Samuel Holyoke, American composer

Composer

A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...

 and teacher of vocal and instrumental music, was the son of Rev. Elizur Holyoke and Hannah Peabody. He was born on 15 October 1762 in Boxford, Massachusetts

Boxford, Massachusetts

Boxford is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 7,965 at the 2010 census.Part of the town comprises the census-designated place of Boxford.-Geography:...

, in Essex County

Essex County, Massachusetts

-National protected areas:* Parker River National Wildlife Refuge* Salem Maritime National Historic Site* Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site* Thacher Island National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:...

, and died on 7 February 1820, Concord, New Hampshire

Concord, New Hampshire

The city of Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States. It is also the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695....

, in Merrimack County

Merrimack County, New Hampshire

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 136,225 people, 51,843 households, and 35,460 families residing in the county. The population density was 146 people per square mile . There were 56,244 housing units at an average density of 60 per square mile...

. He was a Congregationalist and a Mason, and never married.

After preparatory training at at Phillips Academy

Phillips Academy

Phillips Academy is a selective, co-educational independent boarding high school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, along with a post-graduate year...

, Andover

Andover, Massachusetts

Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was incorporated in 1646 and as of the 2010 census, the population was 33,201...

 Holyoke matriculated at Harvard College

Harvard College

Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...

 in 1786. The source of his musical training is unknown, but he was composed music before he graduated from Harvard in 1789. In 1789-1790, he contributed four secular compositions to Isaiah Thomas

Isaiah Thomas

Isaiah Thomas , was an American newspaper publisher and author. He performed the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence in Worcester, Massachusetts and reported the first account of the Battles of Lexington and Concord...

’s Massachusetts Magazine. A prolific composer, he composed some 700 pieces, including psalm tunes and anthem

Anthem

The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music , or more generally, a song of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a distinct group of people, as in the term "national anthem" or "sports anthem".-Etymology:The word is derived from the Greek via Old English , a word...

s and occasional pieces, some with instrumental accompaniment.

In 1793, Holyoke helped to found Groton Academy

Lawrence Academy at Groton

Lawrence Academy at Groton, , is a co-educational preparatory school located in Groton, Massachusetts, in the United States...

 in Groton, Massachusetts

Groton, Massachusetts

Groton is a town located in northwestern Middlesex County, Massachusetts. The population was 10,646 at the 2010 census. It is home to two noted prep schools: Groton School, founded in 1884, and Lawrence Academy at Groton, founded in 1793. The historic town hosts the National Shepley Hill Horse...

, where he served as the first headmaster. In 1809–1810 Holyoke served as music instructor at Phillips Academy.

After his death, his music was largely forgotten. His importance to American music was summed up by music historian George Hood: "There was no man of his day that did more for the cause of music than Samuel Holyoke."

Published works

• Harmonia Americana (Boston, 1791)
• The Massachusetts Compiler (Boston, 1795, with Oliver Holden
  Oliver Holden
  Oliver Holden was an American composer and compiler of hymns.Born in Shirley, Massachusetts, he served a year as a marine, for which he received a small annual pension. He lived most of his life in Charles Town, Boston, Massachusetts, after he moved with his parents in 1786. He was known to be a...
  
   and Hans Gram)
• "Exeter: for Thanksgiving" (Exeter, NH, 1798)
• "Hark from the Tombs" and "Beneath the Honors" (Exeter, NH, 1800, in honor of George Washington)
• The Instrumental Assistant (Exeter, NH, 1800)
• A Dedication Service (Exeter, NH, 1801)
• Occasional Music (Exeter, NH, 1802)
• The Columbian Repository (Exeter, NH, 1803)
• Masonic Music (Exeter, NH, 1803)
• A Dedication Service (Salem, MA, 1804; different music from the 1801 publication)
• The Christian Harmonist (Salem, MA, 1804)
• The Occasional Companion, nos. 1-7) (Exeter, NH, Dedham, MA, and Boston, 1806-after 1810)
• The Instrumental Assistant II (Exeter, NH, 1807)
• The Vocal Companion (Exeter, NH, 1807)

External links