rn at Suffield, Conn., in 1757, who published
"Federal Harmony" and "New England Harmony," and wrote the familiar tunes
"Poland" and "China;" John Hubbard, who wrote many anthems and treatises
on music; Dutton, of Hartford, Conn., who issued the "Hartford
Collection," and wrote the tune of "Woodstock;" Oliver Shaw, born at
Middleborough, Mass., in 1799, who was totally blind, but became a very
successful teacher and composer. Gould says that his compositions were
"truly original," and one of them, "There's Nothing True but Heaven," was
repeated night after night by the Boston Handel and Haydn Society.

The era of psalm composers was followed by that of the singing-school
teachers, who exerted a mighty influence upon sacred music and musical
taste. At the same time numerous societies were organized, among them the
Handel and Haydn Society of Boston, which was born April 20, 1815, and
still exists,--a vigorous growth from the little gathering which gave its
first concert on Christmas, Dec. 25, 1815, singing the first part of "The
Creation" and selections from Handel's works, and was pronounced by an
enthusiastic critic of that time "the wonder of the nation." The great
singing-teachers were Thomas Hastings of Washington, Conn., Lowell Mason
of Mansfield, Mass., Nathaniel D. Gould of Chelmsford, Mass. Still later
came George F. Root, Woodbury, Dyer, Bradbury, Ives, Johnson, and others,
whose labors, both as composers and teachers, are familiar to all lovers
of sacred music even at this day. The old-fashioned singing-school,
however, has disappeared. The musical convention still survives in rural
places. The great festivals, oratorio societies, the modern concert
stage, even the opera, have all had their effect upon sacred music. The
paid choir of professional musicians marks a long departure from the
robust Puritan psalm-singers; its music is equally remote from the
jingling tunes of Billings which "tickled the ears" of the colonists.

APPENDIX.

The following chronological list is intended to present to the reader a
statement of the more important sacred music which has been written
during the last two centuries, with its composers and dates, for the
purposes of reference.

Allegri
Miserere (1630).
Arne
Abel (1755);
Judith (1764).
Bach
St. John Passion (1720);
Magnificat in D (1723);
St. Matthew Passion (1729);
Christmas Oratorio (1734).