Elkanah Kelsey Dare (15 January 1782 – 26 August 1826) was a Mid-Atlantic schoolteacher, composer of music, and

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their na ...

minister. He was among the first

American composers American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

who published music in

shape note Shape notes are a musical notation designed to facilitate congregational and social singing. The notation, introduced in late 18th century England, became a popular teaching device in American singing schools. Shapes were added to the noteh ...

Life

Elkanah Kelsey Dare was born in Salem, New Jersey, the son of Benoni Dare (1749-1802) and Damaris Kelsey (1748-1788). In 1804, he married Mary Shallcross Phillips (1785-1841), and they had ten children. They moved to Wilmington, Delaware some time before 1809, and to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, before 1818. Dare joined the Presbyterian church in Greenwich, Cumberland County, New Jersey, at age 23. Dare was hired by the

Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in P ...

printer

John Wyeth John Wyeth (1770–1858) was a printer in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania who is best-known for printing ''Wyeth's Repository of Sacred Music, Part Second'' (Harrisburg, PA: 1813), which marks an important transition in American music. Like the original ...

as music editor for ''Wyeth's Repository of Sacred Music, Part Second'' (1813), where he is mentioned as being "late of Wilmington College,"John Wyeth, preface to "On the Genera of Music" in ''Wyeth's Repository of Sacred Music, Part Second'' Irving Lowens, ed. (New York: Da Capo Press, 1964), p. 3. so this may have been the occasion of his move to Pennsylvania. From 1817 until his death, he pastored at the Union Presbyterian Church, Colerain Township, Pennsylvania. He also served as Dean of Boys at Wilmington College, Delaware. Dare died of swamp fever in 1826.

Musical works

All of Elkanah Dare's ten compositions appear in '' Wyeth's Repository'', 1813. Five of his compositions have recently been reprinted in the

Shenandoah Harmony The Shenandoah Harmony is a 2013 republication of the works of Ananias Davisson (1780–1857) and other composers of his era, in the format used by modern shape note singing groups. Although a number of new shape note tune books were compiled and ...

(2013). *''Kedron'' (1799) *''Road's Town'' (1813) *''Babylonian Captivity'' (1813) *Free scores available at ''The Choral Public Domain Library''.

Music Editor of ''Wyeth's Repository of Sacred Music, Second Part''

In his introduction to the facsimile edition of ''Wyeth's Repository of Sacred Music'' (New York, Da Capo Press: 1974), musicologist

Irving Lowens Irving Lowens (19 August 1916 – 14 November 1983) was an American musicologist, critic, and librarian in the Washington, D.C. area. He served as the chief music critic at the ''Washington Star'' newspaper, the Assistant Head of the music divi ...

points out that there is no evidence for publisher John Wyeth having any music training.

, "Introduction" to ''Wyeth's Repository of Sacred Music'' Irving Lowens, ed. (New York: Da Capo Press, 1974), p. vii. This was not necessary for the original ''Repository'' of 1810, which modeled itself on successful tunebooks by other publishers, using their most popular songs, and was designed to appeal to moderate evangelical Christians. The market for the ''Second Part'' three years later comprised Methodists and Baptists who were caught up in the enthusiastic revivalism of the time, and this required a real musician who could collect folk tunes, folk hymns, and camp meeting songs, transcribe them, and write harmonies. Elkanah Dare is the only person mentioned in this regard, though there may have been others."The fact that Wyeth himself was no musician poses a collateral problem: whose were the musical brains behind ''Part Second''? It appears highly probably that the person responsible for the organization of the tue-book and its general editorial supervision was the Rev. Elanah Kelsay Dare (1782-1826), Methodist clergyman, Freemason, and musician, who at one time served as the dean of boys at Wilmington College, Wilmington, Del., an institution long since defunct." Irving Lowens, "Introduction" to ''Wyeth's Repository of Sacred Music, Part Second'' Irving Lowens, ed. (New York: Da Capo Press, 1964), p. xii. The introductory essay to ''Wyeth's Repository of Sacred Music, Second Part'' is prefaced by an acknowledgement to Dare's editorial approach.

The following observations on Music are extracted, by permission, from the Manusript 'sic''work of E. K. Dare, A.B. late of Wilmington College, which we hope, ere long to be published soon.

The value of these observations is mentioned by publishers of Southern tunebooks who placed increasing emphasis on regional folk tunes,For example, Alexander Johnson, ''Johnson's Tennessee Harmony'' (Cincinnati: Morgan, Lodge & Co., 1818), p. xiii; Allen D. Carden, ''The Missouri Harmony'', stereotype ed. (Cincinnati: E. Morgan & Co., 1839), p. 12. although they do not mention Dare by name. There is no record of Dare's manuscript work ever having been published.

Discography

*''Babylonian Captivity'' - ''I Am The Rose Of Sharon'' - Early American Vocal Music Vol 1 CD

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dare, Elkanah Kelsey 1782 births 1826 deaths American male composers American composers Hymnal editors American Methodist clergy Shape note 19th-century Methodists 19th-century American male musicians