Moravian Choralbuch

Manuscript BMB 4 Moravian Archives, Bethlehem

This 18th century book of tablature is from the Moravian Music Foundation's collection kept in the Moravian Archives in Bethlehem, PA, USA. The manuscript may have belonged to the principal of the girls' school (J.A. Huebner). It is believed that the book came over in the mid 1700s from Germany. The tablature is for an unspecified instrument tuned GCEgbe. The book includes 66 four-voice chorales arranged in order of difficulty, followed by some simple secular instrumental pieces. The music in the book is dated fairly precisely to 1750 or so, by comparing various printed hymn books with the tunes in this book. The manuscript and its music may not be reproduced or published without the consent of the Moravian Archives. For permission, please contact: Moravian Archives 41 W. Locust St. Bethlehem, PA 18018 (610) 866-3255 http://www.moravianchurcharchives.org.

Thanks to the Moravian Archives for their permission to allow the manuscript to be photographed and made publicly available, and to Andy Rutherford for taking the time to travel to the Archive and take photos.

The Renaissance Cittern Site: http://www.cittern.theaterofmusic.com

August 4, 2009