American Music Guide Series No. 6
OLD STOUGHTON:
Singing Meetings and Concerts,
1762-1912
Compiled and Edited by Roger Lee Hall
(PineTree Press)
Stoughton Square in 1910
Stoughton, Massachusetts has the distinction of having the oldest continuing singing society in the United States of America. This Stoughton Musical Society was organized on November 7, 1786.
There are now four towns which were originally part of Old Stoughton:
Avon, Canton, Sharon and Stoughton.
In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the first documented singing meetings in Stoughton, a guide has been prepared by musicologist, Roger Lee Hall, with historical information about singing meetings and concerts in Stoughton, Avon, Braintree, Brockton, Canton, Randolph, Sharon and other area towns.
This guide includes information only about the two musical societies and does not include any of the music programs from the Stoughton public schools.
Included on the disc are detailed descriptions of singing meetings and concerts with listings of the music performed and other historical information.
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Information is also provided for local composers, such as Supply Belcher (1751-1836)
who lived in Canton, Jacob French (1754-1817) from Sharon, and Edwin Arthur Jones (1853-1911) from Stoughton.
The DVD also contains picture galleries with local composers and sheet music, and a music album featuring local composers. It is useful for musicians, musicologists, historians, genealogists, researchers, teachers, students,
and anyone interested in American music or history.
Included in the book are meetings held during important times in American history such as when the U.S. Constitution was written and that same year of 1787 the Stoughton Musical Society had their own as well -- the first constitution of any music organization in the U.S.A.
The DVD title is named after a local tune, OLD STOUGHTON, by Stoughton composer and violinist, Edwin Arthur Jones, and his tune was published in 1886. A recording of OLD STOUGHTON is included on the DVD.
Here is the first page of original 1786 journal of the Stoughton Musical Society:
--The Stoughton Musical Society (now called Old Stoughton Musical Society or OSMS), was organized on November 7, 1786, and
it is now the oldest choral society in the U.S.A. Their members were from Stoughton and many surrounding towns in Massachusetts.
--The Musical Society in Stoughton (or MSIS), and differing from OSMS by only allowing town residents to join. Some members of MSIS claimed they were the oldest in town since they used the 1762 date as their beginning, but there is no evidence to prove that claim. Their first journal indicates they were organized on January 1, 1802. MSIS was disbanded in 1982.
Contents of the book:
Book: List of Singing Meetings and Concerts, 1762-1912
Stoughton and Canton Composers
Stoughton Music History
Stoughton Musical Society
Bonus Features on the DVD:
Music album: Old Stoughton Music Sampler
Video program:
"A Stoughton Musicfest: Local Composers and Musicians" (May 1990) -
One hour cable television program with historical commentary, a short play: "William Billings Teaches A Singing School," and music performances by local singers,
Stoughton combined elementary school chorus and High School instrumentalists.
OLD STOUGHTON -
Singing Meetings and Concerts
(PineTree Press)
with historical listings of singing meetings and concerts,
a picture gallery, a music album,
and one hour video program,
all playable on the DVD drive of your computer.
All of this material for only $20.00
and it includes First Class shipping (USA orders only)
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through safe and secure PayPal,
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OLD STOUGHTON DVD
