Daniel Read

Background

Daniel Read was born November 16, 1757 in Rehoboth, later called Attleboro, Massachussets. He was a descendant in the fourth generation from John Read, who emigrated from Europe about 1630.

Career

During the Revolutionary War he served for short periods in Sullivan's expedition to Rhode Island in 1777 and 1778. Before the close of the war he moved to New Haven, Connecticut, where he began business as a maker of ivory combs. He also entered into a partnership with Amos Doolittle, an engraver, and engaged in the business of publishing and selling books.

In New Haven Read entered into many of the activities of civil life. He was one of the stockholders of the bank of the city and a director in the library. He became a member of the Governor's Guards, a famous military organization which, on learning of the attack of the British on the provincials at Lexington in 1775, had marched to Boston under the command of Benedict Arnold. The composition, editing, and publication of music occupied most of his time, and is the work for which his name is now chiefly known.

His first music book was The American Singing Book published in 1785 and signed "By Daniel Read, Philo Musico, " and contained forty-seven tunes of his own composition. A supplement was added later and a fourth edition was issued in 1793. It had an extensive circulation in New England, and he even arranged for introducing it into singing schools in Alexandria, Virginia. Oliver Holden became interested in his music and subscribed to all that he might publish.

About 1786 he began The American Musical Magazine, the first periodical of its kind in this country. It appeared monthly and was made up of music selected from both American and foreign masters. The first volume, the only one issued, bears no date, but is thought to have been printed during the year 1786-1787, and contained music by William Billings as well as some by Daniel Read and others. An Introduction to Psalmody appeared in 1790, being a book of instruction for children in vocal music, and was made up of a series of dialogues in which the different musical symbols were explained.

The first number of The Columbian Harmonist was published in 1793, and numbers two and three soon followed, a fourth edition being printed in Boston in 1810. These were small, oblong books, engraved by Doolittle and selling for forty-five cents. In 1817 he compiled and arranged a collection of music for the use of the United Society in New Haven.

It was printed the following year under the title The New Haven Collection of Sacred Music and was his last published work. His last manuscript was completed in 1832, when he was seventy-five years of age, and although it was offered to the American Home Missionary Society with the request that the proceeds that might arise from its publication be applied to the cause of missions in the United States, the Board did not feel that it was authorized to assume such responsibility and it was never published.

He died in New Haven, Connecticut.

Achievements

• He was one of the primary figures in early American classical music. His best-known tunes are "Lisbon, " "Sherburne" and "Windham. "

Works

• book

  • book

  • book

Connections

About 1785 he married Jerusha Sherman in New Haven where they and their four children made their home.

Spouse:

Jerusha Sherman