![[Cover of Cooper Edition, 1992]](Cooper.jpg)
The B.F. White Sacred Harp, Revised Cooper Edition, 2006. The "Cooper Book" is a revision descended from the original Sacred Harp tunebook and compiled, initially in 1902, by a different circle of singers from those who produced the Denson and 1991 Editions described above. It has been traditionally used in the Florida panhandle, the southern regions of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, and in Texas. It is also used by black Sacred Harp groups in Alabama. Nationwide interest in the Cooper Book has increased dramatically in recent years, and currently there are Cooper Book singings in all regions of the U.S. The 2006 Cooper revision has approximately 600 songs, some in common with the Denson/1991 Sacred Harp (sometimes with different alto parts and titles) and many other mid- to late-nineteenth-century songs having a relatively sweet harmony, including "call-and-response" songs. It also has a number of beautiful "folk hymns" not in the 1991 Edition and contemporary songs. Compared to the 2000 Cooper Book revision, the 2006 edition features around 16 newly added songs (five by contemporary Cooper Book singers/composers), a first-line index, and extensive retypesetting and corrections. Thirteen rarely sung songs in the 2000 edition were deleted. Over 125 pages feature superior new typesetting by singer Karen Willard, with some songs having key changes, added verses, and corrected attributions. Including the retypesetting done for the 2000 edition, 41% of the song pages of the 2006 edition display modern typesetting. The base price of the 2006 edition is $15.00 per book. The shipping charges per book are $5.00 for one book, $3.50 for 2-5 books, $3.00 for 6-10 books, $2.50 for 11-15 books, and $25.00 for a whole case of 18. For shipping outside the U.S., call for a quote. Make checks payable to the Sacred Harp Book Co. Address orders to Mr. Bill Aplin, Secretary/Treasurer, The Sacred Harp Book Co., 200 S. Johnson St., Samson, AL 36477, e-mail ripcal@alaweb.com, phone 334-898-7253.
Cooper Book Tunes (online index) by Martha Henderson and Tim Slattery, is an integrated set of indices to all of the songs in the Cooper Book, 2000 Revision. More information is in Chapter 4.