The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1895-02-22
JEREMIAH INGALLS,.

The following appeared in "Notes
and Queries" of the Boston Evening
Transcript, last summer:
(528O) Who was jeremiah Ingalls, whose
name is given as the author of a number OF
stirring tunes mostly of the fugue variety
made popular by Billings in the last ceDtu,
music? Where did he live? What can be
learned respecting his ancestry, ETC.
According to Jones' Handbook of Amer
| lean Music and Musicians, ingalls, was
born March [, 1854, at AndOver, Mass. He
was mainly self taught in music and ac'
quired some proficiency on the vloloncello.
He was long a music teacher in MasSachu
sets, New Hampshire and Vermont. His
collection. "Christian Harmony" two hun
bred pages, appeared at Exeter in 1905, On
his marriage he settled at Newbury, Vt.
He lived in succession at Rochester (l8l0)
and Hancock where he died April q, 1928.
| His tunes, "Kentucky" and ''Northfield,"
with others, are still In use.
BY request the following additional
particulars were given the Transcript.
$3.50. jeremiah Ingalls, was cooper by
trade and singing master by profession,
who found an opening for bOthipursuits at
Newbury, VT, about 1857. He married
Polly, daughter of DR.. Gideon Smith, in
1870 They were members of the First
Congregational Church, of which he was
a deacon from 1903 to 1870 and whose rec
ords mention the baptism of five sons and
one daughter. lie built a large house on
fine river farm which had been DR..
Smiths after the death of the latter, and
carried on the business of. an innkteper.
He possessed a sweet and powerful tenor
voice. a thorough knowledge of music and
an aptness in teaching the science as it was
taught in those days. His skill as a COM
poser was in frequent demand to furnish
music for various occasions, such as funer-
ais. weddings and public gatherings, to
which he often added hymns and songs of
his own composing.
lie must have possessed rare talent, as it
is SAID that any composition of his was COM
plete in his mind, in all parts, before he
put a note on paper or practlSed it on any
instrument In 1905 he gathered these
tunes and hymns with those of other com.
pOsers INTO the christian Harmony"
which was printed at Exeter, n. II. These
melodies vary liz character and merit
some are sweet and plaintive, others like
MORTIFIED" and New Jerusalem" stir
the blood like martial music. Many are
of the kind called 'pennyrOyar' tunes A
few of his pieces find place still in mod
ern collections; later composers have adapt
ed his work for their own use. and many
familiar strains might be traced back to the
christian Harmony" volume now very
rare.
The sale of this book was not very large.
and its cost is said to have involved him in
difficulties; he was not successful in bust
ness, sold his fine farm i'm 1910 and remov-
ed from Newbury. IShOud he glad of any
information concerning his ancestry or de-
scendents, and whether any ol the latter in
herited his musical talents. FP.w.
Sept. l, 1891
The above communication brought
the writer several interesting letters
from descendants of Mr.. ingalls,.
Not much of his composing has a
lasting quality, still number of his
tunes are found in most collections of
music, "New Jerusalem" is usually
sung at Old Folks concerts. and
"Northfeld" is immortal. 1t has found
its way INTO every part of the country
and to foreign lands. 1t is a favorite
tune in the south and west, the stately
march of its solemn music especially
fitting it for the use of great assemblies
in the open air. He was master who
composed Mortified"
MIR. ingalls, farm was the south one
on the upper meadow, where the large