Missouri Harmony
The Missouri Harmony, first published in 1820, was the most popular of all frontier shape-note tune books during its reign. The 185 songs compiled in the collection were favorites used in Protestant churches and singing schools, and many were deeply rooted in American culture by the time of its first publication. The story of the book is the story of a burgeoning nation, with its origins in a St. Louis school (where it was introduced by singing master Allen Carden) and its spread along the Mississippi River and its tributaries. It’s said that even Abraham Lincoln and his sweetheart, Ann Rutledge, sang from The Missouri Harmony at her father’s tavern in Illinois.
Read more about Missouri Harmony: The Original Editions: 1820 Through 1850s, Abe Lincoln and The Missouri Harmony, Compilation of The Songs, New Fangled Replaces Old Fashioned, The 2005 Revised Edition
Famous quotes containing the words missouri and/or harmony:
“I was losing interest in politics, when the repeal of the Missouri Compromise aroused me again. What I have done since then is pretty well known.”
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865)
“The world was a huge ball then, the universe a might harmony of ellipses, everything moved mysteriously, incalculable distances through the ether.
We used to feel the awe of the distant stars upon us. All that led to was the eighty-eight naval guns, ersatz, and the night air-raids over cities. A magnificent spectacle.
After the collapse of the socialist dream, I came to America.”
—John Dos Passos (1896–1970)