The earliest extant tunebook published by a resident of the southern United States was The United States Sacred Harmony, compiled by Amos Pilsbury (1772-1812) and published in Boston in 1799.
CHARLESTOWN, named after Pilsbury’s residence of Charleston, South Carolina, is one of 30 of the book’s 240 tunes that had not been published previously in English or American tunebooks; it is also one of five tunes thought to have been composed or transcribed from oral tradition by Pilsbury himself. All five of these tunes were subsequently reprinted with regularity in other southern tunebooks, including the two most influential in the “fasola” singing tradition: William Walker’s Southern Harmony (1835) and B.F. White and E.J. King’s Sacred Harp (1844).
Spanning an octave, the tune is typical of American folk hymns, imbued with emotion through the rising and falling of each of its four phrases. Mostly pentatonic, with the exception of a leading tone in the second and third phrases, it lends itself to rich harmonization.
“On an Early American Hymn Tune” presents CHARLESTOWN three times: first, by woodwinds in open intervals reminiscent of folk harmonies; next, by oboe, saxophones, and tuned percussion, richly harmonized (a soprano saxophone part, substituting for oboe, is provided if ensembles wish to perform this section as saxophone choir and percussion); and finally, powerfully by horns/saxophones/clarinets and low brass before gradually diminishing in volume to a restful ending.
Instrumentation
Flute 1-2, Oboe, Bassoon, Bb Clarinet 1-2, Bass Clarinet, Bb Soprano Sax (opt.), Eb Alto Sax 1-2, Bb Tenor Sax, Eb Baritone Sax, Bb Trumpet 1-2, F Horn, Trombone, Euphonium B.C./T.C., Tuba, Timpani, Chimes, Bells, Vibraphone, Marimba, Triangle/Susp. Cymbal/Bass Drum
Band Set and Score, printed — $55.00
Band Set and Score, ePrint — $55.00
Additional Score — $7.00
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