Lutheran Music in the United States, 1700-1850: A Descriptive Checklist

Abstract

Edward C. Wolf’s Lutheran Music in the United States, 1700–1850: A Descriptive Checklist catalogs early American Lutheran hymnals, hymn collections, chorale books, and tunebooks. The bibliography is divided into two parts: Part I lists hymnals—primarily German, with some English—used in Lutheran congregations, including both official synodical publications and private ventures. Part II documents musical resources such as chorale books and shaped-note tunebooks, many of which were bilingual or adapted for Lutheran, Reformed, and Moravian use. Wolf highlights the influence of German pietism, Enlightenment thought, and American frontier conditions on hymnody. He also notes the transition from German to English and the eventual re-Germanization of hymnals by conservative immigrant groups. This checklist is a valuable resource for understanding the development of Lutheran worship and music in early America.

—Abstract prepared by Microsoft Copilot (GPT-4)