Archives Collection

                                                                                                                                    01-023

WOODARD, M. H.
MANUSCRIPTS AND GOSPEL SONGBOOK COLLECTION

 

 

Physical Description:

.2 linear feet of manuscript materials including

            .1 l.f. papers

3 theory texts

1 sheet music

15 printed songbooks

 

Dates:

1921-1976

 

Provenance:

This collection was donated to the Center in May 2002 by Dr. Charles Wolfe, a professor in the English Department of Middle Tennessee State University.  Dr. Wolfe obtained the materials from a colleague at Union University in Jackson Tennessee, who obtained it from a relative of the Woodard family.

 

Agency History/biographical sketch:

Milas Homes Woodard was born in Morgan County Alabama January 25, 1897.  He was a leading merchant in Cullman Alabama and the surrounding area, owning five dry good stores in 1957.  Paralleling his business career, Mr. Woodard studied music, namely voice, piano, harmony, and composition.  He completed courses in theory and harmony of the “Old Sacred Harp Music,” taught by his father and brother.  He also studied under Prof. T. B. Mosely and J. R. Baxter, Jr. (of Stamps-Baxter Music Co., Inc.). Mr. Woodard wrote hymns, songs, and anthems, and published gospel song books under his own company.  He was a leading figure in the Alabama State Singing Convention and was on the editorial staff of A. J. Showalter Publishing Company. Mr. Woodard also delved in real estate, the building contract business, and was a Republican party leader in Alabama. He died June 24, 1979.

 

Scope and content:

This is a collection of manuscript papers and published books of gospel “Old Sacred Harp” music.  Manuscripts consist of music tablets and workbooks containing exercises and compositions by M. H. Woodard, most written in Showalter’s Music Tablets and Practical Harmony Tablets.  Various receipts, cancelled checks, and a payment list pertaining to the dry goods businesses owned by Mr. Woodard and dating from the 1940s and 1950s make up 50% of the manuscripts.  Also included are song titles and lyrics written by Woodard, two newspaper articles, and sheet music copies. The collection contains book one and book two of The Theory of Music by M. H. Woodard, Dr. of Music, published in the 1970s with an accompanying workbook.  One printed piece of sheet music written by George Woodard is also included.

 

Fifteen gospel song books published by Woodard in shape note are included. They date from 1936 to 1995 and contain compositions by M. H. Woodard, members of his family, and various others.  The earlier books were published by M. H. Woodard Music Publisher, Cullman, Alabama.  The publishing name was changed in 1966 to the Gospel Song Publishing Association of America, Inc., and Leoma, Tennessee was added as a publishing location in the 1970s.  By 1984, the publisher is listed as the Leoma Music Company.  The published song books are located in the gospel song book section of rare books and are cataloged in the CPM InMagic database. (See attached list of titles.)

 

Location:

Manuscript materials are shelved by accession number with other manuscript collections.  The gospel songbooks are stored within the gospel songbook section of rare books.  All are searchable by accession number in the Center’s InMagic database.

 

Related Materials:

The Center holds a number of other gospel shape-note songbooks by various publishers, such as the Stamps-Baxter Music Co.  These may be searched by publisher or subject in the CPM database.

 

Box and Folder List:

Box#               Folder#           Description

1                      Music tablets and workbooks, n.d., 1921, (8 items)

2                      Song title, lyrics, sheet music, newspapers, 1934-1935, (8 items)

3                      Receipts, bills, checks, correspondence, 1943-1976, (21 items)

4                      Music theory books, 1971, 1975, (3 items)

GOSPEL SONG BOOKS

 

The Latest New Songs by M. H. Woodard: Cullman, Alabama, [1936].

 

Prayer and Praise, M. H. Woodard, editor, M. H. Woodard Music Publisher: Cullman, Alabama, 1957.

 

Victory Songs, M. H. Woodard, editor, M. H. Woodard Music Publisher: Cullman, Alabama, 1959.

 

Chiming Lyrics, M. H. Woodard, editor, M. H. Woodard Music Publisher: Cullman, Alabama, 1960.

 

Golden Morning, M. H. Woodard, editor, M. H. Woodard Music Publisher: Cullman, Alabama, 1962.

 

Let Us Sing, M. H. Woodard, editor, M. H. Woodard Music Publisher: Cullman, Alabama, 1964.

 

Glad Tidings, M. H. Woodard, editor, Gospel Song Publishing Association of America, Inc.: Cullman, Alabama, 1966.

 

Living Hymns, M. H. Woodard, editor, Gospel Song Publishing Association of America, Inc.: Cullman, Alabama, 1967.

 

Peaceful Praise, M. H. Woodard, editor, Gospel Song Publishing Association of America, Inc.: Cullman, Alabama, 1968.

 

New Songs, M. H. Woodard, editor, Gospel Song Publishing Association of America, Inc.: Cullman, Alabama, 1970.

 

Heav’nly Vision, M. H. Woodard, editor, Gospel Song Publishing Association of America, Inc.: Cullman, Alabama, 1971.

 

Song of Zion, M. H. Woodard, editor, Gospel Song Publishing Association of America, Inc.: Leoma, Tennessee, 1973.

 

A Different Song, Various authors, Leoma Music Company: Leoma, Tennessee, 1984.

 

Sing Praise, Various authors, Leoma Music Company: Leoma, Tennessee, 1988.

 

Family Tradition, Leonette A. Walls, editor, Leoma Music Company: Leoma, Tennessee, 1995.

 

LPC 2001