This attractive book contains essays on Benjamin Lloyd’s Primitive Hymns, a word-only hymnal which was compiled and published in Alabama in 1841 and has been in continuous use by Primitive Baptists since that time. Packaged with the book is a compact disc featuring 20 performances of hymns by Primitive Baptists in Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina. Extensive liner notes about the performances accompany the CD. Joyce Cauthen served as editor of the book and producer of the CD. Included in the book are the following:

Introduction by John Bealle.
1) Hark the Doleful Sound: The Old Way of Singing in the Original Sipsey River Primitive Baptist Association (Joyce Cauthen)
2) Forging Religious Identity: An Exploration of Hymn Singing in Anglo-American Primitive Baptist Churches (Beverly Bush Patterson)
3)Texts from Lloyd’s Hymn Book in the Quiltwork of African American Singing Styles (William T. Dargan)
4)Benjamin Lloyd: A Pioneer Primitive Baptist in Alabama (Oliver C. Weaver, Jr.)
5) Elder Benjamin Lloyd and his Hymn Book (Joey Brackner)
6)The Primitive Hymns: Descriptions of Extant Editions (Joey Brackner)
7) Liner notes to the CD (Joyce Cauthen)

The CD contains singing from Lloyd's Primitive Hymns by the Lee family of Hoboken, GA; New Jerusalem Primitive Baptist Church, Bessemer, AL; Smyrna PB Chuch, Goodwater, AL; Shiloh PB Association, Elkin, NC; Little Hope PB Church, Eoline, AL; Jesse Allison, Doc Reed, and Vera Hall, Livingston, AL; Mt. Pilgrim PB Church, Livingston, AL; Ginny Hawker, WV; Amanda Smith and Ella Pearl White, Loachapoka, AL; Mt. Hebrew PB Church, Notasulga, AL; Oak Grove PB Church, Davidson County, NC; Bethel PB Church, Berlin; AL, Bethlehem PB Church, Eutaw, AL.