Seth Daniels Bingham (April 16, 1882 – June 21, 1972) was an American organist and prolific composer.
Biography
Bingham was born in
Bloomfield, New Jersey, the youngest of four siblings in a farming family that soon relocated to
Naugatuck, Connecticut
Naugatuck ( ) is a consolidated borough (Connecticut), borough and town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town, part of the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, Connecticut, Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, had a population of ...
. After extensive childhood activities in church music, he studied organ and composition with
Harry Benjamin Jepson and
Horatio Parker at
Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...
, gaining a
B.A. in 1904. Taking time also to study in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
with
Alexandre Guilmant,
Vincent d'Indy and
Charles-Marie Widor, Bingham earned his
B.Mus.
A Bachelor of Music (BMus; sometimes conferred as Bachelor of Musical Arts) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. The degree may be awarded for performance, music ed ...
from Yale in 1908, and subsequently taught theory, composition and organ at Yale from 1908 to 1919. Beginning in 1913, he was organist and choirmaster at
Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, a position he held until his 1951 retirement. He was an associate professor at
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
from 1922 to 1954, received an honorary doctorate from
Ohio Wesleyan University
Ohio Wesleyan University (abbrevriated OWU) is a private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1842 by Methodist leaders and Ohio Valley, Centra ...
in 1952, and lectured at the School of Sacred Music at
Union Theological Seminary from 1953 to 1965. His students included
Jeanne Walsh Singer. He married Blanche Guy in Switzerland in 1907, had two children and three grandchildren, and died in New York City at age 90.
Compositions
Bingham's compositions include orchestral, choral, and chamber music, but most of his compositions are for organ solo.
References
External links
Seth Bingham archives
Music Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bingham, Seth Daniels
1882 births
1972 deaths
American male organists
American male composers
American composers
Composers for pipe organ
Musicians from Essex County, New Jersey
Yale School of Music alumni
Yale University faculty
Columbia University faculty
People from Bloomfield, New Jersey
Pupils of Alexandre Guilmant
Pupils of Horatio Parker
Pupils of Charles-Marie Widor
20th-century American organists
20th-century American male musicians