| Citation |
CC-H.774.011
1-8 Mar 1774:32 (480)
Musick. Whereas the subscriber has been improved for
several years past in teaching psalmody, and finding by long
experience the necessity of an emendation, 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 subscriptions, The Gentleman and Lady's Musical
Companion: Being a neat and general collection of psalm
tunes and anthems.
The subscriber has found that complaints have generally
subsisted among the best teachers of musick, with regard to
the usefulness 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 expense 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 prefaced a short but plain and easy
explanation of the rules of musick. The work to be
exercised 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 dimensions 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
Have, Mr. Timothy Green printer New London, Mess Green and
Spooner, 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 gentlemen in different
towns, to whom subscription papers are sent.
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 have 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 saving a considerable sum of
money in the colony, which is annually carried out of it for
the purchase of book--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, [signed] John Stickney.
Wethersfield, March 3, 1774.
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