Dean and Professor of Jubilee College of Music Dr. Merril Smoak will give his expert opinion on the historical importance of two recently discovered 19th century Baptist hymnals at the Colloquium on Baptist Church Music September 24-25. The colloquium is being held at Baylor University in Waco, Texas in honor of the 400th anniversary of the founding of the first Baptist church.
Dr. Smoak will present a paper titled, “Collecting Baptist Hymnals: Two ‘New’ Resources from Upstate New York” to an audience of prominent scholars and church musicians. The paper explores the hymnals, published in 1827 and 1831, in light of the insight they provide into a significant time period in church music history. The paper also attempts to understand the significance of the hymnals’ contents and the lives of the people who compiled them.
Both texts are part of Dr. Smoak’s vast collection of historic hymnals and tune books.