The Old Stoughton Musical Society's
Second Fall Music Festival
"Musick in Old Boston"
Old West Church,
Boston, Massachusetts
November 22-23, 1980
The Old Stoughton Musical Society (OSMS), organized in 1786, is the oldest choral society in the United States of America.
Their Second Fall Music Festival, organized by OSMS Historian Roger Hall, featured a series of lectures and concerts
held as one of the special events for Jubilee 350 -- celebrating the 350th anniversary of the City of Boston.
It also included several first concert performances.
These are the highlights...
Saturday, November 22
Lectures:
"Old Stoughton in Old Boston" - Roger L. Hall, Musicologist and
Old Stoughton Musical Society Historian and Conductor
"Colonial Opera in Boston" - David P. McKay, Musicologist
with Guest Singers
"George W. Chadwick and the Choral Festivals" - Steven Ledbetter,
Director of Publications, Boston Symphony Orchestra
"Organs and Organists in Old Boston" -
Barbara Owen,
Organist and Musicologist
"Violin Making in the Boston Area" - Douglas W. Anderson,
Violinist and Conductor
Evening Concert:
"Music of the Baroque Era" -
Music by J.S. Bach, Corelli, Dall'Abaco, Handel, Telemann
Easton Chamber Orchestra, Richard W. Hill, organist; Douglas W. Anderson, conductor
Sunday, November 23
194th Annual Concert of The Old Stoughton Musical Society
"Musick in Old Boston"
(Celebrating the 350th Anniversary of
the City of Boston)
Music by William Billings, Dudley Buck, George W. Chadwick, Edwin A. Jones, Horatio Parker, William Selby, and other composers
Barbara Owen, Guest Organist
Old Stoughton Musical Society Chorus
Richard W. Hill, Organist
Roger Hall, Music Director
Among the highlights were First Modern Day Concert Performances of these original versions:
"John Brown" and "Battle Hymn of the Republic" (1861-1862)
"Hymn of Peace" (National Peace Jubilee, 1869)
"Festival Hymn" (World's Peace Jubilee, 1872)
The concert finale featured the First Performance of a special Jubilee 350 Song, which was both festive and fearless in its hopeful promise for the future of the City of Boston:
"O Boston!"
words: Pilgrim Gov. William Bradford (1590-1657)
music: "Old Hundredth" -
edited and arranged by Roger Hall
Concert Highlights
Concert highlights from this 1980 concert are available on this CD-R:
Track titles:
1. +The Star-Spangled Banner – Father Kemp’s Concert Tunes
2. +Prelude and Fugue in G minor – E.A. Jones (Richard Hill, organist)
3. CHESTER– William Billings, 1778
4. BOSTON– William Billings , 1778
5. DAVID'S LAMENTATION, 1778 – William Billings
6. +MAJESTY, 1778 – William Billings
7. A Fuge or Voluntary – William Selby (Barbara Owen, organist)
8. Behold He Is My Salvation – William Selby
9. +John Brown & Battle Hymn of the Republic - Father Kemp
10. +Angel of Peace – words: Oliver Wendell Holmes, 1869
11. +Festival Hymn – words & music: Dudley Buck, 1872
12. +Old Stoughton – Edwin A. Jones, 1886
13. The Star from NOEL – George W. Chadwick, 1909 (Richard Hill, organist)
14. Chorale from NOEL – George W. Chadwick, 1909
15. Land of Our Hearts- George W. Chadwick, 1918
16. +O Boston! – Jubilee 350 song - arranged by Roger Hall, 1980
+ = 20th century Boston premiere
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Music in Old Boston CD
Music From 19th century Boston
"Angel of Peace" - The Boston Peace Jubilees
Music Publications and CDs
Read about the Father of American Choral Music, William Billings (1746-1800)
MAJESTY: A discussion of FACTS and FICTION about William Billings and The STOUGHTON MUSICAL SOCIETY
(PINETREE PRESS, 2000)
Contents:
PART ONE: William Billings - His Life and Music
1. Family Tree
2. Parents
3. Wife and Children
4. Occupations
5. Revolutionary Patriot
6. Singing Master and Composer
PART TWO: William Billings and Old Stoughton
7. The Singing School
8. The Stoughton Musical Society
9. First Tunebook
10. Second Tunebook
11. Chicago World's Exposition Concerts
12. Billings Tunes in Stoughton Concerts (1876-1986)
Notes
Bibliography
Discography
MUSIC SUPPLEMENT:
THE PLEASURES OF VARIETY (Text: William Billings/
Music: Roger Hall)
COME LET US SING (Text: William Billings/ Music: Roger Hall)
MAJESTY (music by William Billings, 1778)
STOUGHTON (music by William Billings, 1770, Edited by Roger Hall)
Music Activities in Stoughton (1980-1999)
Special Offer!
Learn about one of the oldest singing traditions
in the United States.
Order this pamphlet and receive
The Stoughton Songster
at no extra price!
Music in Stoughton: A Brief Survey
This pamphlet covers the years from the first recorded singing meetings in 1762 to the Bicentennial of the Old Stoughton Musical Society's Constitution in 1987. It also includes other major music events such as: Oldest choral society in America organized (1786); Second musical society organized (1802); First oratorio by a local composer (1887); Only musical group representing early American music at World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago (1893); George Washington Bicentennial Concert (1932), Old Stoughton Musical Society Bicentennial (1986).
At the back of the pamphlet are lists of Most Performed American Tunes (1879-1979) and Most Performed American Composers (1976-1986).
Also included is a new song, "Peace," composed by Roger Hall in 1981 for the Centennial of Stoughton Town Hall. This song is based on an anti-war poem written by a Stoughton teenage girl in 1814 during the War of 1812.
Also included with this pamphlet is an accompanying CD titled,
The Stoughton Harmony
Here are the track titles for this CD:
1. The Star Spangled Banner - words: Francis Scott Key
2. Stoughton (1770) - music by William Billings (ed. by Roger Hall) --
FIRST RECORDING
3. Sharon (1778) - William Billings (ed. by Roger Hall) -- FIRST RECORDING
4. +Boston (1778) - William Billings
5. +Chester (1778/ 1786) - William Billings/ opens with ringing of a
Paul Revere bell
6. +Majesty (1778) - William Billings
7.+David's Lamentation (1778) - William Billings
8. Thanksgiving Hymn - tune: Kittery by William Billings
(edited by Roger Hall)-FIRST RECORDING
9. Yankee Song (1788) - tune: Yankee Doodle (arranged by Roger Hall)
10. Ode To President George Washington (1789) - edited by Roger Hall --
FIRST RECORDING
11. +Mount Vernon (1800) - Oliver Holden
12. +Coronation (1792) - Oliver Holden
13. +Victory (1793) - Daniel Read
14. +New Jerusalem (1796) - Jeremiah Ingalls
15. +Northfield (1799) - Jeremiah Ingalls
16. +New Bethlehem (1799) - Edward French from Sharon
17. +The Dove (1805) - Samuel Capen from Canton (edited by Roger Hall) --
FIRST RECORDING
18. John Brown & Battle Hymn of the Republic (1861-62)
19. Give Us This Day (1863) - Stephen Foster
20. +Sons and Daughters of the Pilgrims (1870s) - Temperance Hymn
21. Old Stoughton (1886) - Edwin A. Jones from Stoughton
22. The Lord is King (1883) - Edwin A. Jones (ed. by Roger Hall) -
FIRST RECORDING
23. Easter Carol (1892) - Charles Ives
24. O Boston! (1980) - ed. and arr. by Roger Hall - FIRST RECORDING
25. Dedication (1986) - Roger Hall -- FIRST RECORDING
26. Peace (1990) - Roger Hall -- FIRST RECORDING
27. Song of the Old Folks (1855) - tune: Auld Lang Syne/
words: Albert Laighton/arr. R. Kemp
+ = The Stoughton Musical Society's Centennial Collection of Sacred Music (1878/reprint, 1980)
Some of the pieces on the CD are also included in the 19th century tunebook:
Father Kemp's Old Folks Concert Tunes
The Stoughton Songster
A collection compiled and edited by Roger L. Hall and featuring lyrics for 12 songs performed in Stoughton concerts between 1980 and 1990.
Included are songs by Stoughton composers: Edwin A. Jones, Frank W. Reynolds, F.William Kempf, and Roger Hall. Also there are original versions of "Yankee Doodle" and "Battle Hymn of the Republic."
All the songs are included on the accompanying CD, along with a radio special about the 200th anniversary of the Old Stoughton Musical Society in 1986. The songs and hymns in The Stoughton Songster --
I. Pilgrim Poet:
1. "O Boston!" (poem: William Bradford/ tune: OLD HUNDRED) -- commermorative song edited and arranged by Roger Hall for the 350th anniversary of the City of Boston in 1980.
II. Songs of George Washington's Time:
2. "Stoughton" (music by William Billings, 1770/ edited by Roger Hall) -- for the Bicentennial of the Old Stoughton Musical Society in 1986.
3. "Father and I Went Down to Camp" (tune: YANKEE DOODLE, 1776)
4. "The 'Vention did in Boston meet" (tune: YANKEE DOODLE, 1788)
5. "Ode to George Washington" (text: Samuel Low/ tune: GOD SAVE THE KING, edited by Roger Hall,1982) -- sung at the Inauguration of the First U.S. President in 1789.
III. Songs of Abraham Lincoln's Time:
6. "My Country 'Tis of Thee" (text: Samuel Francis Smith, 1831/ tune: GOD SAVE THE KING)
7. "John Brown's body lies a-mould'ring in the grave " (text printed by C.S. Hall, 1861/ tune: GLORY, HALLELUJAH,1861)
8. "Battle Hymn of the Republic" (text: Julia Ward Howe, 1862/ tune: GLORY, HALLELUJAH)
IV. Stoughton Songs:
9. "Old Stoughton" (Edwin Arthur Jones, 1886)
10. "Lullaby" (Frank W. Reynolds, 1922)
11. "Barbara Allen" (folk song arranged by F. William Kempf, 1942)
12. "Peace"(anti-war poem by Esther Talbot, 1814 / music by Roger Hall, 1981)
For a limited time, when you order
Music in Stoughton: A Brief Survey
you will also receive,
The Stoughton Songster,
at no extra price.
To order, go to the
Store
A Stoughton Musicfest:
A Celebration of Local Composers and Musicians
Written and produced by Roger Hall
A program honoring the 200th anniversary of what is believed to be the first singing contest held in America in 1790 between the Stoughton Musical Society and
First Parish Choir in Dorchester, Massachusetts.
This program was videotaped on May 10, 1990 at the Stoughton Public Library and includes local musicians performing music by local composers.
This one hour video is included on the DVD:
"Land of Our Hearts" - A New England Music Miscellany
If you have any comments or questions, write to:
Music in Old Boston
