The Sacred Harp (1991 Denson)

Officially titled The Sacred Harp, 1991 edition (with the word "edition" on the outer cover replaced by the word "revision" on the inside title page). The most common nationwide nickname for this book is "Denson book."

The reason for the nickname derives from the history of the book. Not long after the 1902 Cooper book came out, other books also descending from B. F. White and E. J. King's 1844 Sacred Harp were published. The ancestor of the Denson book was supervised by Judge Joe James in 1911, the Original Sacred Harp, and is now known by its nickname, the James Book. When the supply of that book ran out, two brothers in the Denson family (who had worked with Judge James on his edition), brought out another book, titled The Original Sacred Harp, Denson edition. The last official Denson edition was printed in 1987 and the next edition in 1991 carried the new title, The Sacred Harp, 1991 edition. This book is used throughout the nation, in Canada, and the United Kingdom. It may be ordered from the Sacred Harp Publishing Company, Inc..

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. It is published by The University of Georgia Press (1989). ISBN 0-8203-1022-0