SONG-BOOK OF THE SCHOOL-ROOM: CONSISTING OF A GREAT VARIETY OF SONGS, HYMNS, AND SCRIPTURAL SELECTIONS WITH APPROPRIATE MUSIC, ARRANGED TO BE SUNG IN ONE, TWO, OR THREE PARTS: CONTAINING, ALSO, THE ELEMENTARY PRINCIPLES OF VOCAL MUSIC, PREPARED WITH REFERENCE TO THE INDUCTIVE, OR PESTALOZZIAN METHOD OF TEACHING: DESIGNED AS A COMPLETE MUSIC MANUAL FOR COMMON, OR GRAMMAR SCHOOLS. BY LOWELL MASON & GEORGE JAMES WEB B. NEW YORK: PUBLISHED BY MASON BROTHERS, 1860. Mus.396.34.2 PREFACE. THIS work has been prepared with reference to the wants of Common Schools and Academies. In it wil be found many songs, adapted to the various circumstances of school children and youth, from eight or ten, to fourteen or sixteen years of age. The variety is thought to be greater than in most similar works, including the sprightly and enlivening, the calm and soothing, and the sober and devout. It is regarded as a matter of the first importance, in connection with singing in schools, that the songs introduced, whether joyful and animating, or grave and solemn, should ever be of an elevated character, tending not to abase or degrade, but rather to exalt, ennoble, and purify the thoughts, feelings and associations of the young. If this point be not carefully guarded, or if, in school-singing, such words or melodies be permitted, as tend to vulgarity, coarseness, rudeness, or to mere trifling and frivolity, we may, ere long, regret the day when music was added to the list of school studies; for it may be regarded as certain, that it will not hold a mere neutral position between the good and the bad, but, according to the direction given to it, will put forth an influence either for the one, or for the other. Under the influence of such views, the editors have selected, with a jealous eye, from the materials they have had before them; and they now present this little volume to parents, teachers and pupils, believing that it is not only free from that which is low, inelegant and pernicious, but that the songs, while they are cheerful and pleasing, will be found to accord with the efforts of those who labor to make our children better and happier. It will be observed, that in the elementary department, the principles of notation, or the things to be taught in the elementary principles of music, are defined or explained in such a successive order as is adapted to the inductive method of teaching. But no attempt has been made to guide the teacher to that method; for such a guide, he is referred to "The Primary School Song-Book," a work designed to precede the use of this, and to the "Manual of Instruction of the Boston Academy of Music." It may be proper to remark, however, that although in this work the different departments are kept distinct, such is not to be the case in teaching. The teacher is not to go through with Rhythmics, before introducing Melodics, but, on the contrary, Melodics should be introduced, perhaps, at the very first lesson, and the different departments be taught in connection. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1847, BY WILKINS, CARTER, & CO., n the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. |