Vocabulary
Psalmody
Psalmody is the loose, general term for Early American sacred music. Psalmody includes both psalms, hymns, and anthems.
Tunebook
A tunebook contains religious music, often with text under the music. Tunebooks tend to be oblong. Daniel’s The American Singing Book is considered a tunebook.
Wordbook
A wordbook contains the religious texts only. Wordbooks are often vertical, small, and bulky. For sometime, and still to the present, wordbooks were referred to as hymnals. A wordbook, however, could contain both hymns and psalms.
Hymnal
As with a wordbook, a hymnal means the texts or words only, not the musical composition.
Set Piece
A psalm or hymn setting that sets more than one verse of text is a set piece. Sometimes this includes fuging, but not always.
Hymn/Hymn tune
A hymn is a religious poem written by a mortal. Daniel did not write the lyrics for his music. Many of his compositions are accompanied by hymns written by Philip Doddridge, Charles Wesley, and Dr. Isaac Watts. A hymn tune is a hymn set to music. An example of a hymn tune is Daniel’s NEWPORT.
Psalm/Psalm tune
A psalm is a religious song directly from the Bible. A psalm tune is a versified psalm text set to music. MORTALITY, with text from Watts is a versification of the 90th psalm.
Plain tune
A plain tune can be a psalm tune or hymn tune that is set to a single verse of text. It is usually four (4) line, no word repetition or vocal imitations. The syllables of the text are laid our in simple chords with one chord per syllable. A psalm tune or a hymn tune can also be a plain tune. WINDHAM is an example of a plain tune.
Fugue/Fuging tune
A fugue is a more complex than a psalm and involves text that is repeated or imitated as the composition advances. An example of a fuging tune is PROVIDENCE.
Tune with extension
A tune with extension is a psalm or hymn setting that includes a repetition of text but no imitation.
A gracious thanks to Nym Cooke for his guidance and contributions to the glossary page.