In issuing a new edition of a music-book which has already had the very extraordinary sale of 400,000 copies, the publishers believe there can be no impropriety in styling it the most useful collection of Church Music ever published. Of the multitude of music-books issued, a large number never reach a sale of 1,000 copies, while a very small number, only, ever exceed 10,000 copies, in sale. But two or three other similar collections of Church Music, have ever reached a sale of 100,000 copies, and not one has exceeded 200,000. When, therefore, in connection with these facts, it is considered that so large a number of Carmina Sacra have been sold; when it is remembered that the sale has extended through so many years, and has continued, while a succession of new books have made claim for public favor, it will be seen that this work has the most emphatic approval possible.

Carmina Sacra was first published in 1841. No extraordinary means being used to bring it to notice, its sale was at first moderate. In use, it gave such satisfaction as no other book had given, and thus it rose from its own intrinsic merits. It was found, moreover, that the musie it contained did not wear out with a few times singing. It not only pleased the taste, but won its way to the affections of singers and congregations. Years passed, each bringing its new books of Church Music, which, after a brief and limited circulation, passed away. Still, "Carmina" held on its way, until, in 1850, the extraordinary evidence of the merits of the work, evineed by its large sale, induced its proprietors to undertake a revision. Such of its contents as had proved least valuable were omitted, and their place supplied by pieces which had proved most popular in the author's other works. Thus improved, it was called the NEW CARMINA SACRA, and its sale received a fresh impulse.

Another evidence of the merits of this book is found in the fact that for many years

NEW VORK, September, 1855.

scarcely a book of Church Music has been published without application being made to the proprietors for permission to use more or less of the tunes from Carmina Sacra. Moreover the most popular books published within a few years have been those in which the right was secured to use some tunes from this work.

The amount of good which Carmina Sacra has accomplished in the Church Music of America, can not easily be estimated. In this book were first given to the public such tunes as Hebron, Boylston, Olmutz, Hamburg, Fountain, Badea, and others which are heard in almost every church in the land, and in the use of which the people are enabled to unite in the singing. It is not too much to say that "Carmina Sacra" has done more for Congregational Singing than any other instrumentality. The stranger from one extreme of the Union as, in his travels, he worships with a congregation at the other extreme, is enabled to unite with them in singing those tunes, from this book, which he had learned to love at home. The practically useful character of the contents of this book, and its consequent wide circulation, have thus been instrumental in producing the most important results.

It is fit that no pains should be spared to bring such a work to the highest state of F fection. In pursuit of this object, some further improvements have been made in the pres edition. A number of tunes from recent works, which have been well tried and approv are inserted. New Elements of Musical Notation, prepared by the editor, are also insert in order to adapt it more thoroughly to usefulness as a text-book for Singing-Schools.

The New Carmina Sacra, as it now stands, therefore, has been thoroughly tried and sproved. It it is not like a work first published, which can not hope to avoid including mu chaff with the wheat. The whole has been well winnowed, and the place of the chaff, whi was blown away is supplied by pure grain,

7

§ 4. Measures, and parts of measures, are indicated or manifested-1st, to the ear, by counting; 2d, to the eye, by motions of the hands, called BEATS, or BEATING TIME.

§ 5. Double Measure is designated by the figure 2. It has two beats, downward and upward. Accented on the first part of the measure.

§ 6. Triple Measure is designated by the figure 3. It has three beats, downward, inward or hither, and upward. Accented on the first part of the measure. § 7. Quadruple Measure is designated by the figure 4. It has four beats, downward, inward or hither, outward or thither, and upward. Accented on the first and third parts of the measure.

§ 8. Sextuple Measure is designated by the figure 6. It has six beats, downward, downward, inward, outward, upward, upward. Accented on the first and fourth parts of the measure.

§ 9. One quadruple measure is equivalent to two double measures; and one sextuple measure is equivalent to two triple measures.

CHAPTER III.

NOTES AND RESTS.

§ 10. THE comparative length of tones is represented by the form of certain characters, called NOTES.

§ 11. There are five kinds of notes in common use; the length represented by them is indicated by their names, as follows: WHOLE (or whole note), HALF, QUARTER, EIGHTH, and SIXTEenth.

NOTE. These notes are also often called by the following names-Semibreve, Minim, Crotchet, Quaver, and Semiquaver.

§ 12. In addition to the above, THIRTY-SECONDS and SIXTY-FOURTHS

sometimes used.

are

NOTE.-The teacher is advised first to introduce the quarter note as a standard, or representative of each part of a measure; he may then proceed to obtain the half and the whole, by the prolongation of the tone, or by the union of the parts of the measure, and afterwards to obtain also the eighth and the six. teenth by the more difficult process of dividing the parts of measures, by producing two or more tones to each.

§ 15. A part of a measure may be so divided, as to be occ pied by three