The Red Back Hymnal is as familiar to some who were raised in small Southern churches as their Bible. For those not familiar with it, the hymnal is more of a maroon shade. “Church Hymnal” is printed in gold letters. The hymnal was first printed in 1951 by Tennessee Music Printing Company in Cleveland, Tenn., now known as The Pathway Press. It’s still widely used in churches today. Not all versions were red. Some were green.
The Museum Center at Five Points in Cleveland, Tenn. has a permanent exhibit about the Red Back Hymnal. The exhibit is part of the Tennessee Music Pathway, a collection of sites throughout the state that contributed to all genres of music. The Red Back Hymnal exhibit is all about the Southern Gospel music that had us clapping and tapping our feet for generations.
The Red Back Hymnal exhibit
Walking into the exhibit took me back to the days when most everyone went to the choir loft to sing, no matter what your ability was. On the wall are the words to “Just a Little Talk with Jesus.”
If it felt right, you could be singing the last verse and chorus of that song for a good 15 minutes. It’s been years since I have belonged to a church that uses the Red Back Hymnal regularly but I can still remember the page numbers of my favorites. Page 333 was “I’ll Fly Away.” “Amazing Grace” is on page 57. And my personal favorite, “Blessed Assurance,” is on page 181.
The exhibit takes you on a journey through the history of the Red Back Hymnal. Some of the hymnals were printed with a green cover in the early years. “Just a Little Talk with Jesus” and “When God Dipped His Love in My Heart” were written by Rev. Cleavant Derricks, Sr., who lived in nearby Chattanooga. He wrote more than 300 other songs and pastored several Baptist churches in Tennessee.
The old pictures of the quartets brought back memories of “Mull’s Singing Convention.” I remember waking up on Sunday mornings to the sounds of “The Happy Jubilee,” a song that never leaves your memory or mind.
Making the hymnal
The Tennessee Music Company printed the hymnals using a linotype printer. That same printer was also used to print everything from newspapers to Sunday school lessons. A printer is on display at the museum. It works and some days there is someone there to demonstrate how the hymnals are printed
One reason for the hymnal’s popularity: Even if you couldn’t read music, you could figure out how to follow the songs in the Red Back Hymnal. The music uses “shape notes” that serve as a guide. They are easy for even novice singers to follow. Shape note singing was first developed in the 19th century and is used in many churches today.
On the wall is a place for people to leave their memories of singing from the Red Back Hymnal. This was my favorite part. A visitor from Idaho shared their memory of singing “I’ll Fly Away” with their grandfather at the First Baptist Church. Another person wrote, “I grew up learning almost every song in the book. These songs were fundamental in my understanding of the Scriptures.”
The Red Back Hymnal is a permanent exhibit at the Museum and Cultural Center at Five Points in Cleveland, Tennessee. Even if you are not a fan of Southern Gospel music, it’s worth a trip. And if you don’t have your own copy of the Red Back Hymnal, you can buy one in the gift shop.
The museum is located at 200 Inman Street in downtown Cleveland. Admission is free.
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