JOSEPH STONE
Joseph Stone (b. Ward [Auburn], Mass., 20 March 1758; d. there, 2 Feb. 1837) was a composer, singing master, poet, schoolteacher, bookbinder, and surveyor who served in the American Revolution. He lived in Ward where he was for a time justice of the peace. In 1806 he was the Ward representative in the Massachusetts General Court. An agnostic as a young man, he joined the Baptist Church in 1810, then the Congregational Church in Ward (1816). Stone's diaries and a large manuscript collection of his music are owned by CLU, Special Collections. Another Stone musical manuscript may be found at the Auburn, Massachusetts, public library.
Bio-bib., Metcalf. Also Bartlett 1926, p. 164-65; Stone 1838. Salloch 1966 describes the CLU collection in detail.
THE COLUMBIAN HARMONY, 1793
ASMI 477
The Columbian Harmony. Containing the rules of psalmody; together with a collection of sacred music. Designed for the use of worshiping assemblies & singing societi[es.] By Joseph Stone and Abraham Wood. Published according to act of Congress. Engraved by J. Allen.
viii, 112 p. 13.5 x 23.5 cm. Engraved throughout. T-p., p. viii & p. 81 signed by J[oel] Allen; p. 9, 90 & 112 signed by E. Ruggles Jr., showing that the engraving duties were divided.
[1793.] Copyright granted, 13 Sept. 1793, District of Massachusetts, to Stone & Wood as authors (Mass. 1:29); Worcester Massachusetts Spy, 10 Oct. 1793, advertises work as 'this day published. p. [i], t-p.; p. [ii] blank; p. iii-vii, 'Rules Of Psalmody'; p. viii, 'Index'; p. 1-112, music.
97 compositions, incl. 2 set-pieces, for 4 voices (1 for 3); full text. Attribs. to Babcock (6), Baird, N. Billings, Bruce, Hall (4), Hudson, Mitchell (5), Pratt, Stone (45), Swan (4), Wood (27). 181 1st pr. identified (all except poss. 1st pr., identified below, and ALL SAINTS NEW, BRISTOL, CANTON, EGYPT, FLANDERS, HADLEY, SPRINGFIELD, WALPOLE, WESTFIELD, WORCESTER), also 6 poss. 1st pr. (CIVIL AMUSEMENT, HARMONY, ORANGE, VENUS, WESTERN, WILTON). All are American (96 attrib. Americans, I traced).
2 Core Repertory.
E26215 (MWA). CLU, CtHi, CtY (inc.), DLC, MSaE (inc.), MWA*, NN (2), NRU-Mus (copy signed by Stone), NcWsM (2), NJPT, RPB.
ASMI pp. 569-570.