Verse, Key, and Part Changes in The Sacred Harp: 2025 Edition

In revising The Sacred Harp cover to cover, the Revision-Music Committee fixed dozens of typos and other errors that crept in over multiple revisions. In addition, we made changes to the verses, musical parts, or keys to a small number of songs.

Information about song changes in The Sacred Harp: 2025 Edition.

These changes were motivated by three main considerations:

• Restoration
  Some changes were made to restore original elements of songs that had been changed in later editions. In four cases, we added back a verse that had been removed in the past. We also restored the keys of ten songs that had originally been published in keys that make more sense to Sacred Harp singers. For instance, “Sing to Me of Heaven” (312t) was written in the key of A minor but was moved to E minor in the James Edition for unknown reasons.
• Legibility
  Other changes were necessitated in order to make a song legible. For example, in a few songs that presented significant engraving challenges, we removed one seldom-used verse in order to fit the music on the page.
• Singability
  Based on committee evaluation and input from Sacred Harp singers, we made some changes to help make songs more singable or enhance their meaning and appeal. These include the addition of an extra verse to two songs, as well as changing the verses used in three songs. We also changed the keys of three tunes that posed challenges to keyers, and we replaced one voice part in one song and removed one voice part in another song.

Verse, Key, and Part Changes

• AMERICA (36t): Verse 2 removed.
• ESTER (37t): Text replaced with text by Samuel Medley, 1782.
  • Awake, my soul, in joyful lays,
    And sing thy great Redeemer’s praise;
    He justly claims a song from me,
    His loving-kindness, O how free!
    
    Though num’rous hosts of mighty foes,
    Though earth and hell my way oppose,
    He safely leads my soul along,
    His loving-kindness, O how strong!
    
    When trouble, like a gloomy cloud,
    Has gathered thick and thundered loud,
    He near my soul has always stood,
    His loving-kindness, O how good!
    
    Soon shall I pass death’s gloomy vale,
    Soon all my mortal pow’rs must fail;
    O may my last expiring breath
    His loving-kindness sing in death!
    
    Then let me mount and soar away
    To that bright world of endless day,
    And sing, with rapture and surprise,
    His loving-kindness in the skies.
• WINDHAM (38b): Key restored from E to F♯.
• I WOULD SEE JESUS (75): Key restored from D♭ to F.
• STAFFORD (78): Text replaced with different verse of text by Isaac Watts, 1719.
  • Hosanna to the King
    Of David’s royal blood!
    Bless Him, ye saints, He comes to bring
    Salvation from your God.
• THE OLD SHIP OF ZION (79): Key restored from E♭ to F.
• BURK (92):
  • Part removed, alto.
  • Key restored from F to G.
• HOLY CITY (101b): Verse 3 replaced with third verse of hymn from Mead’s General Selection, 1807.
  • And what shall be my journey,
    How long I’ll stay below,
    Or what shall be my trials,
    Are not for me to know;
    In ev’ry day of trouble
    I’ll raise my thoughts on high;
    I’ll think of the bright temple,
    And crowns above the sky.
• THE LOVELY STORY (104): Key restored from G to A.
• ECSTASY (106): Key restored from E to F♯.
• INVOCATION (131b): Key changed from G to A.
• LIBERTY (137): Part replaced, alto, with the song’s original alto part by Stephen Jenks, 1800.
• LABAN (147b): Verse 4 restored, by George Heath, 1781.
  • Fight on, my soul, till death
    Shall bring thee to thy God;
    He’ll take thee at thy parting breath
    To His divine abode.
• RESURRECTED (153): Verse 2 added, Arr. S. M. Denson, 1908.
  • My mother’s gone to view that land,
    To wear a starry crown.
• MORNING (163t): Key changed from E to F♯.
• WHITESTOWN (211): Text replaced with text by Isaac Watts, 1719
  • Jesus shall reign where’er the sun
    Does his successive journeys run;
    His kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
    Till moons shall wax and wane no more.
    To Him shall endless prayer be made,
    And praises throng to crown His head;
    His name like sweet perfume shall rise
    With ev’ry morning sacrifice.
• TRAVELING PILGRIM (278b): Key restored from E to G.
• LIVING LAMB (309): Verse 4 restored, by Isaac Watts, 1724.
  • Sure I must fight if I would reign;
    Increase my courage, Lord;
    I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,
    Supported by Thy word.
• SING TO ME OF HEAVEN (312t): Key restored from E to A.
• MERCY’S FREE (337): Key restored from F to G.
• MURILLO’S LESSON (358):
  • Verse 2 removed.
  • Key restored from E♭ to F.
• PENICK (387): Verse 4 restored, by M. Sikes, 1859.
  • My ceaseless pleasure then shall be,
    Through endless days to come,
    To sing that Jesus died for me
    And range my peaceful home.
• PARTING FRIEND (414): Key changed from G to F.
• INFINITE DAY (446): Verse 2 removed.
• AKIN (472): Verse 2 added by Isaac Watts, 1719.
  • With all my pow’rs of heart and tongue
    I’ll praise my Maker in my song:
• NOVAKOSKI (481): Verse 2 removed.
• THE GREAT DAY (567): Verses 3 and 4 restored, from The Sacred Harp, 1859.
  • I’ve a long time heard that the moon will be bleeding,
    That the moon will be bleeding in that day.
    O the moon will be bleeding in that day,
    O sinner, where will you stand in that day?
    
    I’ve a long time heard that the stars will be falling,
    That the stars will be falling in that day.
    O the stars will be falling in that day,
    O sinner, where will you stand in that day?