Jacob French

Life

Born: 15 July 1754, Stoughton, Massachusetts

Died: May 1817, Simsbury, Connecticut

Biography

Jacob French was an American composer, singing master, farmer, and compiler of music books in the last half of the eighteenth century, and shortly into the nineteenth. In 1774 he attended a singing school taught by William Billings in Stoughton. He served several times in the Continental Army between 1775 and 1781. He apparently was a singing school master in several towns in Massachusetts during the last part of the century. He was the compiler of three tune books, and many of his songs were printed by other compilers.

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List of choral works

• For works at CPDL sorted alphabetically by title, see Jacob French compositions

1. Psalm-Tunes

Abyssinia Aspiration Association Athens Attention Babylon Baggaduce Beauty Berwick

Bethany Buxton Caelestis Carolina Castile Castle Island China Colchester Connecticut

Coventry Creation Dauphin Declaration Delley Dissolution Dormant Fairhaven Farmington

Farnum Funeral Hymn Hollowall Italy Jerusalem Massachusetts Messiah Middlesex Minden

Monmouth Northampton Oakhampton Ohio Persepolis Persia Pilgrim's Farewell Preparation Providence

Queensborough Resolution Resurrection Russell Sunderland Syena Terror Vanity Venice

2. Anthems

An Anthem for Ordination Dedication Anthem The Fall of Babylon

Farewell The Heavenly Vision Lamentation for Jerusalem

Rebellion Righteous art thou, O Lord Thanksgiving Anthem

3. Set pieces

Annapolis Ascension Babel Belgorod Bellingham

Christianity Communion Conviction Devotion Eastford

Exhortation Gratitude Inspiration Lamentation Merrifield

Mount Vernon North Bolton Pawtuxet Philadelphia New Proclamation

Reception Relley The Sabbath Supplication Winthrop

4. Secular Songs

• Association
• Attention
• Spring

Arrangements by Jacob French

• Plymouth New (William Billings)

 

LISTED BY FIRST LINE

Alas, my aching heart Along the banks where Babel's current flows And can this mighty King And is the lovely shadow fled And now the scales have left mine eyes Awake, my soul, and with the sun Be merciful, O God, to me Blest is the man whose piercing mind Broad is the road that leads to death Come, dearest Lord, descend and dwell Come, let us sing unto the Lord Come, let us join our cheerful songs Come, let us sing unto the Lord Content, thou dear desire of all our desires Death! 'Tis a melancholy day Descend from heaven, celestial Dove Down headlong from their native skies Fare you well, my friends Father, we wait to feel thy grace Give thanks aloud to God God in the great assembly stands God's temple crowns the holy mount Great God, attend, while Zion sings Great God, the heavens' well-ordered frame Great God, whom heavenly hosts obey Greatly beloved Had not the Lord, may Israel say Hail the day that saw him rise Hark! from the tombs a doleful sound Hear, O heavens

Hence from my soul, my sins, depart He reigns! the Lord, the Savior reigns He reigns! the Lord, the Savior reigns How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord How pleasant 'tis to see I beheld and lo! a great multitude I in the burying place may see Jesus is gone above the skies Let every creature join Let sinners take their course Let those who bear the Christian name Lift up your heads, O ye gates Lo! what a glorious sight appears Man has a soul of vast desires Mark how it snows! How fast the valley fills Mourn, mourn ye saints, as if you see My friends, I am going a long and tedious My lot is fallen in that blest land No sleep nor slumber to his eyes Not to our names, thou only just and true Now after these things O all ye nations, praise the Lord O come, loud anthems let us sing O, if my soul were formed for woe O Israel's shepherd, Joseph's guide O Jesus my hope O praise the Lord with one consent O sing unto the Lord Often I seek my Lord by night Our days, alas! our mortal days

Rejoice, ye shining worlds on high Rise, my soul, and stretch thy wings Show pity, Lord, O Lord, forgive Silent I waited with long-suffering love Sing to the Lord a new-made song Sleep! downy sleep! come close my eyes Some trust in horses trained for war Speak, O ye judges of the earth Sun, moon and stars convey thy praise Sweet is the day of sacred rest Teach me the measure of my days Teach us, O Lord, how frail is man The joyful day is coming on There was an hour when Christ rejoiced The sun may set beyond the main Touch, heavenly Word, O touch Twas by an order from the Lord We are a garden walled around Weary world, when will it end Welcome, sweet day of rest Welcome, sweet day of rest What if the saint must die What shall I render to my God When God revealed his gracious name When marching to thy blest abode Whom then in heaven, but thee alone Why do we mourn departing friends Why dost thou sit solitary Ye nations round the world, rejoice Ye sons of Adam, vain and young

Publications

• French. Jacob. 1789. The New American Melody. Boston: John Norman. 100 pp.
• French, Jacob. 1793. The Psalmodist's Companion. Worcester, Massachusetts: Leonard Worcester and Isaiah Thomas.
• French, Jacob. 1802. Harmony of Harmony. Northampton, Massachusetts: Andrew Wright.

References

• Britton, Allen P.; Irving Lowens; and Richard Crawford. 1990. American Sacred Music Imprints 1698-1810: A Bibliography. Worcester, Massachusetts: American Antiquarian Society. 798 pp.
• Jones, Daniel C. L. 1998. Jacob French (1754-1817): The Collected Works. New York, New York: Garland Publishing. 331 pp.

External links

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