David Duffield Wood was born on March 2, 1838, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. He was a son of Wilhelmina I. (Jones) Wood and Jonathan Humphrey Wood, the eldest son of Abinah Wood, a shipbuilder of Pittsburgh.
David had four siblings, including John Airhart Wood, James Oldam Wood, Catharine Wood Esplen and Burris Doudney Wood.
When Wood was not yet five years old, his parents, on October 20, 1843, enrolled him as a pupil in the Institute for the Instruction of the Blind (later known as the Overbrook School for the Blind) in Philadelphia, where he remained until he graduated in June 1856. It's worth mentioning, that, by the time he was sixteen, he was listed in the school's reports as an assistant music teacher.
David studied music under Wilhelm Schnabel and Ernst Pfeiffer, a German, who had come to America as a member of the Germania Orchestra. Aside from the elementary instruction Wood gained from these teachers during his boyhood, he was self-taught in the art he later followed as a profession.
Besides, Wood studied Mathematics under James G. Blaine, while the future United States Secretary of State was a young teacher at the school for the blind.
In his later years, Wood was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Music by Temple College (present-day Temple University).
After completing his studies, Wood filled positions as organist in small churches for about six years. In 1862, he returned to the Institute for the Instruction of the Blind (later known as the Overbrook School for the Blind), where he had previously studied, as an assistant teacher of music and three years later became one of the two principal assistants to the instructor of music. In 1887, he was made the principal instructor and held that position until his death. Moreover, Wood also served as director of the school's choir.
It's worth noting, that Wood also served as an instructor of organ at Philadelphia Musical Academy for thirty years and had many private pupils, including composer Frances McCollin, hymn writer William J. Kirkpatrick and composer Frederick Maxson.
In 1864, David was appointed organist of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Philadelphia, and in 1870 the duties of choir master were added to his post. He served St. Stephen's for the rest of his life. In 1868, he gave his first major recital with a program of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Handel and Mendelssohn. From 1884 to 1909, David also played the organ at the evening services at the Baptist Temple.
As a composer, Wood wrote a number of anthems, which were published posthumously. One of his songs, "I've Brought Thee an Ivy Leaf", achieved popularity in the United States and in England. Besides, Wood's work, "A Dictionary of Musical Terms for the Use of the Blind", was published in 1869.
Moreover, Davis was a founder of the American Guild of Organists.
David Duffield Wood was a prominent composer, educator and musician. He was noted as a performer of Bach on organ, considered "among the highest achievements of the musician" in his time. Besides, David was the owner of the first complete set of Bach's organ works, brought to Philadelphia in 1884.
Moreover, David was highly regarded as the organist of St. Stephen's Church in Philadelphia for more than forty years. It's also worth mentioning, that Wood founded the American Guild of Organists.
David was president of the American Organ Players' Club.
In learning new music, Wood engaged a private secretary to describe the pieces from the printed page. She would read first the notes for the right hand, and then for the left. This was all that was necessary for memorizing an entire piece. It is said, that his sense of sound was so remarkably acute, that he would frequently call his pupils to task for wrong fingering.
Physical Characteristics: When Davis was only a few months of age, he lost the sight of one eye through an inflammation, caused by a cold. Two years later, his other eye was injured during a romp with his sister, and a subsequent attack of scarlet fever so aggravated the injury, that he became permanently blind.
Davis was married twice. His first wife was Rachel (Laird) Wood, whom he married on October 16, 1856. Their marriage produced four children. Wood was widowed, when Rachel died in 1895. Later, on July 14, 1898, he married Alice (Burdette) Wood. The couple had one child together.
Burris Doudney Wood was the co-owner of B.D. Wood & Sons company. He also shipped coal by barges and tow boats from Pittsburgh to New Orleans.
Ernst Pfeiffer was a member of the Germania Orchestra.
James Gillespie Blaine was an American statesman and Republican politician, who represented Maine in the United States House of Representatives from 1863 to 1876, serving as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1869 to 1875, and then in the United States Senate from 1876 to 1881. He had taught Wood Mathematics at the Institute for the Instruction of the Blind before he started his career in politics.
