ABSTRACT
The number of Roman Catholics living in America during the Colonial period was small, especially in the Midwest, which was populated largely by Methodists, Baptists and Presbyterians. Catholic Church music was not distinctive; published liturgical music and the musicians needed to perform it were in short supply. Two catalogs of sacred music issued by the firm of W. C. Peters & Sons, Cincinnati, suggest that this company was possibly the earliest, and from 1845 to 1865, the leading publisher of liturgical music in the Midwest. Peters’ emphasis on music for the Catholic Church intensified after 1850. While undoubtedly concerned about making a financial profit, he was dedicated to initiating improvements in the music of the liturgy and educating musicians and clergy in its use. Peters’ work as a liturgical pedagogue is best seen in his Catholic Harp, in which he explains the “Modes and Tones,” and presents the “Gregorian Melodies” in both square and round notes.
