MUSICAL PUBLICATIONS.
Routledge's Church and Home Metrical Psalter and Hymnal. Edited by Charles II. Purday.
, One Hundred and One Popular Psalm and Hymn Tunes. Selected and ar- ranged by Charles H. Purday.
The second of these publications is included in the first. In the "Church and Home Metrical Psalter and Hymnal," the tunes are ac- companied with the words of Psalms and Hymns suitable for them ; a choice of six or seven sets of appropriate wards being given along with each tune. The other book contains the same tunes, without any words. "It has been thought advisable" says the Editor in his preface, "to have a twofold issue of the work; that is, one with the words and tunes com- bined, and the other with the tunes alone. By this means, both classes of purchasers may be accommodated ; and those who prefer to exercise their own judgment in the matter will be enabled to choose for themselves, or to adopt the particular tunes prescribed by their minister as appropriate to Psalms and Hymns in use at their own place of worship ;and this, too, at a price which places the collection within the reach of all." - To this satisfactory explanation we have to add that, on a careful ex- amination of the work, we find that the tunes have been most judiciously chosen, the selection being free from the rubbish too frequently found in modern collections ; that the harmonies are pure and solemn • that the words of the psalms and hymns are good in themselves, and well adapted to the tunes ; that the music is clearly and handsomely printed in what is called "short score,"—the four parts, that is te say, being compressed into two staves, whereby much space is saved without any sacrifice of distinctness; and lastly that elegance is combined with cheapness, these two little volumes being placed within the means of any purchaser. We heartily recommend the work, therefore, to the attention of our readers.
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