A Grand Celebration of Local History in Music!

 

 

 

"DEDICATION" -

Singing in Stoughton, 1762-1992

A book by Roger L. Hall

PineTree Press, 2nd edition, 2024

Stoughton Square - old postcard from about 1910

"may the artistic values of choral music, mass participation, and the

strengthening of friendship's ties throughout the Town and district,

through music, be not forgotten among us."

-- Frank W. Reynolds, 1962

 

The pdf book has a chronology from the earliest documented singing meetings in Stoughton in 1762

to the year of the World Premiere of the 1881 cantata, SONG OF OUR SAVIOUR, by local composer,

Edwin Arthur Jones, performed in 1992.

This collection includes severaL music publications:

TEN TOWN TUNES - Music From Stoughton, 1770-1990 (PineTree Press, 1998)

 

This book has much information about singing in the Massachusetts town

and was compiled by local musicologist, Roger Hall, the former Historian of the Old Stoughton Musical Society,

who has researched the singing tradition in Stoughton for over 40 years.

 

He was the one responsible for the entry in the Guinness Book of World Records

indicating the Old Stoughton Musical Society (OSMS) as the oldest continuing choral society in the U.S.A.,

organized on November 7, 1786.

Old Stoughton Musical Society also has the oldest constitution of any choral organization in America,

written in 1787, just a few months after the U.S. Constitution.

 

There are two video programs available:

"Old Stoughton and The Grand Constitution"

presented in Stoughton in 1987 to celebrate the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution and

the constitution of the Stoughton Musical Society -- both written in 1787.

 

"A Stoughton Musicfest"

performed in Stoughton in 1990 in celebration of the first known singing contest in America in 1790.

 

Currently, Roger Hall is Director of the Center for American Music Preservation (or CAMP)

and the New England Music Archive (or NEMA),

both designed to help preserve vocal music from America's past through research and recordings.

 

You can order just the PDF book of the 2nd expanded edition

which highlights the years from the first documented singing meetings in Stoughton in 1762

to the World Premiere of the E.A. Jones choral masterpiece, SONG OF OUR SAVIOUR, performed in Stoughton in 1992.

 

Or you can order the PDF book plus the two video programs from 1987 and 1990 (listed below).

This music information is useful for school teachers, students, singers, historians, writers,

and interested individuals.

 

Two singing societies in town:

*The Old Stoughton Musical Society (OSMS), organized in 1786 and allowed singers from any town to join them.

It is now the oldest existing choral society in the United States of America.

OSMS also has the oldest constitution of any singing society in America.

Their constitution was read at Robert Capen's house (or tavern) on October 8, 1787.

 

*The Musical Society in Stoughton (MSIS), organized in 1802.

Only Stoughton residents were allowed to join the MSIS.

It was disbanded in 1982 because of declining membership.

 

Two major choral works by E.A. Jones:

First modern performances of the oratorio, "EASTER CONCERT," in 1981

World Premiere Performance in 1992 of the cantata, "SONG OF OUR SAVIOUR" (1881),

for soloists, chorus and orchestra by E.A. Jones, conducted by Dr. Raymond Fahrner.

This cantata was discovered by Stoughton musicologist, Roger Hall,

at the Stoughton Historical Society in 1980.

The premiere performance of the cantata was written about in several newspapers:

The Stoughton Journal, The Patriot Ledger, and a feature article

in The Boston Globe on May 4, 1992 titled,

"Giving life to a lost masterpiece"

Listen to several excerpts from this majestic choral cantata by Edwin Arthur Jones -- go here

 

 

 

Here is the the first page

of the original journal of the Stoughton Musical Society

showing its date of organization as November 7, 1786:

 

 

 

 

80 voice chorus of Old Stoughton Musical Society

for the Bicentennial Concert of Haydn's THE CREATION

performed at Stoughton High School on November 7, 1986

 

 

Gov. Micahel Dukakis signs a proclamation naming November 7 in 1986

as "Old Stoughton Musical Society Day"

in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Pictured left to right:
State Sen. William R. Keating; David M. Benjamin, OSMS President;
Marjorie A. Clapprood, State Rep.; Joseph M. Klements, OSMS Treasurer;
and Roger L. Hall, OSMS Vice President and Bicentennial Chairman

 

 

 

Two Video Programs

 

 

 

 

1. "Old Stoughton and The Grand Constitution" (1987)
Written and Directed by Roger Hall

Celebrating the Bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution and the Stoughton Musical Society (SMS) Constitution,

both written in 1787. The SMS's Constitution is the oldest of any music organization in the USA.

The half-hour program was videotaped at the Stoughton Public Library on October 8, 1987.

It includes readings from the U.S. Constitutions by school students and town residents.

The highlight is a one-act play written and directed by Roger Hall titled, "The Grand Constitution."

It features two actors portraying two original members of the Stoughton Musical Society:

Elijah Dunbar (Wayne Olem) and Samuel Capen (Bert Anderson).

Also a chorus from the Old Stoughton Musical Society. The songs performed include:

"The Grand Constitution"
"Beneath a weeping willow's shade" (Francis Hopkinson)
"The Federal March" (Alexander Reinagle)
"Chester" (William Billings)
"Yankee Doodle" (1788)
"Ode to George Washington"

Here is an excerpt of the opening Preamble to this Constitution with Rules and Regulations,

first voted on October 8, 1787 (just a few weeks after the U.S. Constitution was written):

And as the powers of harmonious music are most admirably calculated to humanize the ferocious passions,
to increase the various emotions of the mind, the different degrees of sensibility and all the feelings of the heart...
We, therefore, esteem it our duty to study to promote that harmony which is pleasing to our Maker and so delightful to ourselves. Stimulated with these salutary and laudable motives, we, whose names are underwritten, form ourselves in a society by the name of the Stoughton Musical Society, for the implied purpose of practicing vocal music.

 

 

2. A Stoughton Musicfest: A Celebration of Local Composers and Musicians (1990)
Produced by Roger Hall

This one hour documentary is about the history of singing in Stoughton

and a celebration of local composers and musicians.

The disc includes performances of several patriotic songs

by a combined Stoughton Elementary School Chorus singing: "Yankee Doodle"

and "Ode to President George Washington."

The highlight is a short play written by Roger Hall titled, "William Billings Teaches A Singing School."

The participants in this documentary:

Narrator: Marion Wroble , Host of "Conversations" on WBET radio
Actor: Skip Mahoney (portraying William Billings)
Vocal Quartet: Elizabeth Trueblood, Carol Mezzanotte, Sally MacKerron, Roger Hall
Flute: Donna Hieken
Piano: Richard Hill
Elementary School Chorus, Carol Mezzanotte, Director
High School Instrumental Ensemble, Ronald Christianson, Director

To order each of these special limited video programs for $14.95 each

or

click the Quantity button TWO times to receive both video programs for $29.90

both on a USB Flash Drive.

 

 

 

This collection was prepared by Stoughton music preservationist, Roger Hall, with book, audio album and two videos.

It is a great resource for researchers, classroom teaching, and for anyone interested in local music history.

This disc is not available from any other website.

Order your copy of this fact-filled collection for your personal collection, for a school library, music class,

or if you are interested in New England history.

To order your copy of this special multimedia collection, go to this web-page

 

 

 

Avaailable in Two Formats

1. Just the PDF book, DEDICATION: Singing in Stoughton, 1762-1992 (new edition 2024)

and also receive a bonus audio file (MP3) of the DEDICATION tune

composed by Roger Hall with a text by William Billings

from a 1986 Old Stoughton Musical Society concert in Lexington, Massachusetts

 

2. The PDF book plus the two Stoughton video programs:

"Old Stoughton and The Grand Constitution" from 1987

"A Stoughton Musicfest" from 1990

sent by Dropbox or by US Mail on one USB Flash Drive

 

 

How to order

To order just the PDF book put the number 1 in the "Quantity" box for $14.95.

To order the PDF book AND the two video programs (about 90 minuites total playing time)

put in the number 2 in "Quanity" box for $29.90.

Click the "Add to Cart" button below to send in your order

Please note:

"DEDICATION" - Singing in Stoughton" is only available from this webpage.

 

 

 

 

 

Important!

After you have ordered, send your email address

to receive the PDF book sent by email attachment

or the PDF book and 2 video programs sent by Dropbox

or USB sent by US Mail

To send your email address -- click here

 

 

 

 

See the music titles available at

Stoughton Choral Music Series

 

 

 

 

See the list of music performed by the

Stoughton Musical Society chorus and orchestra for

the World's Columbian Exposition0 held in Chicago in 1893 -- click here

 

 

 

 

 

 

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