Haruo, I certainly hope you obtain that $5 copy of 'Christian Harmony." That will be a fine addition to your collection. Somebody told me that there are only 90+ copies of the book in America's libraries.

But let me add that there are reasons why this book was not a hit in its day and still isn't being used. For example, I'm looking at a tune called 'Newfound Hills' on page 68. Both the top part (presumably a descant) and the second line go up to the G at the top of the staff. That's too high for most people. Maybe the second line is supposed to be down an octave, but why doesn't the book say so?

Jeremiah Ingalls edited the book and may have composed some of it, but he was a farmer and cooper by trade. The book is naive. (There are no gracenotes, slurs and phrasemarks.)Some of the music seems uninteresting and many of the lyrics seem sententious.   However, there are other pieces which I consider worth saving, but more to play the music on instruments than to sing them. For example, can you imagine trying to get this past today's junior choir?

As shepherds in Jewry were guarding their sheep
promisc'ously seated, estranged from sleep,
an angel from heaven presented to view
and thus he accosted the trembling few:
yada yada yada

Still,a few seem actually worth reviving, and so I'm happy about your five-dollar book.