Timothy Swan

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Timothy Swan born in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1758 and died in 1842 in Northfield, Massachusetts. Timothy Swan was the son of William Swan of Worcester, a well-known goldsmith and silversmith.[1] One of the first American composers who wrote both secular and sacred music was also a poet and taught singing.[2][3] In 1776 he became a fifer in the Continental Army. While apprenticed to become a hat maker, Timothy composed his first song, Montague, at the age of 16. He came to be known as the "Hatter-Composer." "Timothy Swan... was undoubtedly very eccentric. One of his musical compositions was written in the presence of a dying child at night. It is said that the well known 'China', one of the most lugubrious of tunes, but a great favorite in old times, was composed while he was recovering from a fit of intoxication, and was written with his finger in sand on Beers Plain."[4] Timothy Swan moved to Suffield in 1782.[5] and lived there until 1807 when he moved to Northfield.

[edit] List of works

[edit] References

  1. ^ The History of the Descendants of John Dwight, of Dedham, Mass., Benjamin Woodbridge Dwight, New York, 1874
  2. ^ http://www.amaranthpublishing.com/billings.htm Amaranth Publishing
  3. ^ http://www.voxnovus.com/resources/American_Composer_Timeline.htm American Composer Timeline
  4. ^ Fair Northfield; The Home of the Evangelist Moody - The New England magazine. / Volume 5, Issue 28, February 1887
  5. ^ http://www.suffield-library.org/localhistory/swan.htm Suffield library
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