Songs of Zion by Kitchens

[Robert Vaughn]

I've recently run across two mentions of a song book titled Songs of Zion by Elder J. E. Kitchens, composer of 279, 512, and 568 in the 1991 Edition. It is mentioned briefly in Paul Drummond's A Portion for the Singers (p. 199) and also on the Primitive Baptist Library web site.

http://www.carthage.lib.il.us/community/churches/primbap/Periodicals.html

Do any of you know anything about this book? 4-shape, 7-shape? SATB hymnal for church? Singing conventions? When was it printed?

Thanks.

 

His glories sing,

Robert Vaughn
Mount Enterprise, TX
http://baptistsearch.blogspot.com
Ask for the old paths, where is the good way
http://mtcarmelbaptist.blogspot.com
For ask now of the days that are past...
http://oldredland.blogspot.com
Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land.

[Jesse Pearlman Karlsberg]

Hello Robert,

I've recently run across two mentions of a song book titled Songs of Zion by Elder J. E. Kitchens, ...

Do any of you know anything about this book? 4-shape, 7-shape? SATB hymnal for church? Singing conventions? When was it printed?

Tom Malone may be able to chime in with a great deal more information.

The copy of Songs of Zion that I have is an upright paperback book, staple bound, with a red cover. There is no date on the inside of the book. It is perhaps 175 pages long. The songs are numbered 1 through 238. There are songs printed on the insides of both covers. After the songs is a title and first line index (and then one more song: "Holy Manna"). The title page says:

J. E. Kitchens 

Presents

Songs of Zion

----

Both old and new songs for Church and Family

Worship and for Singing Schools.

----

"Sing us one of the Songs of Zion."

Psalms 137 :3

The book mostly contains music in two staves and seven shape notes; it is mostly drawn from other publications and is a combination of gospel standbys, new book style music, and music from The Sacred Harp (Denson and Cooper) and The Christian Harmony (much of which has been reharmonized). There are also, however, a good handful of songs in four shape notes and four staves, all of which were evidently reproduced from The Sacred Harp (Denson Revision). In some cases their titles have been changed. For example, the "D" from "Detroit" was left as is but the rest of the word was replaced with "o not I love thee," in a different font and font-size. Much of the music not drawn directly from The Sacred Harp is also evidently copied from other songbooks. The result is something of a pastiche.

Another handful of songs toward the end are in seven shapes and two staves, but are original to this book and were written using stencils (which someone brought to a class Tom taught on Elder Kitchens at a camp a few years ago). These include a Kitchens tune called "Rock of Love," and a song called "Hardeman," composed by a singing school class of Kitchens' at Hardeman Primitive Baptist Church in Decatur, GA with words written by Sandra Wilkinson.

The copy I have was sold to me by a Primitive Baptist church in Oklahoma that had once used these books for singing during church services but had moved on to use a currently available book.

Best, 

Jesse Pearlman Karlsberg
Atlanta, GA
617 984 9378
je...@silversand.org

[Richard Hulan]

He went by "Elmer" and was coming up to the two singings in the Nashville area when I first attended them in the late 1950s.

Warren's biographical note about J.E. Kitchens is on p. 130 of Makers of the Sacred Harp.

Dick Hulan

Spfld VA

[Joe Dan Boyd]

Elmer Kitchens also performed at the 1970 Smithsonian Festival of American Folklife, as one of the white singers in the group led by Hugh McGraw and mentioned in conversation during that event his activity as a Primitive Baptist preacher. I have not checked to be sure, but he can possibly be seen in some of the photos of that event in the book, Judge Jackson And The Colored Sacred Harp. 

Joe Dan Boyd Communications 
5107 N. FM 312
Winnsboro TX 75494
Email: joe...@joedanboyd.com

My Website: www.joedanboyd.com

My Spiritual Blog: www.tinneychapeltoday.blogspot.com
Church Website: http://www.tinneychapel.org/home.html
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/joedanboyd
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/joedanboyd?ref=profile
903-375-4603 my office VOIP phone

903-850-4394 my cell phone
903-629-3408 my home land line

---

From: Richard Hulan <hu...@erols.com>
To: Robert Vaughn <rl_v...@yahoo.com>; jesseka...@gmail.com
Cc: Fasola Discussions <fasola-di...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2012 3:39 PM
Subject: Re: [fasola-discussions] Songs of Zion by Kitchens

--
--
Google Groups "Fasola Discussions" Email List
FAQ: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8623821/Fasola-Discussions-FAQ.html
 
 
 

[Wade Kotter]

I believe Jesse mentioned Tom Malone is this case because Tom led a very interesting session on Elder Kitchens' life and music at Camp Fasola a few years ago. We sang several of his songs, including if I remember correctly at least one from Songs of Zion. Like Jesse, I am lucky to own a copy of Songs of Zion and my copy matches exactly with his, including being undated.

Wade Kotter
South Ogden, UT

---

From: Richard Hulan <hu...@erols.com>
To: Robert Vaughn <rl_v...@yahoo.com>; jesseka...@gmail.com
Cc: Fasola Discussions <fasola-di...@googlegroups.com>

Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2012 2:39 PM

Subject: Re: [fasola-discussions] Songs of Zion by Kitchens

[Thomas Malone]

Songs of Zion is undated in a formal way, but does have a few key dates indicated.

A number of Kitchens' original pieces are given copyright dates of 1959.

What is most interesting to '91 book singers, is that a couple of favorite songs in our book (pages 512 and 586), as well as the song that was previously on page 504, are found in Kitchens' SOZ but notated on only two staves, and in seven shapes.

This might indicate that they were expanded into the full dispersed harmony versions that we know today during the meetings of the editorial board for the 1960 book.

Kitchens was a present during those editorial meetings, and given that two of his sisters (Mary and Irene) had songs placed in the 1960 supplement, it would seem that he and his family were more that incidentally involved with that effort.

Although Mary's song has since been removed, Irene's song is found on Page 545.

J.E. Kitchens later served the president of the Sacred Harp Pub. Company during much of the 1970s up until his death in 1979.

Another interesting feature of SOZ is a generous amount of poetry by Elmer's fellow composer, Primitive Baptist Preacher, and Sacred Harp teacher/promoter H.R. Avery. Elder Avery's song is still found in our book on pg. 560.

It was a great privilege to get to know many of Elder Kitchens' brothers, sisters, children and grandchildren in 2009 when I was preparing the Lesson on his life and music for Camp Fasola.

A unforgettable highlight for all of us was to see pg 196 led by his sister Mary, in the unmistakable 'elegant style' seen in the female students of Tom Denson.

It is also worth noting that a brand new Kitchens Memorial singing has begun in August, so people should get out to West Alabama in late summer and support this great singing family  . . .

Tom Malone

--
Dr. Thomas B. Malone
Lecturer in Music Education
Coordinator, Choral and Community Music
UMass Lowell
thomas...@uml.edu
cell 617.308.1939

[Robert Vaughn]

Thanks, Jesse, for the detailed information on Elder Kitchens' Songs of Zion. I had seen a copy of the "Hardeman" tune at the church, and wondered if it might have originally been published in this book. I appreciate your help.

 

His glories sing,

Robert Vaughn
Mount Enterprise, TX
http://baptistsearch.blogspot.com
Ask for the old paths, where is the good way
http://mtcarmelbaptist.blogspot.com
For ask now of the days that are past...
http://oldredland.blogspot.com
Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land.

---

From: Jesse Pearlman Karlsberg <je...@silversand.org>
To: rl_v...@yahoo.com
Cc: Fasola discussions <fasola-di...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2012 2:35 PM

Subject: Re: [fasola-discussions] Songs of Zion by Kitchens

[Robert Vaughn]

Thanks, Tom. Do you think the latest copyright date is 1959? That can probably give us an idea of approximately when the book was printed. 

There's a brief bio of Kitchens in the Primitive Baptist preacher biographies by David Montgomery and Mark Green. Here's an excerpt and the link:

"He wrote songs and taught singing schools all his life. He was asked to revive the Sacred Harp Hymn Book."

http://www.primitivebaptist.info/mambo/pdfs/PREACHER_BIOGRAPHIES--K.pdf

Curiously, they give his middle name as "Elmore" rather than Elmer. Also they mention nothing of the Songs of Zion book. Since this was a denominational work, you'd think they would.

Doesn't his sister Mary have a fairly popular piece in the Christian Harmony?

 

His glories sing,

Robert Vaughn
Mount Enterprise, TX
http://baptistsearch.blogspot.com
Ask for the old paths, where is the good way
http://mtcarmelbaptist.blogspot.com
For ask now of the days that are past...
http://oldredland.blogspot.com
Give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land.

---

From: Thomas Malone <shap...@gmail.com>
To: wadek...@yahoo.com
Cc: "hu...@erols.com" <hu...@erols.com>; Robert Vaughn <rl_v...@yahoo.com>; "jesseka...@gmail.com" <jesseka...@gmail.com>; Fasola Discussions <fasola-di...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Monday, October 29, 2012 10:11 AM

[David Wright]

On Oct 29, 8:23 am, Thomas Malone <shapen...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> A unforgettable highlight for all of us was to see pg 196 led by his sister
> Mary, in the unmistakable 'elegant style' seen in the female students of
> Tom Denson.

See for yourself at the 6:15 mark in this video (from the 1993
National):
http://vimeo.com/36079759

She also contributed the wonderful "Youthful Blessings" to Christian
Harmony. If her song in The Sacred Harp was anywhere near as good,
it's hard to imagine why it was taken out!

--David Wright