DETROIT
DETROIT is a pentatonic folk melody that entered the American shape note repertoire through the Supplement to Kentucky Harmony, compiled by Ananias Davisson and published around 1820. Its origins are somewhat obscure, as was common with many folk tunes absorbed into the shape note tradition; the melody likely circulated orally in the Appalachian region before being harmonized and codified in print. Davisson's collection was among the pioneering Southern shape note tunebooks that sought to gather
Stanza Arc
The narrative or theological arc traced by this tune's stanzas: God's revelation (Word/Light) → God's hiddenness in humility (Truth/Sacrifice) → God's demand for justice (Love/Care) → God's transcendence and intimacy (Might/Nearness)