lumber on the hands of credulous purchasers, unless us'd for wrapping paper; and bring a just odium, on their compilers. This truth, ought to impress every ingenuous mind, with a proper resentment against such impious intruders on human rights, who, (under pretence of serving the public) are taking away the hard earn'd bread of ingenious and very dependent Authors, who, by these means are render'd unable to publish their own Compositions.' (Advertisement almost entire.) 

          34 compositions for 4 voices; full text. No attribs.; all apparently by Howe. 34 1st pr. identified. All are American. 

No Core Repertory.

          S6508 (no copy on Readex). CLU, CtHC, DLC, MBAt, MHi (2), MWA, MiU-C*, N, NRU-Mus, RPB.

NOTE: A Boston music periodical, The Euterpeiad (8 June 1822), p. 46, reprinted, 'verbatim et literatim,' an excerpt from the Newark New Jersey Eagle, written by a correspondent who complained of modern-day disrespect for 'yankey' composers. In the course of an often ungrammatical diatribe, he wrote the following, an almost direct quotation from the middle of Howe's 'Advertisement':

mr William Billings and Cap't Abrm Wood was The first Author of Note in America in the Year 1770 &c. a Number in Succession Since have offer'd there Acceptible work to The publick Who's Names I will Not Mention . . .