FRANCIS HOPKINSON

Francis Hopkinson (b. Philadelphia, Pa., 21 Sept. 1737; d. there, 9 May 1791) was a composer, organist, poet, lawyer, and judge. A graduate of the College of Philadelphia (1757; later the University of Pennsylvania), Hopkinson was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar in 1761. At the outset of the Revolutionary War he allied himself with the patriot cause as a delegate to the Continental Congress (1776) and a signer of the Declaration of Indepen-dence. From 1779 until his death he served as a judge. Hopkinson's musical interests can be traced to his eighteenth year, when he began to play the harpischord and copied music by European composers, including Handel, Corelli, Geminiani, and Stamitz. In the 1760s and early 1770s he sometimes joined with professional musicians in Philadelphia to present concerts. He was also active in sacred music, serving around 1770 as organist at Philadel-phia's Christ Church. In 1781 he organized performances of a patriotic 'oratorical entertain-ment, America Independent, or The Temple of Minerva, in which he set new text to arias, songs, and choruses by Handel, Thomas and Michael Arne, and other Europeans. Hopkinson was the first native-born American to publish a collection of his own secular songs (1788). His correspondence is found in the Hopkinson Family archive at PHi; the Rare Book Library of PPU owns four holograph musical manuscript books in Hopkinson's hand.

          Amerigrove, Baker's, Bio-bib, DAB, Grove, Sonneck-Upton. Also Anderson 1975; Anderson 1976; Hamm 1979, p. 89-94; Hastings 1926; Hopkinson 1978; Silverman 1976, p. 587 and elsewhere; Sonneck 1905.

          See also Nos. 398 and 409.

A COLLECTION OF PSALM TUNES, 1763

Sonneck 1905, p. 88-92, explains the attribution of this work to Francis Hopkinson. The collection was compiled 'for the use of the United Churches of Christ Church and St. Peter's Church in Philadelphia.' Hopkinson was a member of this congregation, and in 1764 he and a William Young were acknowledged for their 'great and constant pains in teaching and instructing the children' in psalmody (p. 89). Sonneck wrongly claims Hopkinson's PSALM 23, a tune existing in an earlier manuscript version in the composer's own hand, as one of the 'entirely new' pieces advertised on the title-page; the tune had appeared earlier in Lyon's Urania (No. 371).

ASMI 272 

A Collection of Psalm Tunes, with a few anthems and hymns, some of them entirely new, for the use of the United Churches of Christ Church and St. Peter's Church in Philadelphia. 1763 [Henry Dawki]n[s] Fec[it].

ix, XXII p. 1 17 x 22 cm. p. [i], I-XXII engraved. The bottom of the t-p. Is mutilated, leaving only one letter of the engraver's name. However, the calligraphy and the location of note-stems strongly resemble that found in No. 371, James Lyon's Urania (Philadelphia, 1761), signed by Henry Dawkins.

Philadelphia Pennsylvania Gazette, 5 May 1763, advertises work to be published 'On Monday next . . . and sold by William Dunlap. p. [i], t-p.; p. [ii] blank; p. [iii]-[iv], prefatory note addressed 'To the Reverend Mr. Richard Peters, Rector of the United Churches of Christ Church and St. Peter's Church, in Philadelphia'; p. [v]-ix, 'A Short Introduction to the Art of Psalmody'; p. [x] blank; p. I, 'Rudiments'; p. II-XXII, music; p. XXII, 'General Index.' 'Reverend Sir, Among your many Designs for the Promotion of Religion in general, and the Good of the Churches more immediately under your Care, permit me to hope this Attempt to the Improvement of our Psalmody, or Church Music, will meet with your favourable Acceptance and Encouragement. Something of this Kind was thought the more necessary, as it is highly probable there will be Organs erected in both our Churches, before it be long; which would be but a needless Expence, if the Congregations could not join their Voices with them in the singing of Psalms. For this Purpose I have made this Collection of Psalms, Hymns and Anthems, and prefixed a few Rules for Singing, in as clear and easy a Manner as possible; so that Children, with very little Attention, may understand them.' (Excerpt from prefatory note.)

          37 compositions for 2 & 3 voices w. figured bass; most textless, some w. full text. No attribs. 4 1st Am. pr. identified (3 called HYMN, HYMN FROM PSALM 107) & I poss. 1st Am. pr. (CHIDDINGSTONE). 3 compositions traced to Americans (HYMN, PSALMS 23, 100 NEW), 28 to non-Americans, 6 unidentified (CHIDDINGSTONE, 3 called HYMN [p. XIII, XIV, XV], HYMN from PSALM 107, PSALM 4). 

16 Core Repertory.

          E9406 (PHi). PHi*.

ASMI pp. 333-334.