Table of Contents

Description

The Trumpet is a serialized shape‑note “tunebooklet” that circulated new compositions for Sacred Harp singers in the early 2010s. Launched in 2011 by the not‑for‑profit Trumpet Society, it was envisioned as a modern version of B. F. White’s 19th‑century newspaper The Organ. The editorial board invited writers of dispersed harmony to submit pieces and, after review, released issues containing 12–14 songs. The first issue explained that the publication would appear three times per year (January, May and September) as a PDF. The editors hoped that singers would print the filesm but offered mailed copies and that the year’s issues would be bound into a “digest edition”. Will Fitzgerald doesn’t recall anyone taking up the offer for a printed copy. An initial letter to Sacred Harp singers stressed that the board would choose pieces with balance—mixing major and minor keys, plain tunes, fuging tunes and anthems—and that board members would refrain from including their own compositions while serving. The Trumpet did not claim ownership of the songs; composers retained their rights under a Creative Commons BY‑NC‑SA 3.0 license.

Issues were freely downloadable and sometimes mailed to singers; the editors urged readers to share recordings on the web site. A SoundCloud page described the project as “an online periodical of new shapenote songs written in the styles of The Sacred Harp… many of these tracks record the first public singings of these new songs” During its first three volumes the periodical appeared thrice yearly; delays and staffing changes led to two issues in 2014 and a single issue in 2015. Throughout, the mission remained to foster excitement for new tunes in the old four‑shape harmony.

Physical and editorial details

Format: Booklet distributed as PDF. Each issue contains an introductory essay, occasional articles (“Why Four Shapes?”, regional reports, biographies or “Old Paths” essays), followed by 12–14 pages of music in four shapes.
Publication: originally thrice‑annual (January, May and September). After 2013 the schedule slowed; the 2014 volume comprised two issues, and only one issue appeared in 2015.
Publisher and rights: The Trumpet Society, a non‑profit founded in 2010, published the series and released the files under a Creative Commons BY‑NC‑SA 3.0 license. Composers retained rights to their tunes; the periodical simply served “to sound out” the new music.
Editorial board: In 2011 the board comprised Will Fitzgerald, Thomas A. Malone and Robert L. Vaughn. James Nelson Gingerich provided musical typesetting. Clarissa Fetrow joined as copy editor in 2012. In 2014 Rachel Wells Hall (co‑editor of The Shenandoah Harmony) joined the board, bringing the “Old Paths” column. By 2015 the board consisted of Rachel Wells Hall, Robert L. Vaughn, Leah Velleman and Tarik Wareh. Will Fitzgerald continued as publisher, and Thomas B. Malone stayed on as founding editor. Contributors from across the Sacred Harp community provided typesetting, copy‑editing and essays.

Issue summaries

Volume 1 (2011)

Issue 1 – January 2011 (pp. 1‑16). The inaugural issue set out the goals of The Trumpet, evoking the legacy of B. F. White’s Organ and announcing a thrice‑annual PDF release. The editors asked singers to support the project and outlined selection criteria to ensure stylistic balance. Songs in this issue (with page numbers) include Longview, Stuart, Bowen, Meek, Buckley, Headrick’s Chapel, Creel, Gray Court, Cowling, Lincoln Street, Cedar Street, Brokke, Girard and Wright. Many tunes were dedicated to people or places; an article explained why Sacred Harp uses four shapes.

Issue 2 – June 2011 (pp. 17‑32). The editors thanked singers for the enthusiastic response to the first issue and noted that tornadoes had struck parts of the Sacred Harp heartland; they remembered Ruth Denson Edwards and John Merritt and promised a digest edition at year’s end. The tunes include Hope and Power, God of Might, Hauxley, Candler Park, Auburndale, Ruth, Die No More, Border, Euclid, Exalted Hope, Golgotha, New Canada, Impermanence, Trav’ler’s Rest – Samson, Nightfall and Highest Glory. Will Fitzgerald’s article “Why Four Shapes?” appeared in this issue.

Issue 3 – October 2011 (pp. 33‑48). Closing the first year, the editors looked back at the work involved and highlighted contributions from Poland and various U.S. regions. They published letters from A.M. Cagle and Jazaniah Sumner. The tunes list features Freta, Level Land, Bright Morning Star, Zane’s Trace, Malone, Stanton, Marcia, Catalina, Stafford, Vaughn, Going Home, Ashley, South Ogden, Traveler, Altamont, Okólnik and God’s Promise.

Volume 2 (2012)

Issue 1 – January 2012 (pp. 49‑66). The new year opened with memorials to John Merritt and other singers, and the editors noted that several tunes were dedicated to specific individuals. This issue introduced longer pieces including an anthem and two three‑line songs. Tunes include Clinton, Jumanlan Rauhaan, Ivey, Jane’s Encouragement, Goss, Melanie, St. James, Rogers, Cartersville, Exultation, Crest, Angel’s Gate, Redding, San Juan Bautista, Weep Not For Me, Hans and Berryville.

Issue 2 – May 2012 (pp. 67‑82). The spring issue celebrated warm weather and upcoming singing conventions. The editors highlighted plain tunes such as Laurelton and Walton and encouraged readers to explore the fugue and anthem selections. The tune list comprises Laurelton, Walton, Joshua, Flaming Tongues, Olive Tree, Evergreen, Palmer, The Trumpet Sounds, Kyrkjebøbakken, Forest Rose, Lamb of God, Allegheny, Runyan, Now I Was Free and Needful.

Issue 3 – September 2012 (pp. 83‑100). The final issue of the second year reflected on why minor keys are so compelling to singers and invited contributions to sustain the publication. Pieces include Bremen, Nehalem, Page Street, Goodshaw, Lexington, Watts, The Rich Sinner Dying, Plevna, Generosity, The Radiant Band of Music, McCoy, Hall, Contrition and Hurricane Creek.

Volume 3 (2013)

Issue 1 – February 2013 (pp. 101‑114). Entering its third year, The Trumpet presented an essay by Jennie Brown on why non‑composers sing new compositions. The editors described the rich diversity of the tunes and welcomed international contributions. The issue contains Sandy Hook, Akerman, Walm Lane, Artemas, Wills Creek, Bernal, Woodpark, New York, Octagon Chapel, All Good Gifts, Ursina, Alaska and Laudavere.

Issue 2 – August 2013 (pp. 115‑130). The editors introduced tunes with unusual names and explained the origins of titles like Chmielno and Plac Unii Lubelskiej. They noted a mix of plain tunes and two anthems and dedicated the issue to the memory of Jeff Sheppard. The tunes are Sabaoth, Shoreline, Haven, Chautauqua, Plac Unii Lubelskiej, Wilson, Condescension, Solitude, Morel, Chmielno, Advent, Bishkek, Wonderful Stranger, Good Tidings and Minnehaha.

Issue 3 – November 2013 (pp. 131‑148). As The Trumpet completed almost 150 pages of music, the editors expressed gratitude and introduced new composers, including Phil Summerlin’s Didache and P. Dan Brittain’s Memorial Anthem. They also published anthems with substantial length and tunes dedicated to friends like Anniston and Farewell Brethren. Other tunes in this issue include Cooper, North Ridge, Spurlock, Gray, Damascus, Cold River, Abby, Sullivan’s Island, Stanley, Austin, Kynzie and Watts’ Pains.

Volume 4 (2014)

Issue 1 – February 2014 (pp. 149‑164). The editorial board welcomed Rachel Wells Hall and debuted the “Old Paths” column. The editors noted that Tom Malone and Hall each contributed page‑and‑a‑half fuging tunes and introduced new composers such as Yotin Tiewtrakul and Jason R. Fruit. The tunes list comprises Carkeek, New Creation, Old Stone, Childers, Delmenhorst, Immortal Dove, Muscadine, God’s Unchanging Hand, Rulers of Sodom, Out of the Deeps, South Second, Attention, Hallelujah, Company and Jay Street.

Issue 2 – December 2014 (pp. 165‑178). After delays, the editors released this issue with tunes by familiar composers and newcomers. They announced the first father‑and‑son pairing, Dennis and T.D. George, and introduced Nancy Kulik’s setting of The Lord’s My Shepherd. They also mourned the death of Raymond Hamrick and planned to shift to two issues per year. The issue’s tunes are Laminack, Cabbage Town, Legacy, The Lord’s My Shepherd, Follow On, Wordly Charms, Carrollton, Town Creek, Little Vine, Lynn, Judgment and Waddell Street.

Volume 5 (2015)

Issue 1 – September 2015 (pp. 179‑196). The final known issue of The Trumpet featured a new editorial board (Hall, Vaughn, Velleman and Wareh) and presented seven new composers. The editors observed that the composers drew inspiration from diverse sources—camp‑meeting lyrics, Moby‑Dick and a bluegrass “new book” song. They also published a nine‑year‑old’s composition (“Centre Hall”) and a manuscript tune by Truman S. Wetmore in an “Old Paths” essay. Tunes in this issue include We’ll Land On Shore, Jonah, Brighton (Tivey’s Notebook), Daniel, Deluge, Roscoe, When I Die I’ll Live Again, Children of a King, Hearne, Centre Hall, Gipsy Hill, Simena, The Christian’s Entreaty, Soldiers’ Home, Washington and Buck Street.

Alphabetical index of tunes

The following table lists every tune published in The Trumpet between 2011 and 2015 along with its page number in the unified pagination (Volume 1 starts at page 1 and pages run consecutively through page 196). Only tune titles and page numbers are shown; composer names can be found in the issue summaries above.

Tune	Page
ABBY	138
ADVENT	124
AKERMAN	102
ALASKA	112
ALLEGHENY	78
ALL GOOD GIFTS	110
ALTAMONT	47
ANGEL’S GATE	60
ANNISTON	148
ARTEMAS	104
ASHLEY	43
ATTENTION	162
AUBURNDALE	21
AUSTIN	146
BERNAL	106
BERRYVILLE	66
BISHKEK	126
BORDER	24
BOWEN	3
BREMEN	83
BRIGHT MORNING STAR	35
BRIGHTON (TIVEY’S NOTEBOOK)	181
BROKKE	14
BUCKLEY	6
BUCK STREET	196
CABBAGE TOWN	166
CANDLER PARK	20
CARKEEK	149
CARROLLTON	170
CARTERSVILLE	56
CATALINA	40
CEDAR STREET	12
CENTRE HALL	190
CHAUTAUQUA	117
CHILDERS	152
CHILDREN OF A KING	188
CHMIELNO	123
CLINTON	49
COLD RIVER	137
COMPANY	163
CONDESCENSION	120
CONTRITION	99
COOPER	131
COWLING	10
CREEL	8
CREST	58
DAMASCUS	136
DANIEL	182
DELMENHORST	153
DELUGE	184
DIE NO MORE	23
DIDACHE	139
EUCLID	25
EVERGREEN	72
EXALTED HOPE	26
EXULTATION	57
FAREWELL BRETHREN	148
FLAMING TONGUES	70
FOREST ROSE	77
FOLLOW ON	168
FRETA	33
GENEROSITY	91
GIRARD	16
GIPSY HILL	191
GOD OF MIGHT	18
GOD’S PROMISE	48
GOD’S UNCHANGING HAND	156
GOING HOME	43
GOOD TIDINGS	129
GOODSHAW	85
GOLGOTHA	27
GOSS	52
GRAY	134
GRAY COURT	9
HALL	98
HALLELUJAH	162
HANS	65
HAVEN	116
HEARNE	189
HEADRICK’S CHAPEL	7
HIGHEST GLORY	32
HURRICANE CREEK	100
IVEY	51
IMMORTAL DOVE	154
IMPERMANENCE	29
JANE’S ENCOURAGEMENT	51
JAY STREET	164
JOSHUA	69
JONAH	180
JUDGMENT	176
JUMANLAN RAUHAAN	50
KYNZIE	147
KYRKJEBØBAKKEN	76
LAMB OF GOD	78
LAUDAVERE	114
LAURELTON	67
LEGACY	167
LEVEL LAND	34
LITTLE VINE	173
LINCOLN STREET	12
LYNN	174
LAMINACK	165
MALONE	37
MARCIA	39
MCCOY	97
MEMORIAL ANTHEM	140
MELANIE	53
MINNEHAHA	130
MOREL	122
MUSCADINE	155
NEEDFUL	82
NEHALEM	83
NEW CANADA	28
NEW CREATION	150
NEW YORK	108
NIGHTFALL	31
NOW I WAS FREE	80
OKÓLNIK	48
OLD STONE	151
OLIVE TREE	71
OUT OF THE DEEPS	158
OCTAGON CHAPEL	109
PAGE STREET	84
PALMER	73
PLEVNA	90
PLAC UNII LUBELSKIEJ	118
THE RADIANT BAND OF MUSIC	92
REDDING	61
ROGERS	55
ROSCOE	185
RULERS OF SODOM	157
RUTH	22
RUNYAN	79
SAN JUAN BAUTISTA	62
SABAOTH	115
SANDY HOOK	101
SHORELINE	115
SIMENA	192
SOLDIERS’ HOME	194
SOUTH OGDEN	45
SOUTH SECOND	161
SPURLOCK	133
ST. JAMES	54
STANLEY	145
STANTON	38
STAFFORD	41
STUART	2
TOWN CREEK	172
THE CHRISTIAN’S ENTREATY	193
THE LORD’S MY SHEPHERD	167
THE RICH SINNER DYING	89
THE TRUMPET SOUNDS	74
TRAVELER	46
TRAV’LER’S REST – SAMSON	30
VAUGHN	42
WALM LANE	103
WALTON	68
WASHINGTON	195
WATTS’ PAINS	144
WATTS	88
WE’LL LAND ON SHORE	179
WEEP NOT FOR ME	64
WHEN I DIE I’LL LIVE AGAIN	186
WILSON	119
WRIGHT	16
WORLDLY CHARMS	169
WONDERFUL STRANGER	128
WOODPARK	107
WILLS CREEK	105
ZANE’S TRACE	36

Note: Some names with diacritics or apostrophes are simplified in the index for ease of sorting. Page numbers follow the consecutive pagination of the issues.