Center for Popular Music - Collections

Rare Books

The Center has a strong collection of older song books (both secular and sacred), hymnals, and instrumental tutors and tunebooks that illustrate the breadth of American vernacular music from the 18th century to the present. These books are organized into the categories described below. The collection includes approximately 9,000 items and is searchable online.

In addition to these older, rare song books, the Center has more than 1,000 contemporary scores and song books in the general collection. These items are cataloged on the MTSU Walker Library Catalog, and are shelved in open shelves in the Center's reading room.

Special collection songbooks must be retrieved by staff for use in the reading room. Researchers who are not able to visit the Center in person may make inquiries by telephone, letter or e-mail. Research assistance and photocopying services are available. Please see our fee schedule for information.

Individual Collections:

Gospel song books

This group includes volumes published by private, rather than denominational, presses to be used in congregational singing services, rather than worship services. Notation may be conventional or in the seven-shape note form. Most are thin volumes with paper covers. The Center's collection of approximately 2500 individual volumes is believed to be the largest held by a non-religious repository.

Hymnbooks

This collection consists of books that were primarily intended to be used in conjunction with a formal church service, and is divided into denominational hymnals, which are associated with a particular religious sect, and non-denominational. Items date from the early 19th century to the present.

Sacred and Secular oblong song books

This group is subdivided into sacred and secular examples, most from the 19th century. Many items are extremely rare.

Sacred vocal scores.

This collection includes a wide range of vocal music, including anthems, music for choirs and other forms.

Secular vocal scores

This collection is extremely broad. Included are examples of l7th century British song books, minstrel items, hillbilly and cowboy tunes, and more.

Songsters and Text-only Hymnals

These small booklets, pocket-size or larger, contain lyrics of popular songs or hymns of the 19th and 20th centuries without music notation. Included in the songsters are topical or political songs, minstrel songs, collections associated with specific entertainers, and songsters published to advertise common products. The collections included more than 2000 items, most from the Kenneth S. Goldstein Collection of American Songsters.

Instrumental music books

This group consists largely of 18th and 19th century method books and collections of tunes arranged for specific instruments. Instruments represented include guitar, banjo, fiddle/violin, flute, accordion, harmonica, and various others.

School texts

Both singing school texts and volumes for regular school music instruction are included.