The Colonial Period (1600-1800)

Bringing Music to the New World

1620

• Pilgrim separatists established the Plymouth Colony and brought with them Henry Ainsworth's Book of Psalms containing 39 psalm tunes.

1630

• The Puritans established the Massachusetts Bay Colony and brought Stemhold and Hopkin's Whole Book of Psalms.  Began the practice of "lining out."

1639

• Dissatisfied with some of the translations and number of meters in the Sternhold and Hopkins, the Puritans publish The Bay Psalm Book.

1642-1648

• Massachusetts passed first laws to establish public schools.

Note vs. Rote - Shaped Notes and the Singing Schools

• Thomas Symmes wrote a pamphlet entitled The Reasonableness of Regular Singing, or Singing by Note.

1721

• John Tufts published An Introduction to the Singing of Psalm Tunes Using Non-Traditional Notation.

• Symmes suggested the establishment of singing schools to improve the musical skills of the church-going populace.

1725-1800's

• The singing school movement flourished during the "Great Awakening."