James D. Vaughan (1863–1941) began publishing a series of successful gospel annuals in 1903, later implementing innovative marketing strategies that would become white southern gospel industry standards. By Silver Trumpet’s 1908 publication date, the James D. Vaughan Company was still developing its signature business model that eventually included company-sponsored touring quartets, a radio station, and a record label. The success of these efforts allowed the Vaughan Company to expand beyond its home base in south-central Tennessee to include branches in Arkansas, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas. This volume was intended for gospel singing conventions where classes eagerly anticipated the new slate of compositions published in each year’s annuals.

—Erin Fulton