George Frederick Root (August 30, 1820August 6, 1895) was a romantic

American 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, p ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

, who found particular fame during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, with songs such as "

Tramp! Tramp! Tramp! "Tramp! Tramp! Tramp! (The Prisoner's Hope)" was one of the most popular songs of the American Civil War. George F. Root wrote both the words and music and published it in 1864 to give hope to the Union prisoners of war. The song is written from t ...

" and " The Battle Cry of Freedom". He is regarded as the first American to compose a

secular cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir. The meaning of t ...

Early life and education

Root was born at

Sheffield, Massachusetts Sheffield is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,327 at the 2020 census. Sheffield is home to Berkshire School, a private preparatory schoo ...

, and was named after the German composer

George Frideric Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concerti. Born in Halle, Germany, H ...

. Root left his farming community for

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

at 18, flute in hand, intending to join an orchestra. He worked for a while as a church organist in Boston, and from 1845 taught music at the

New York Institute for the Blind The New York Institute for Special Education is a private nonprofit school in New York City. The school was founded in 1831 as a school for blind children by Samuel Wood, a Quaker philanthropist, Samuel Akerly, a physician, and John Dennison Rus ...

, where he met

Fanny Crosby Frances Jane van Alstyne (née Crosby; March 24, 1820 – February 12, 1915), more commonly known as Fanny J. Crosby, was an American mission worker, poet, lyricist, and composer. She was a prolific hymnist, writing more than 8,000 hymns and go ...

, with whom he would compose fifty to sixty popular secular songs. At least two of his children,

Frederic Woodman Root Frederic Woodman Root (13 June 1846, Boston – 8 November 1916, Chicago) was an American composer, choir conductor, organist, adjudicator and music teacher. Early life and education Root was the son of George Frederick Root, who was known ...

and

Grace W. Root Grace Worcester Root (25 April 1869 – 15 July 1898) was an American actress and composer who died from chloroform poisoning. She published her music under the name Grace W. Root. Root was born in Boston to a musical family. Her mother was Mar ...

, also became composers. In 1850, he made a study tour of Europe, staying in Vienna, Paris, and London.Obituary
''New York Times'', August 8, 1895, p. 2 He returned to teach music in

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

as an associate of

Lowell Mason Lowell Mason (January 8, 1792 – August 11, 1872) was an American music director and banker who was a leading figure in 19th-century American church music. Lowell composed over 1,600 hymn tunes, many of which are often sung today. His best-know ...

, and later

Bangor, Maine Bangor ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The city proper has a population of 31,753, making it the state's List of municipalities in Maine, third-most populous city, behind Portland, Maine, Portland ...

, where he was director of the Penobscot Musical Association and presided over their convention at

Norumbega Norumbega, or Nurembega, is a legendary settlement in northeastern North America which was featured on many early maps from the 16th century until further European colonization of the region. It was alleged that the houses had pillars of gold ...

Hall in 1856. From 1853 to 1855, Root helped Lowell Mason and William Bradbury establish the New York Normal Musical Institute, which served as a school for aspiring music educators. From 1855 on, Root would spend most of his summers traveling and teaching at music education conventions throughout New England. He applied a version of Pestalozzi's teaching and was instrumental in developing mid- and late-19th century American musical education. He was a follower of the teachings of

Emanuel Swedenborg Emanuel Swedenborg (; ; born Emanuel Swedberg; (29 January 168829 March 1772) was a Swedish polymath; scientist, engineer, astronomer, anatomist, Christian theologian, philosopher, and mysticism, mystic. He became best known for his book on the ...

Career

On his return from Europe, Root began composing and publishing sentimental popular songs, a number of which achieved fame as sheet-music, including those with

: ''The Hazel Dell'', ''Rosalie the Prairie Flower'', ''There's Music in the Air'' and others, which were, according to Root's ''New York Times'' obituary, known throughout the country in the

antebellum period The ''Antebellum'' South era (from ) was a period in the history of the Southern United States that extended from the conclusion of the War of 1812 to the start of the American Civil War in 1861. This era was marked by the prevalent practi ...

. Root chose to employ the pseudonym Wurzel (German for Root) to capitalize on the popularity of German composers like

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include symphonie ...

Brahms Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid- Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, often set within studied ye ...

Weber Weber may refer to: Places United States * Weber, Missouri, an unincorporated community * Weber City, Virginia, a town * Weber City, Fluvanna County, Virginia, an unincorporated community * Weber County, Utah * Weber Canyon, Utah * Weber R ...

and

Schumann Robert Schumann (; ; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and music critic of the early Romantic music, Romantic era. He composed in all the main musical genres of the time, writing for solo piano, voice and piano, chamber ...

during the 1850s, and to keep his identity as a serious composer against his composition of minstrel and popular songs. Besides his popular songs, he also composed gospel songs in the

Ira Sankey Ira David Sankey (August 28, 1840 – August 13, 1908) was an American gospel singer and composer, known for his long association with Dwight L. Moody in a series of religious revival campaigns in America and Britain during the closing decades o ...

vein, and collected and edited volumes of choral music for singing schools, Sunday schools, church choirs and musical institutes. Root assisted William Bradbury in compiling ''The Shawm'' in 1853, a collection of hymn tunes and choral anthems, featuring the cantata ''Daniel: or the Captivity and Restoration''. The cantata was a collaboration between Root and Bradbury musically, with text by Fanny Crosby and C.M. Cady. In 1860 he compiled ''The Diapason: Collection of Church Music''. He also composed various sacred and secular

cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian language, Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal music, vocal Musical composition, composition with an musical instrument, instrumental accompaniment, ty ...

s including the popular ''The Haymakers'' (1857). Root's cantatas were popular on both sides of the Atlantic throughout the 19th century. His first cantata, ''The Flower Queen: or The Coronation of the Rose'', was composed in 1851 with libretto by Fanny Crosby, and gained immediate success in singing schools across the United States.''The Flower Queen'' has been regarded as the first secular cantata written by an American. Building on his talent for song-writing, Root moved to

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

in 1859 to work for his brother's music publishing house of

Root & Cady Root & Cady was a Chicago-based Music publisher (popular music), music publishing firm, founded in 1858. It became the most successful music publisher of the American Civil War and published many of the most popular songs during that war.Corneliu ...

. He became particularly successful during the American Civil War, as the composer of martial songs such as "

" (The Prisoner's Hope), " The Vacant Chair" (with lyrics by Henry S. Washburn), " Just before the Battle, Mother", and " The Battle Cry of Freedom". He wrote the first song concerning the war, '' The First Gun is Fired'', only two days after the conflict began with the bombardment of

Fort Sumter Fort Sumter is a historical Coastal defense and fortification#Sea forts, sea fort located near Charleston, South Carolina. Constructed on an artificial island at the entrance of Charleston Harbor in 1829, the fort was built in response to the W ...

. He ultimately had at least 35 war-time "hits", in tone from the bellicose to the ethereal. His songs were played and sung at both the home front and the real front. ''Tramp, Tramp, Tramp'' became popular on troop marches, and "Battle Cry of Freedom" became well-known even in England. After the war, he was elected as a 3rd Class (honorary) Companion of the

Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States The Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States (MOLLUS), or, simply, the Loyal Legion, is a United States military order organized on April 15, 1865, by three veteran officers of the Union Army. The original membership was consisted ...

. Root's songs, particularly "The Battle Cry of Freedom", were popular among Union soldiers during the war. According to Henry Stone, a Union war veteran recalling in the late 1880s:

Later life and death

Root was awarded the degree of Musical Doctor by the first

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

in 1872. He died at his summer home in Bailey Island,

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

, at the age of 74. He was buried at the Harmonyvale Cemetery in North Reading, Massachusetts.

Legacy

Root was inducted into the

Songwriters Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work represent and maintain the heri ...

in 1970. ''Tramp, Tramp, Tramp, the Boys are Marching'' provided the tune for the later '' Jesus Loves the Little Children'', with lyrics by C. Herbert Woolston, and also for the later ''God Save Ireland''. ''The Vacant Chair'' provided a tune reused in '' Life's Railway to Heaven'', and sometimes reused in ''To Jesus' Heart All Burning''.

Bibliography

* George F. Root: ''The story of a musical life; an autobiography'' * Polly Carder: ''George F. Root, Civil War songwriter : a biography'' * Polly Hinson Carder: ''George Frederick Root, pioneer music educator his contributions to mass instruction in music'' * Cheryl Ann Jackson: ''George Frederick Root and his Civil War songs''

References

External links

*
Polly H. Carder Collection on George Frederick Root
– Special Collections in Performing Arts, University of Maryland, College Park * *
George F Root
Find A Grave memorial * *

throug

{{DEFAULTSORT:Root, George Frederick 1820 births 1895 deaths People from Sheffield, Massachusetts American male composers American composers American lyricists Songwriters from Illinois Songwriters from Massachusetts Bailey Island (Maine) People of Illinois in the American Civil War People of Massachusetts in the American Civil War Musicians from Massachusetts Musicians from Chicago 19th-century American musicians 19th-century American male musicians American male songwriters