Item Info

Creation Date: 5/20/1825
Scripts/Text: Fraktur; German script; Roman script
Language: German; English
Weiser Number: 201
Physical Description: 152 p; 18mo; oblong format
Category: Tune Booklet (Notenbüchlein)
Media Type: Manuscripts
Source: Rare Book Department
Notes:

Accompanying Materials Laid or Tipped In:

• Paper fragment (5.8 x 7.5 cm) of wove paper with following noted in pencil: 15 in a square; “was misnumbered 49.”
• Paper fragment (14.7 x 3.2 cm) with following typewritten: “Borneman 49  15 1825 Johannes Hoch Tieffronner Schule May 29th, 1825 (at the end of  the Hymn Book bills, which were paid)
• Paper fragment (7.6 x 20.4 cm) with following noted in black ink: “Doylestown March 17/62 | Rec d of John High Ninty Four cts | for Hotch exp J. W. Conell | .94 cts fr C. K. W” [Was originally pinned to page [152]].

Binding:

Quarter leather with pressed boards

Biographical Note:

Jacob Oberholtzer (1794-1880) was raised in the Deep Run area, and probably was a student of David Kulp (1777-1834), who on October 25, 1803 made a Notenbüchlein (See Borneman Ms. 30) for a Jacob Oberholtzer, then a student and singing scholar at the Deep Run School in Bedminster Township, Bucks County. It is quite possible that this is the same Jacob Oberholtzer who later kept school in the Hunsperger or Hilltown School from January 5, 1823 to about April 5, 1823. According to the dates of his school bills, Oberholtzer continued teaching at Hilltown and Bedminster until at least 1828, thus making it likely that he created this tune booklet on May 20, 1825 for Johannes Hoch, then student and singing scholar in the Deep Run School in Bedminster Township, Bucks County.

Full Title Translation:

This Tune Booklet Belongs to Johannes Hoch Singing Scholar in the Deep Run School the 20th of May 1825

N. B. See also FLP B-15.

Physical Description:

[1-2] 3 [4-8] 9 [10] 11 [12] 13 [14] 15 [16] 17 [18] 19 [20] 21 staves only [22-143] 144-150 [151-152]
 

Notes:

Scope and Content:

The Notenbüchlein contains 24 hymn titles with music incipits notated in the traditional style of Johann Adam Eyer (1755-1837), and his student David Kulp (1777-1834), i.e. 4 hymn titles with music incipits to a page, use of soprano clef, key and time signatures, and note values given in half and whole notes. Unlike other hymns where only the melody title was listed, psalm tunes were generally printed with the given psalm. This is evident in one of the hymns i.e. Psalm 81 where the music incipit follows the melody line as printed in  hymn books such as the Neu=vermehrt=und vollständiges Gesang=Buch...; Die kleine geistliche Harfe der Kinder Zions...; and Ein Unpartheyisches Gesang=Buch...Brüderschaft der Menonisten Gemeinen...

14 receipts for matters related to the will of David High are found on pages [147-150] as well as on a loose paper fragment.  One of the administrators of the will was John High (i.e. Johannes Hoch) who had the various and sundry court clerks and others record the receipts on the last blank pages of his former Notenbüchlein. The entries are from March 17, 1862 to April 18, 1863.

Title Description:

Hand-drawn; hand-colored; hand-lettered. A prominent heart, centered in the middle of the title page, encloses the Fraktur and German script text. Flanking this on either side are colorful blooms springing from leafy stems. Squiggly lines separate the leaves that encircle the heart. A decorative border frames the entire title page.

Tunebooks in General:

The idea of creating such a booklet to teach children the rudiments of musical notation so that they could learn to sing the melodies used in the hymns at church service seems to have been Johann Adam Eyer’s (1755-1837). The hymnals used by their parents contained no music, but only the hymn verses with the indication “Mel.” and the title of the hymn tune to which the congregation would sing the text. The metrics, and topic of the poetry usually determined which melodies were chosen.

Eyer’s concept was a practical and useful one, and inspired many other teachers to create tune booklets for their students in which only the melody line of frequently used hymn tunes was written out. Each scholar had a booklet, usually 10.2 x 16.5 cm in size. The teacher created a title page describing the purpose of the booklet, and containing the name of the student, the school attended, and the date of the title’s creation. The empty spaces on the title page were filled in with flowers, birds, and other elements common to Pennsylvania German decorated Fraktur. These titles are absolutely beautiful, and probably inspired the singing scholar to greater endeavors as he learned how to read music and sing the tunes that either the instructor or he would copy into the booklet.

The “singing schools” or singing classes flourished in Bucks, Lehigh, Montgomery, Chester and Berks Counties, Pennsylvania from about 1787 to 1845. Singing became a part of the school curriculum, and “singing schools” became popular.
 

Associated Names: Thatcher, Samuel B.
Provenance: Borneman, Henry S., 1870-1955
Hoch, Johannes

Bibliography:

Marburger Gesang=Buch zur Uebung der Gottseligkeit in 649 Christlichen und Trostreichen Psalmen und Gesängen Hrn. D. Martin Luthers. und anderer Gottseliger Lehrer, Ordentlich in XII. Theile verfasset, Und mit nöthigen Registern auch einer Verzeichniß versehen, unter welche Titul die im Anhang befindlichen Lieder gehörig: Auch zur Beförderung des so Kirchen= als Privat= Gottesdienstes, Mit erbaulichen Morgen= Abend = Buß= Beicht= und Communion=Gebätlein vermehret. Germanton, Gedruckt und zu finden bey Christoph Saur, 1762.

Die kleine geistliche Harfe der Kinder Zions, oder auserlesene geistreiche Gesänge allen wahren heilsbegierigen Säuglingen der Weisheit, insonderheit aber allen Christlichen Gemeinden des Herrn zum Dienst und Gebrauch mit Fleiss zusammen getragen, und in gegenwärtiger Form und Ordnung gestellt, nebst einm dreyfachen Register. Erste Auflage. Auf Verordnung der Mennonisten Gemeinde. Germantaun: Gedruckt bey Michael Billmeyer, 1803, 1811.

Mary Jane Lederach Hershey. “The Notenbüchlein Tradition in Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Community Schools” in Cory M. Amsler, ed., Bucks County Fraktur. Kutztown, Pa.: Pennsylvania German Society, 1999, 141.

Ein Unpartheyisches Gesang=Buch enthaltend Geistreiche Lieder und Psalmen, zum Allegemeinen Grebrauch des Wahren Gottesdienstes. Auf Begehren der Brüderschaft der Menonisten Gemeinen aus vielen Liederbüchern gesammelt. Mit einem dreyfachen Register. zum Erstenmal ans Licht gestellt. Lancaster; Gedruckt bez Johann Albrecht, 1804.

Neu=vermehrt=und vollständiges Gesang=Buch Worinnen sowohl die Psalmen Davids, nach D. Ambrosii Lobwassers Uebersetzung hin und wieder verbessert, Al auch 750. auserlesener alter und neuer Geistreichen Liedern begriffen sind, Welche anjetzo sämtlich in denen Reformirten Kirchen der Hessisch=Hanauisch=Pfältzisch=Pensylvanischen und mehreren anderen angränzenden Landen zu singen gebräuchlich in nützlicher Ordnung eingetheilt, Auch Mit dem Heydelbergischen Catechismo und erbaulichen Gebätern versehen. Vierte Auflage. Philadelphia: zu finden bey Ernst Ludwig Baisch, in der zweyten Strasse, nahe bey der Rees=Strasse, 1774.

Das kleine Davidische Psalterspiel Der Kinder Zions, Von alten und Neuen auserlesenen Geistes=Gesängen; Allen wahren Heyls=begierigen Säuglingen der Weisheit, Insonderheit aber Denen Gemeinden des HErrn, zum Dienst und Gebrauch mit Fleiß zusammen getragen, Und in gegenwärtig=beliebiger Form und Ordnung / Nebst einem doppelten darzu nützlichen und der Materien halben nöthigen Register, ans Licht gegeben. Germantown Gedruckt bey Christoph Saur, 1744.

“Jacob Oberholtzer” in Cory M. Amsler, ed., Bucks County Fraktur. Kutztown, Pa.: Pennsylvania German Society, 1999, 280-283.
 

Creation Place Town/Township: Creation Place Note:As per titlepage inscription
Region/County:Bucks
City/Town/Township:Deep Run School, Bedminster Township
State/Province:Pennsylvania

Image Dimensions Width: 9.6 cm
ShelfMark: FLP Borneman Ms. 49
Creator Name: Oberholtzer, Jacob, 1794-1880, Attributed to - Decorator
Oberholtzer, Jacob, 1794-1880, Attributed to - Scrivener