THE GENTLEMAN AND LADY'S MUSICAL COMPANION, 1774-83

The Hartford Connecticut Courant, 1-8 March 1774, carried Stickney's subscription proposal for a tunebook he planned to bring out. Because the book that was published does not entirely fit the proposed work's description, the proposal and a subsequent ad in the same newspaper are quoted at length here as evidence that might help to explain the change that took place.

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Musick. Whereas the subscriber has been improved for several years past in teaching Psalmody, and finding by long experience the necessity of an Emedation, even in the best approved pieces of musick now extant, has been induced, by the advice of his friends, to submit the following to the consideration of the Public, viz. Proposals, For Engraving by Subscription, The Gentleman and Lady's Musical Companion: Being a neat and general Collection of Psalm Tunes and Anthems. [New par.] The subscriber has found that complaints have generally subsisted among the best teachers of musick, with regard to the useful-ness of a considerable part of the best collections of musick that have as yet been made public. In almost every collection we find a very considerable proportion both of tunes and anthems, which have never been so lucky as to obtain a general approbation, and probably never will; so that in order to purchase those that are generally approved and probably will continue so, we are put to an equal expence for those that are entirely useless. In order to remedy the above inconvenience, 'tis proposed that this collection shall consist of pieces taken from the most approved authors, and especially such as have obtained the approbation of the best masters. To which will be added some pieces which have not yet been published, together with a considerable number which have been but little known; to which will be prefixed a short but plain and easy explanation of the rules of musick. The work to be executed on a good paper, the plates prepared by a good engraver, the whole carefully corrected, and the books well bound. The above collection will contain about 150 pages, of the same dimension as Bayley's emendation of Tans'ur and Williams. The price to subscribers will be Six Shillings, Lawful Money for each book; any person who shall subscribe for six books shall have a seventh gratis. Subscriptions are taken in at the Printing Office in Hartford, where the work will be executed; and by Mr. John Chester at Wethersfield, Rev. Mr. Merriam of Stepney, Mr. Benjamin Galpin of Kensington, Mess. Thomas and Samuel Green, Printers in New Haven, Mr. Timothy Green Printer New London, Mess. Green and Spencer, Printers in Norwich, Mr. William Stanton of Litchfield, Mess. Smith and Shepard in Sharon, Mr. John Watson of Canaan, Mr. Titus Watson in Norfolk, Mr. Seth Smith of New-Hartford, and Mess. Shepard and Hopkins in Northampton, and by a number of other Gentlemen in different towns, to which subscription papers are sent. [New par.] Those gentlemen and ladies that incline to become subscribers are desired to do it as soon as convenience will allow, as the gentlemen who have subscription papers in their hands will be desired to return them into the printing-office at or before the General Election at Hartford in May next, that the undertakers may know what encouragement they may have to proceed; immediately upon which will be advertised in the public papers their resolution whether to proceed or not; at which time and place the subscriber expects to be present, and give those who are become subscribers an opportunity to peruse the collection (if desired) as it is expected by that time it will be prepared for the engraver. The subscriber will esteem it as a peculiar kindness if gentlemen employed in teaching of musick or any others would favour him with those curious pieces they may be acquainted with, which have not been made public, by sending them, as soon as may be to the printing office in Hartford, from whence the subscriber will easily obtain them. The public I trust, will readily see the necessity, at least the advantage of such a performance, particularly in having a considerable sum of money in the colony, which is annually carried out of it for the purchase of books-and the subscriber hopes, at least, that this collection will deserve the preference in point of usefulness to any others which have yet been introduced into practice among us. He has only to observe, that if the public shall favour this attempt, he shall always gratefully acknowledge their kindness and endeavour to serve them faithfully in his calling. according to his capacity, and remain, Their very Humble servant, John Stickney. Wethersfield, March 3, 1774.'

          Toward the end of April a notice signed by E. Watson, the proposed printer of Stickney's book, reported that 'Mr. Stickney's Collection of Musick, has already met with unexpected Encouragement,' and urged subscribers to turn in their names (Connecticut Courant, 19-26 April 1774). Stickney's promised announcement of his 'resolution whether to proceed or not,' however, never appeared. What did appear, early in May, was a tunebook advertisement from another quarter: 'Psalmody. The subscriber takes this method to advertise his customers and the public, that he is preparing to print a new edition of the American Harmony, Or, Tans'ur & Williams's Musick. As his plates are much worn, he is making new ones in their stead. Although his musick has met with so general acceptance yet there are some pieces that are but little used; - He proposes in this new edition to leave such pieces out, and supply their places with a number of pieces from different authors, such as he finds are most generally esteemed by the best masters and musical societies - He has taken great pains to collect from the best societies and musical gentlemen in the country, the choicest pieces that are to be met with - He also proposes to make a considerable addition from Knap, Stephenson, Lyon and Billings some of them never yet published. He is determined that every part of the work shall be well-executed, and sold as low as can possibly be afforded. above [book] will be sold by the Booksellers at Boston and Hartford. Daniel Bayley. Newbury Port, April 3, 1774.' (Connecticut Courant, 3-10 May 1774).

          Bayley's advertisement is germane to Stickney's book. There is no evidence that the 'new edition of the American Harmony' that Bayley promised ever appeared under that title. But the next tunebook that came from Bayley's press did fit the printed description rather closely. It was, in essence, a new edition of The American Harmony, with added pieces 'from Knapp, Stephenson, Lyon, and Billings' and including a few 'never yet published." The book's title was The Gentleman and Lady's Musical Companion; its introduction was signed by John Stickney and dated South Hadley, Massachusetts, 4 June 1774. The changes from Stickney's first description-in content, in size (212 rather than 150 pages of music), and in provenance (the made-in-Connecticut stamp of the original was obliterated by Bayley) -suggest that the compiler's subscription effort failed. The book that appeared under Stickney's name seems to owe more to Bayley's taste than to Stickney's.