The Silent Harp is a SingLoud.org project tracing tunes that appeared and later disappeared from the Denson-book line of The Sacred Harp. The 1869 edition introduced many new songs, some short-lived, others sung for more than a century. These tunes remind us that The Sacred Harp has never been completed fixed in time or place, but has always changed through use, revision, and memory. This next song is one of those voices from the shifting life of the book.
A ★ symbol indicates it was removed from The Sacred Harp, 2025 Edition.
SCH2012 indicates the page in the “Cooper Book” (2012) it appears.
ShH indicates the page in The Shenandoah Harmony it appears.
VPH indicates the page in The Valley Pocket Harmonist it appears.
Often tunes have changes made to them, from small corrections to major revisions, including completely changing the poetry.
Cheese Notes indicates the biographical sketch written by J.S.James for his 1911 edition. Some of the information included there may be incorrect.
My Home ★ 1869–1991 p. 51
SHC2012: p. 51 (alto added)
Its debut in 1869 on page 51 staked out its place for a century and a half, being removed for the 2025 Edition. It still holds that same spot in the 2012 Cooper Book.
Cheese Notes: Samuel Stennett was one of the most influential and highly respected ministers of the Dissenting persuasion in England, and was a confidant of many of the distinguished statesmen of his time. Doctor of Divinity was bestowed upon him by the Aberdeen University. He composed and published thirty-eight hymns. Beside this, he wrote and published theological works. He died in London in 1795.
Nothing is known of C. F. Letson, the person to whom credit is given as being the author of this tune. No trace can be obtained when he composed it.
Links: Hymnary, Bremen, YouTube 1,
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