Eliakim Doolittle (August 29, 1772 – April 1850)[1] was an American composer, schoolteacher, and singing teacher, the younger brother of Amos Doolittle, first cousin of composers Reuben Munson and Amos Munson, and uncle of senator James R. Doolittle.[1][2] His most well-known composition was the hymn tune "Exhortation",[3] a fuging tune that was first printed in The Musical Harmonist (Jenks 1800) and later included in The Sacred Harp.[4]
Born in Cheshire, Connecticut, the son of Ambrose Doolittle and Martha Munson, he attended Yale University (then Yale College), gaining the reputation as a composer, but did not graduate, and became a school- and singing- teacher.[3][5][1] He married Hasadiah Fuller in 1811, with whom he had six children (one son and five daughters), and lived in Hampton, New York.[3]
His Psalm Singer's Companion (Doolittle 1806) was 41 compositions (covering 48 pages) of psalm music for four voices,[3][5] out of a total of 45 works that he composed.[6]
Such works included Solemnity, another hymn tune published in Asahel Benham's Social Harmony in 1798, and the war song The Hornet Stung The Peacock that celebrated the 1813 sinking of HMS Peacock.[7][8]
Later in life Doolittle suffered from what is now understood to be dementia; he was then living in Pawlet, Vermont,[3] where 19th-century chronicler of that village Hiel Hollister described him graphically as "nervous and sensitive, impulsive and excitable, in tattered garb, with untrimmed locks and beard, in a state bordering on insanity, [wandering] through our streets for many a year",[2][3] before entering the Washington County poorhouse in Argyle where he eventually died.[3]
Gleason, Harold; Becker, Warren (1981). Music Literature Outlines. Vol. 3 (2nd ed.). Frangipani Press.
Hatchett, Marion J. (2003). "Commentary on Tunes and Texts: Exhortation". A Companion to the New Harp of Columbia. University of Tennessee Press. ISBN9781572332034.
Hollister, Hiel (1867). "Music". Pawlet for One Hundred Years. Albany, New York: J. Munsell. pp. 69–73.
O'Brien, Donald C. (2008). Amos Doolittle: Engraver of the New Republic. Oak Knoll Press. ISBN9781584562061.
Steel, David Warren; Hulan, Richard H. (2010). "Biographical sketches of the composers". The Makers of the Sacred Harp. Music in American life. University of Illinois Press. ISBN9780252077609.
van Boer, Bertil (2012). "Doolittle, Eliakim". Historical Dictionary of Music of the Classical Period. Scarecrow Press. ISBN9780810873865.
Further readingedit
Fawcett-Yeske, Maxine; Kroeger, Karl, eds. (2011). "Introduction to this volume". Eliakim Doolittle (1772–1850) and Timothy Olmsted (1759–1848): The Collected Works. Music of the New American Nation: Sacred Music from 1780 to 1820. Vol. 15. Routledge. pp. xxi–xxiv. ISBN9781135623777.
Jenks, Stephen (1800). The Musical Harmonist, Containing Concise and Easy Rules of Music, Together with a Collection of the Most Approved Psalm and Hymn Tunes, Fitted to the Various Meters; Most of Which were Never Before Published. New Haven, Connecticut: Amos Doolittle.
April 15, 2024
eliakim, doolittle, august, 1772, april, 1850, american, composer, schoolteacher, singing, teacher, younger, brother, amos, doolittle, first, cousin, composers, reuben, munson, amos, munson, uncle, senator, james, doolittle, most, well, known, composition, hym. Eliakim Doolittle August 29 1772 April 1850 1 was an American composer schoolteacher and singing teacher the younger brother of Amos Doolittle first cousin of composers Reuben Munson and Amos Munson and uncle of senator James R Doolittle 1 2 His most well known composition was the hymn tune Exhortation 3 a fuging tune that was first printed in The Musical Harmonist Jenks 1800 and later included in The Sacred Harp 4 Eliakim DoolittleBornAugust 29 1772Cheshire ConnecticutDiedApril 1850 age 77 Argyle New YorkOccupation s Composer schoolteacher singing teacherKnown for Exhortation hymn tune SpouseHasadiah Fuller m 1811 Children6RelativesAmos Doolittle brother Reuben Munson cousin Amos Munson cousin James R Doolittle nephew Contents 1 Biography 2 References 2 1 Cross links 2 2 Reference bibliography 3 Further readingBiography edit nbsp Exhortation as published in shape note form in William Hauser s The Hesperian Harp L M means long metre The words here are by Isaac Watts Born in Cheshire Connecticut the son of Ambrose Doolittle and Martha Munson he attended Yale University then Yale College gaining the reputation as a composer but did not graduate and became a school and singing teacher 3 5 1 He married Hasadiah Fuller in 1811 with whom he had six children one son and five daughters and lived in Hampton New York 3 His Psalm Singer s Companion Doolittle 1806 was 41 compositions covering 48 pages of psalm music for four voices 3 5 out of a total of 45 works that he composed 6 Such works included Solemnity another hymn tune published in Asahel Benham s Social Harmony in 1798 and the war song The Hornet Stung The Peacock that celebrated the 1813 sinking of HMS Peacock 7 8 Later in life Doolittle suffered from what is now understood to be dementia he was then living in Pawlet Vermont 3 where 19th century chronicler of that village Hiel Hollister described him graphically as nervous and sensitive impulsive and excitable in tattered garb with untrimmed locks and beard in a state bordering on insanity wandering through our streets for many a year 2 3 before entering the Washington County poorhouse in Argyle where he eventually died 3 References editCross links edit a b c Britton Lowens amp Crawford 1990 p 254 a b Hollister 1867 p 71 a b c d e f g Steel amp Hulan 2010 p 112 Hatchett 2003 p 121 a b O Brien 2008 p 14 van Boer 2012 p 164 Gleason amp Becker 1981 p 55 Lambert 2012 Reference bibliography edit Britton Allen Perdue Lowens Irving Crawford Richard 1990 Eliakim Doolittle American sacred music imprints 1698 1810 a bibliography American Antiquarian Society Gleason Harold Becker Warren 1981 Music Literature Outlines Vol 3 2nd ed Frangipani Press Hatchett Marion J 2003 Commentary on Tunes and Texts Exhortation A Companion to the New Harp of Columbia University of Tennessee Press ISBN 9781572332034 Hollister Hiel 1867 Music Pawlet for One Hundred Years Albany New York J Munsell pp 69 73 Lambert Andrew 2012 The Challenge Britain Against America in the War of 1812 Faber and Faber ISBN 978 0 571 27319 5 O Brien Donald C 2008 Amos Doolittle Engraver of the New Republic Oak Knoll Press ISBN 9781584562061 Steel David Warren Hulan Richard H 2010 Biographical sketches of the composers The Makers of the Sacred Harp Music in American life University of Illinois Press ISBN 9780252077609 van Boer Bertil 2012 Doolittle Eliakim Historical Dictionary of Music of the Classical Period Scarecrow Press ISBN 9780810873865 Further reading editFawcett Yeske Maxine Kroeger Karl eds 2011 Introduction to this volume Eliakim Doolittle 1772 1850 and Timothy Olmsted 1759 1848 The Collected Works Music of the New American Nation Sacred Music from 1780 to 1820 Vol 15 Routledge pp xxi xxiv ISBN 9781135623777 Doolittle Eliakim 1806 The Psalm Singer s Companion New Haven Jenks Stephen 1800 The Musical Harmonist Containing Concise and Easy Rules of Music Together with a Collection of the Most Approved Psalm and Hymn Tunes Fitted to the Various Meters Most of Which were Never Before Published New Haven Connecticut Amos Doolittle Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Eliakim Doolittle amp oldid 1174336647, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
