The Cooper Book

Officially titled The Sacred Harp, Revised Cooper Edition, 2012. The most common nationwide nickname for this book is "Cooper Book," with singers in Georgia and Florida also calling it "The Blue Book".

The Sacred Harp was first put together by Benjamin Franklin White and Elisha J. King in 1844, and went through four editions (1844, 1850, 1859, 1869). In 1902 W. M. Cooper became the first reviser of The Sacred Harp with the a revision of the 4th edition. This has remained in print ever since; and each time it has been reprinted, it has been revised by committee in the same way as B. F. White had done it. The new book, released in December 2012, represents a cover-to-cover re-typesetting of all pages, the first full revision since its 1902 beginning. A number of singings use this book in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Texas. It has also expanded into other outlying areas.

It may be ordered from The Sacred Harp Book Company, 200 S. Johnson St., Samson, AL 36477. The base price is $20.00 per copy plus shipping charges of $5.00. If more than one book is ordered at a time, call Mr. Bill Aplin (334) 898-7253 for bulk order shipping rates. Books may also be picked up in person at a Cooper Book singing by prior arrangement (thus no shipping charges).

For a more complete discussion of the various editions of The Sacred Harp, consult Buell Cobb, Jr.'s book The Sacred Harp: A Tradition and Its Music, published by The University of Georgia Press (1989). ISBN 0-8203-1022-0