Huszár Gál: A keresztyéni gyülekezetben való isteni dicséretek és imádságok. III.

1051 Gál Huszár, (Divine praises and prayers for the Christian (=Protestant) congregation), Komjáti, 1574. The Gradual-and-Songbook by Gál Huszár, the most important text of its kind, was the first Lutheran religious book printed in Hungary that served both as a Gradual and a Community Songbook. 1. The place of printing. The Songbook was printed by Gál Huszár in 1574, in Komjáti, Nyitra county, Kingdom of Hungary. The printing may have been completed in 1575, in Pápa, Transdanubia. 2—3. Title-page and dedication. The title differs from its predecessors in that it indicates that the book contains prayers as well. In addition, Gál Huszár's logo and a motto — the first lines of Psalm 149 also known from German Songbooks figure on the title-page. The dedication is in reality a textual explanation of part of Saint Paul's letter to the Colosseans, 3:16. Included in it is the following information, important also from the point of view of literary history: the Divine Praises must be sung everywhere, except in „taverns and other evil eateries" or „in the middle of love songs or in the presence of drunkards". This suggest that they were true popular songs, manifestations of common poetry. Like his contemporaries, Gál Huszár proscribes singing in foreign languages. The dedication also speaks of editorial problems. Though not the texts themselves, the whole of the volume is declared by Gál Huszár to be his own work. He collected the texts, the editorial concept was his. While his earlier Songbook from 1560—61 (RMNy 160) was dedicated to Péter Méliusz Juhász, the preface of the 1574 book addresses everybody, not any particular person. Only then, in 1574, could he finally carry out his old plan, the composition of a Songbook which is both a Gradual and a Community Songbook at the same time. His probable aim was to circulate it as widely as possible, well beyond his own congregation (Komjáti). 4. Its structure. The Songbook also includes instructions for the Pastor (the Minister), the Choir (schoolchildren) and the Congregation. A Protestant Gradual, as common in the 16th century, should contain the rituals of Prima, Vespers and the Communion services with a sermon. In Luther's spirit, the rituals are not strict. Instructions in italics allow options. The number of the sections is highly variable as well (see Tables 1-2). On the other hand, the volume is a complete community songbook. Gál Huszár assigned a place for each non-liturgical, community song, thus for holiday songs, songs of the catechism, post-sermon songs, etc. The book consists of two parts. A copy of Part I with contemporary binding is stored in Epeijes. This suggests that Huszár started to sell Part I as soon as it was completed, separately. Since part of the post-sermon songs are found in Part I already, the fact that the book is divided into two parts should not be overestimated. PARTI. 1. Morning service (la-79b); 2. Cathechism (79b-135b); 3. Holiday praises for the morning and the afternoon (136a—344a); divine praises after sermon (344a—347b).