In previous posts in this series on the Moravians and the American Revolution we have looked at the varying ways members of the church responded to this tumultuous time, ranging from striving to minimize their involvement to support, vocal or unspoken, of either side.  Regardless of these disagreements and the conflict they at times caused, it is reasonable to say that all Moravians were happy to see the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783. This month we would like to look at perhaps the most dramatic expression of this happiness, the music performed in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, during one the of the earliest 4th of July celebrations.

In response to the end of the war, Alexander Martin (1740-1807), the governor of North Carolina, issued a proclamation on June 18th that July 4th was to be celebrated throughout the state:

“In conformity to the pious intentions of the Legislature I have thought proper to issue this Proclamaation directing that the said 4th of July next be observed as above, hereby strictly commanding and enjoying all the Good Citizens of this State to set apart the said Day from bodily labour, and employ the same in devout and religion exercises…” [1]

This left little time for the Moravian community in Winston-Salem to prepare but the composer Johann Frierich Peter (1746-1813) was able to chose and organize existing music and texts into what became known as the Psalm of Joy. According to the diary of the Salem congregation, 4 July 1783, all Moravian settlements in Wachovia held services of thanksgiving for peace, in accordance with the decree set forth by the state government. [2] According to Karl Kroeger, “no other community in North Carolina is known to have held a planned celebration.” [3]

The morning of Friday, June 4th, 1783, opened in Winston-Salem with a performance by the trombone choir, followed by three services throughout the day. The Psalm of Joy was performed during a lovefeast at 2:00 pm and consisted of three sections, each ending with the chorale, “Sleepers Awake.”

Notably, the Psalm of Joy, and the celebration in general, lacked the pride and patriotic fervor that we often associate with the occasion, the focus is less on the American victory and more on praising God for the end of the conflict and the return of peace. This nicely illustrates the prevailing attitude many  Moravians seemed to hold towards the American Revolution, regardless of whatever personal inclinations one had towards the new country or the British, it was above all a chaotic and dangerous time that they were glad to see past.

After this initial 4th of July celebration the Psalm of Joy appears to have not been performed again until 1966 when, for the 200th anniversary of the Winston-Salem congregation’s founding, Marilyn P. Gambosi, then assistant director of the Moravian Music Foundation, successfully recreated it based on archival records. Since then it has been performed regularly, including several occasions earlier this year in conjunction with celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the United State’s founding. There have also been recordings made by the Moravian Music Foundation, such as the vinyl record from our holdings shown above, and a recorded performance on YouTube.

Further Reading:

This publication is the sheet music for the Psalm of Joy as recreated in 1966 and can be viewed in our reading room:

—> Cgb 22: Peter, Johann Frierich “Psalm of joy of the congregation in Salem for the Peace Celebration, July 4, 1783 / music compiled by Johann Friedrich Peter ; prepared for modern performance by Marilyn P. Gombosi.” Boosey & Hawkes, 1975.

The full text of Governor Alexander Martin’s proclamation can be read online here.

This article further discusses the Psalm of Joy and the 4th of July celebration in Winston-Salem.

A performance of the Psalm of  Joy by the Moramus Chorale of the Moravian Music Foundation on June 29, 2024 can be watched on YouTube.

[1] A Psalm of Joy, conducted by Malcolm Johns. Introduction by Karl Kroeger, Director of the Moravian Music Foundation.
[2] WachP 72, Moravian Archives, Bethlehem.
[3] Cgb 22.