1576 Sternhold & Hopkins Psalter – 6 Musical Leaves – John Day
1576 Sternhold & Hopkins Musical Psalter — 6 Complete Leaves (12 Pages) — John Day
Elizabethan Church Music • Early English Psalmody • Blackletter Printing
ITEM OVERVIEW
Title: The Whole Booke of Psalmes, collected into English meter
Associated Names: Thomas Sternhold, John Hopkins, and others
Printer: John Day
Publication Place: London, England
Publication Year: 1576
Format: Six complete, double-sided leaves (12 printed page sides)
Dimensions: Approximately 7 × 10¼ inches
Printing: Blackletter typography with printed musical notation
Collection Reference: AS-1061
HISTORICAL DESCRIPTION
Offered here is a remarkable group of six complete, double-sided leaves from the 1576 edition of The Whole Booke of Psalmes, the influential English metrical psalter associated with Thomas Sternhold, John Hopkins, and other contributors.
Printed in London by John Day during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, this work belongs to the formative history of English Protestant congregational singing. The Sternhold and Hopkins psalter helped make biblical psalmody accessible to English-speaking worshippers by presenting the Psalms in metrical English verse suitable for singing.
The surviving leaves combine the visual character of Elizabethan printing with the musical traditions of the English Reformation. Dense Gothic blackletter typography appears alongside printed musical notation, including square-shaped notes arranged on four-line staves.
These are not merely fragments of printed text. Together, the six leaves preserve twelve printed page sides containing a varied selection of devotional and musical material, offering insight into the relationship between Scripture, worship, music, and the printing trade in sixteenth-century England.
INCLUDED LITURGICAL CONTENTS & PSALMS
The collection preserves a notable cross-section of early English devotional and musical texts, including:
Hymns, Prayers & Creeds
- “The Complaint of a Sinner”
- “The Lamentation of a Sinner”
- “The Lords Prayer or Pater Noster”
- The Athanasian Creed, identified by its traditional opening, Quicunque vult
The Ten Commandments
- “The x. Commandements (Audi Israel),” associated with the biblical commandments in Exodus 20
Gospel Canticles
- “The Song of blessed Mary called Magnificat”
- “The Song of Simeon called Nunc dimittis”
The Psalms of David
- A consecutive sequence of Psalms 1 through 10
- A later sequence containing Psalms 145, 146, 147, and 148
The combination of early English devotional texts, metrical psalmody, and printed musical notation gives this group particular interest for collectors of early English books, Reformation history, historical music printing, and the development of congregational worship.
CONDITION:
For a work printed approximately 450 years ago, these six leaves retain substantial visual and textual appeal. Their printed text and musical notation remain clearly legible, with strong contrast between the ink and the aged paper.
Paper & Age-Related Toning: The leaves display natural yellowing and toning consistent with age, accompanied by minimal foxing and scattered signs of historical handling.
Margins & Edges: The margins are generally clean, with light smudges, a couple of small dog-eared corners, and minor areas of fraying or fragility along the edges.
Inner Margins: The inner bound edges exhibit minor fraying consistent with their history of removal from a bound volume. These areas should be examined in the accompanying photographs.
Printed Text & Musical Notation: The black ink remains bold and well defined. The printed musical staves, notes, and decorative initial letters remain visible and contribute to the leaves' distinctive Elizabethan appearance.
Completeness: The offering comprises six complete leaves, printed on both sides, for a total of twelve printed page sides. This description refers to the completeness of the individual leaves, not to a complete copy of the original psalter.
These are historic paper artifacts, not modern reproductions. Their age-related toning, minor edge wear, and inner-margin fraying are disclosed so that the next caretaker can make an informed acquisition decision.
Please examine all photographs carefully for a full appreciation of the paper, printed details, margins, and condition of each leaf.
A NOTE ON HISTORICAL PRESERVATION
At Ages of Scripture, we believe that historic religious texts and musical works deserve to be preserved, studied, and passed forward with their histories honestly represented.
These six leaves preserve a tangible connection to the world of Elizabethan printing and the development of English congregational psalmody. Their words, music, typography, and surviving paper each form part of their continuing historical interest.
We consider ourselves caretakers of these surviving witnesses to the past, entrusted with preserving their history for future generations.
Inquiry to Purchase
Please select the Inquire button and complete the inquiry form. Include the Collection Reference below so we can identify the item promptly.
Collection Reference: AS-1061
Every page has a story. Every story deserves to be preserved.
Preserving History • Inspiring Faith • Connecting Generations.