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He was a musician, arranger and composer born in
Medfield. Massachusetts.
Having a passion for music from a young age he graduated and moved
to Savannah where he would work in a store and then become a bank
clerk. He would also take
private studies in music and would eventually begin to write his own religious
compositions that were influenced by European classical composers. Receiving many knock backs from publishers
the Handel and Haydn Society of Boston took on his work and published it
without it carrying his name.
This same publication would eventually sell 50,000 copies in 17
editions and become a standard for church choirs and singing schools in New
England. In 1826 he returned
to Boston in his home state to continue his work as a bank teller and become
Music Director for the Hanover, Green and Park Street churches before
settling down in that position in the Bowdoin Street Church. During this time he would also be
the initiator of Sunday schools for black children in America. In 1827 the Handel and Haydn Society
made him their president and he would also become the first American teacher
of music in a public school.
Her was a co-founder of the Boston Academy of Music in 1833 and in
1838 took the post of Music Superintendent for Boston schools. Earning himself the name "the
father of American church music" he wrote over 1600 works that include Union
Hymns, The American Book of Church Music and Carmina Sacra, a
musical setting for "Mary Had a Little Lamb", "America: My Country Tis of
Thee" and the popular Christmas carol "Joy To The World". He died when he was 80 years old on
his estate in 1872 in Orange County, New Jersey. His son William was also a composer and another son,
Henry, was a founder of the piano manufacturers Mason and Hamelin. His works can be heard in at least 34
feature films and 10 soundtracks.
Joy to the World recordings (Isaac Watts/Lowell Mason/George Frideric Handel)
Black Dyke Mills Band
Chandos 4541 (CD: A Christmas Fantasy)
Boston Pops
Philips 416 287 - 2 (CD: We Wish You a Merry Christmas)
Conductor - John
Williams
DG 419 414-2 (CD: White Christmas)
Conductor - Arthur
Fiedler
RCA 09026-61685-2 (CD: Pops Christmas Party)
Conductor - Arthur
Fiedler
Sony SK 48232 (CD: Joy to the World)
Conductor - John
Williams
Tanglewood Festival Chorus
Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra
Naxos 8.990005 (CD: Joy to the World)
Conductor - Richard Hayman
Rochester Pops Orchestra
Koch CHD 1531 (CD: Joy to the World - Carols for
Orchestra and Chorus)
St Louis
Philharmonic Orchestra
Sonari records - 7 55724 00272 3 (CD: Christmas with
the Philharmonic)
Conductor - Robert
Hart Baker
Sources:
- http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/m/a/s/mason_l.htm
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowell_Mason
- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1131663/
- http://famousamericans.net/lowellmason/
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