A new hymnal for Protestant African American Churches that has endeavored to preserve the rich oral tradition of African American sacred song in print form.

The unique style and performance practice of the African American Church-heretofore handed down from generation to generation by oral tradition-has now been codified in print. A highly qualified committee of more than thirty Black pastors and church musicians has worked for eight years to compile and edit this collection, taking great care to notate traditional hymns the way they are actually sung in African American churches. This project has been eight years in the making!

While created especially for African American Protestant churches, this historic hymnal is destined to find its way into the personal library of each and every church musician, hymnologist, and ethnomusicologist active throughout the world today.

Because of GIA's landmark publication, Lead Me, Guide Me-a hymnal for Black Catholics, GIA was approached by a group of African American pastors and musicians, led by the Rev. Dr. Delores Carpenter and the Rev. Nolan E. Williams, Jr., about the possibility of producing a similar book for Protestants. Eight years and countless meetings later, this 1100-page hymnal of historic proportions is the result.

Contains 52 Sundays of responsive readings, 52 Sundays of litanies developed around the concept of a Black liturgical year, 586 hymns and songs, and extensive indices. View Hymnal Index

Rev. Dr. Delores Carpenter, General Editor, is Professor of Religious Education at Howard University School of Divinity and Senior Pastor of Michigan Park Christian Church in Washington, DC.

Rev. Nolan E. Williams, Jr., Music Editor, is Assistant Director of Music Ministries at Metropolitan Baptist Church in Washington, DC, and a graduate of Oberlin College and Howard University School of Divinity.

Editorial Committee: Dr. James Abbington - Ms. Jane Carpenter - Mrs. Charlene Moore Cooper - Mr. L. Stanley Davis Rev. Dr. Valerie Eley - Ms. Valeria Foster - Dr. Robert T. Fryson (dec.) - Mrs. Betty Gadling - Mrs. Teresa Gilmore - Mr. Joseph Joubert - Rev. Dr. Raymond Kelly, Jr. - Mr. Stephen Key - Rev. Dr. William McClain - Rev. Dr. Otis Moss - Bishop Alfred Owens - Mr. Walter Owens - Mr. Jeffrey Radford - Mrs. Evelyn Simpson-Curenton - Rev. Dr. J. Alfred Smith - Mr. Louis Sykes (dec.) - Rev. Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker

Advisory Committee: Dr. Willis L. Barnett - Mrs. Beverly Benjamin - Dr. Roland Carter - Dr. Melva Costen - Rev. James Demus, III - Rev. Robert Dickerson (dec.) - Mr. Arthur McClenton - Bishop Kenneth Moales - Dr. Don Lee White - Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright

NOTE: PEW EDITION BOOK

Song title index