The Editors of the Haydn Collection, in preparing this work for the press, have had three objects constantly in view; first to present music of a very high order; second, to have the music as easy of execution as possible. provided always that true musical effect and excellence should never in any instance be sacrificed to mere facility; and third, to select music of a character that should harmonize well with the various hymns (some of them of great lyric beauty,) in use among Christians of different denominations.

And although such a remark may savor of presumption, they cannot help, on reviewing the result of their labors, some feeling of self-congratulation; some slight tinge of pride does, in fact, mingle with the emotions under which they present "The Haydn Collection" to the f'ublic, and they believe that to be a false modesty, which would prevent any author from saying something about what he conceives to be the peculiar excellencies of his work, especially when that work puts forth claims of more than ordinary magnitude upon public favor, claims too, resting upon quite different grounds than those upon which patronage is most frequently demanded and accorded.

By far the greater portion of the music contained in the following pages, has been culled with great care from the works of the classic authors; the Oratorios and Anthems of Handel, and the Oratorios, Masses, and Motetts of Haydn and Mozart, the sublime sacred compositions of Cherubini have all been studied with this end in view; the numerous and highly beautiful writings of Peter Von Winter, an author but little known in this country, have also received much attention from the editors, who have selected from them many gems of exquisite beauty, which will be found scattered among other compositions not less worthy of notice.

Now we appeal to all unprejudiced minds, whether music from such sources, music which has excited the admiration and heightened the devotion of thousands of refined and cultivated minds for many years, music which has stood the test of that stern old critic, Time, is not likely to be better, and more worthy of use in our churches, than meagre compositions of persons of limited skill and small attainments

Again, the variety of tunes, is greater in this work, than in any similar collection known to the editors; we mean of course, the real variety, not the mere number of tunes or pieces; but the variety of style, the different emotions expressed by the music, from the brilliancy of Handel, the sober gravity of the choral, to the soothing Andante's of Mozart and Winter, or the graceful tenderness of Haydn.

Here may also be found the majestic sweetness of the Gregorian style, the energetic, nervous manner of Paer, the melodic beauty and rhythmic regularity of Rossini, the impassioned sombreness of Beethoven, the smoothly-flowing cadences of Mendelssohn, the earnest joyousness of Weber, and the tender melancholy of Hummel and Schubert.

In the department of Anthems, Hymns for various occasions, and short pieces for Voluntaries before and after service, "The Haydn Collection" is believed to present features of unusual interest and usefulness. Many of the hymn-tunes have been so arranged that they may be appropriately performed as set-pieces of Hymns on many occasions. The two anthems by

Weber are of themselves worth the price of the book; so are the two movements from Mozart's celebrated Requiem; of which every one has heard, and specimens of which every one can here see, and sing for themselves.

The tunes for men's voices only, will undoubtedly render the work useful to many choirs in colleges, and on board ships, where ladies' voices cannot be obtained.

In the department of Chants, in addition to the service of the Protestant Episcopal Church, the patrons of the Haydn Collection will find the eight Gregorian tones, with their various endings, effectively harmonized, from an authentic source; as these chants are the very oldest church music in existence, being perhaps modeled on the hymns sung by the Apostles and their successors, they will, no doubt be viewed with great interest by every one; and it is thought that the general use of these in our churches would do more to make people love this delightful branch of worship, than volumes of argument or persuasion.

It will be seen that in their arrangements, the Editors have not confined themselves to the use of a few common-place chords, to favor any real or supposed want of skill on the part of singers, but have in all cases treated the subjects with reference to musical effect; and should the parts appear hard to any persons, it is thought that the superiority of effect will induce and amply compensate for, any amount of study and practice that may be bestowed.

The elementary portion has been re-written with the greatest care, and enriched with very many new Exercises; the attention of teachers in particular, is requested to this part, which differs materially from the course of elementary instruction found in most works of this kind. The experience of the senior Editor, as musical superintendent of the Boston Grammar Schools, convinced him some time since that the old system was not only defective, but in many instances contradictory, and that many of the explanations and rules served only to mystify the scholar, and convey wrong impressions, where they conveyed any at all. This matter he attempted and with considerable success, to rectify in the Elementary Music Book," now in use in the Boston Grammar Schools, which system of elementary instruction was copied in "The Timbrel" published not long after; but in the "Haydn Collection," many improvements have been made, and this system is now firmly believed to be more thorough, correct, consistent and easy of comprehension, than any to be found at the present day.

The Editors are led to speak thus confidently of their work, from the fact that during the compilation, from the very first, they attempted not to please a party or sect, to gratify this or that prejudice or taste, but to produce a work which they could conscientiously recommend to their friends as one eminently calculated to fill the void felt and acknowledged by so many people of discrimination, and which should at the same time gratify and refine the musical taste and excite and heighten the religious feelings of those among whom it might be used.

With these remarks the Editors place their book before the Public, trusting and believing that the more and the longer the Haydn Collection is used, the more will its various excellencies be felt and acknowledged.

INTRODUCTION.

SOUND is the effect produced on the mind, by the vibrations of the air coming in contact with, and acting upon the organ of hearing. Anything, therefore, that we can hear, which the mind takes cognizance of through the ear, is SOUND. There are two primary and distinct varieties of sound; the one, resulting from uniform vibration, is called TONE; the other kind, arising from irregular vibration, is called NOISE. In studying the science of Music, we have to do only with Tone, and Noise receives none of our investigation.

The pitch, i. e., gravity or acuteness of sounds caused by uniform vibration, may be readily and accurately determined; while it is more difficult, if not absolutely impossible to ascertain the pitch of sounds whose vibrations are irregular, and indeed, commonly speaking, noise has no pitch.

A knowledge of music consists in a perfect appreciation of the pitch, duration, accentuation and force of tones, and the characters used, to represent tones, their relative pitch, duration, &c. It is proper to regard pitch as of the highest importance, since it is the most indispensable characteristic of tone; the next in importance is duration, then accentuation, and lastly the different degrees of force or prominence.

By MELODY is understood the relative pitch of tones. Tones are said to be of higher or lower pitch, in proportion as they are the result of a greater or less number of vibrations in a second of time..

Thus let us suppose a tone caused by twelve vibrations in a second, which we will represent thus, o o oo oooooooo; now a tone of much higher pitch might be represented by double the number vibrations, thus; o. o.0.0.0. 0.0.0.0.0.0.0. &c. ; while one lower than the first tone would be like this, o o oo 00

A scale is a succession of eight tones occurring at certain fixed intervals from each other, and the last tone is called an octave from the first; thus if we were to depict the vibrations of any tone in this manner, o ooo oo 0 0 0 0 0 0; its octave would be represented thus, 000000000000000000000000.

Just twice the number of vibrations of which any one tone is the result, gives its Octave.