diff --git a/openlp/core/lib/db.py b/openlp/core/lib/db.py
index 4c7b1ca23..87200faee 100644
--- a/openlp/core/lib/db.py
+++ b/openlp/core/lib/db.py
@@ -166,6 +166,18 @@ class Manager(object):
         else:
             return self.session.query(object_class).get(id)
 
+    def get_object_filtered(self, object_class, filter_string):
+        """
+        Returns an object matching specified criteria
+
+        ``object_class``
+            The type of object to return
+
+        ``filter_string``
+            The criteria to select the object by
+        """
+        return self.session.query(object_class).filter(filter_string).first()
+
     def get_all_objects(self, object_class, order_by_ref=None):
         """
         Returns all the objects from the database
diff --git a/openlp/plugins/songs/lib/manager.py b/openlp/plugins/songs/lib/manager.py
index f2edf6e75..10ec5aa34 100644
--- a/openlp/plugins/songs/lib/manager.py
+++ b/openlp/plugins/songs/lib/manager.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 import logging
 
 from openlp.core.lib.db import Manager
-from openlp.plugins.songs.lib.db import init_schema, Song, Author, Topic, Book
+from openlp.plugins.songs.lib.db import init_schema, Song, Author
 #from openlp.plugins.songs.lib import OpenLyricsSong, OpenSongSong, CCLISong, \
 #    CSVSong
 
@@ -114,21 +114,3 @@ class SongManager(Manager):
         """
         return self.session.query(Author).filter(Author.display_name.like(
             u'%' + keywords + u'%')).order_by(Author.display_name.asc()).all()
-
-    def get_author_by_name(self, name):
-        """
-        Get author by display name
-        """
-        return self.session.query(Author).filter_by(display_name=name).first() 
-
-    def get_topic_by_name(self, name):
-        """
-        Get topic by name
-        """
-        return self.session.query(Topic).filter_by(name=name).first() 
-
-    def get_book_by_name(self, name):
-        """
-        Get book by name
-        """
-        return self.session.query(Book).filter_by(name=name).first() 
diff --git a/openlp/plugins/songs/lib/songimport.py b/openlp/plugins/songs/lib/songimport.py
index 9b47a7501..814d13d5e 100644
--- a/openlp/plugins/songs/lib/songimport.py
+++ b/openlp/plugins/songs/lib/songimport.py
@@ -277,7 +277,6 @@ class SongImport(object):
         if len(self.authors) == 0:
             self.authors.append(u'Author unknown')
         self.commit_song()
-        #self.print_song()
 
     def commit_song(self):
         """
@@ -316,7 +315,8 @@ class SongImport(object):
         song.theme_name = self.theme_name
         song.ccli_number = self.ccli_number
         for authortext in self.authors:
-            author = self.manager.get_author_by_name(authortext)
+            filter_string = u'display_name=%s' % authortext
+            author = self.manager.get_object_filtered(Author, filter_string)
             if author is None:
                 author = Author()
                 author.display_name = authortext
@@ -325,7 +325,8 @@ class SongImport(object):
                 self.manager.insert_object(author)
             song.authors.append(author)
         if self.song_book_name:
-            song_book = self.manager.get_book_by_name(self.song_book_name)
+            filter_string = u'name=%s' % self.song_book_name
+            song_book = self.manager.get_object_filtered(Book, filter_string)
             if song_book is None:
                 song_book = Book()
                 song_book.name = self.song_book_name
@@ -333,7 +334,8 @@ class SongImport(object):
                 self.manager.insert_object(song_book)
             song.song_book_id = song_book.id
         for topictext in self.topics:
-            topic = self.manager.get_topic_by_name(topictext)
+            filter_string = u'name=%s' % topictext
+            topic = self.manager.get_object_filtered(Topic, filter_string)
             if topic is None:
                 topic = Topic()
                 topic.name = topictext
@@ -370,5 +372,3 @@ class SongImport(object):
             print u'THEME: ' + self.theme_name
         if self.ccli_number:
             print u'CCLI: ' + self.ccli_number
-
-