The Hesperian Harp is ashape note tunebook published in 1848 by DrWilliam Hauser, with reprintings issued in 1852, 1853, and 1874.[1] SubtitledA Collection of Psalm and Hymn Tunes, Odes and Anthems, it is named after Hauser's plantation, Hesperia, inJefferson County, Georgia. The word "harp" is often found in the titles of such tunebooks, most famouslyThe Sacred Harp (although "Harmony" is also common, to emphasize the then-new concept of 4-part harmony, unlike the earlier method oflined-outhymnody that was being supplanted). TheHesperian Harp was probably the largest shape note tune book of its day, containing 552 pages of music, including 36 songs composed by Hauser. It uses thefour-note system of notation pioneered by William Little and William Smith.