Jacob French (July 15, 1754 – May 1817) was a singing master and one of the first American composers, sometimes called

Yankee tunesmiths Yankee tunesmiths (also called the First New England School) were self-taught composers active in New England from 1770 until about 1810. Their music was largely forgotten when the Better Music Movement turned musical tastes towards Europe, as in ...

. "A student of

William Billings William Billings (October 7, 1746 – September 26, 1800) is regarded as the first American choral composer and leading member of the First New England School. Life William Billings was born in Boston, Massachusetts. At the age of 14, ...

, French adopted Billings' innovative approach to psalmody ... His music tends to be more complex in its structure, rhythm, and counterpoint than most of his contemporaries." "Along with William Billings, he is regarded as one of the finest composer of anthems in the New England tradition." French's ''Farewell Anthem'' appears in '' Southern Harmony'', 1835, as well as ''The

Sacred Harp Sacred Harp singing is a tradition of sacred choral music that originated in New England and was later perpetuated and carried on in the American South. The name is derived from ''The Sacred Harp'', a ubiquitous and historically important tun ...

'' from 1844 to the present. He was born in Stoughton,

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

. His brother, Edward, also composed a few tunes.Singing Stoughton
/ref> Some of French's choral music was adapted by American composer John Cage for his '' Apartment House 1776'' and subsequently arranged for

string quartet The term string quartet can refer to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two violinist ...

as part of ''44 Harmonies'' by violinist Irvine Arditti. These were recorded and issued by Mode Records along with adaptations by Cage of other Colonial-period hymnists.

Publications

*''The New American Melody'' (1789) *''The Psalmodist's Companion'' (1793) *''Harmony of Harmony'' (1802)

List of works

*Heavenly Vision *Beauty *Dormant *Happiness *Farewell Anthem (Scores available a
the Choral Public Domain Library

Discography

*''Sweet Seraphic Fire'' - New England Singing School Music

References

1754 births 1817 deaths American male composers American composers Shape note {{US-composer-stub