ISHMAIL SPICER

Ishmail Spicer (b. Norwich, Conn., 27 March 1760; d. Bozrah, Conn., 22 Dec. 1832) was a composer and singing master. He taught in Baltimore in 1789 and in and around Philadelphia (1789-91), where he appeared as co-compiler of Philadelphia Harmony with Andrew Adgate, also a native of Norwich. Returning to New England by 1792, he followed the life of an itinerant singing teacher while maintaining his family in Connecticut (Hebron, 1792-1803; Salem, 1803-8; Lebanon, 1808-10; Bozrah, 1810-32). In 1799 he published a secular tunebook, Spicer's Pocket Companion (Northampton), for the use of Freemasons, whose brother-hood he joined. On 1 March 1824 he calculated that since 6 Jan. 1793 he had taught 106 singing schools, with 4,880 scholars, earning a total of $3,934.26. The Connecticut Historical Society owns several musical items in Spicer's hand, including a copy of Philadelphia Harmony (Philadelphia, 1790) with his own manuscript additions. Two manuscript tunebooks signed by Spicer (ca. 1804-24) are owned by the William Clements Library, University of Michigan.

          Amerigrove, Bio-bib. Also Crawford 1968, p. 62; Lowens 1976, p. 69; Meech 1911, p. 82-84; Osterhout 1978, p. 240-51.

          See Nos. 2, 3.

ASMI pp. 562-563.