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Scan 146
Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 1920
44 lines. Read by computer on 11 September 2026. Printed page 132. See the scan on archive.org.
1of the people of Bethlehem and vicinity have been members of the chorus. The audiences have been phenomenal not simply for size, but for their representative quality, including professional musicians from all over the country and many others. In more than one respect, therefore, these Festivals are unique and extraordinary. They have been carried on with infinite industry and devotion, and their artistic quality has been universally acknowledged.
3Back of the present Bach Choir lies much history. One of the first acts of the founders of the Moravian settlement at Bethlehem in 1742 was to hold a Singstunde, and from 1744 a Collegium Musicum was steadily maintained, credited with very early performances of parts of several oratorios. In 1820 this was replaced by the Philharmonic Society, which was an oratorio society of more constant character. In 1882 the young Wolle organized the Bethlehem Choral Union, which lasted ten years and gave the St. Matthew Passion in 1892. See Walters, The Bethlehem Bach Choir, 1918.
5BETHUNE, THOMAS G. (1849?-1908). See Register, 4.
7BETTI, ADOLFO (b. 1875). See Register, 9.
9BEUTEL, CARL. See Colleges, 3 (Nebraska Wesleyan U.).
11'BIANCA.' An opera by Henry K. Hadley, awarded the $1000 prize offered by W. W. Hinshaw in 1917, was first produced on Oct. 18, 1918, by the Society of American Singers in New York under the composer's direction.
13BIDDLE, HORACE PETERS (1811-1900). See Register, 5.
15BIDEZ, L. ALOYS (b. 1847). See Register, 6.
17BIEDERMANN, AUGUST JULIUS (1825-1907). See Register, 4.
19BIEDERMANN, EDWARD JULIUS (b. 1849). See Register, 6.
21BIFERI, NICHOLAS. See Register, 1.
23BIGELOW, WILLIAM PINGRY (b. 1867). See Colleges, 1 (Amherst C., Mass.).
25BIGGS, RICHARD KEYS (b. 1886). See Register, 9.
27BIGLOW & MAIN, of New York, is the publishing-firm organized in 1868 by Lucius H. Biglow (1833-1907) and Sylvester Main (1817-73), primarily to take over the publication of W. B. Bradbury's books. Almost immediately they began the issue of the series known as the 'Gospel Hymns' of Moody and Sankey. From that time they became the chief publishers of popular hymns and tunes of this class by a great variety of editors. Hubert P. Main (see Register, 5), the well-known hymnologist, has been connected with the firm since its foundation and is now its treasurer. As a hint of the magnitude of the business it is enough to recall that in 1886 no less than 18,000,000 copies of popular hymnbooks had been sold. When interest in Tonic Sol-Fa arose Biglow & Main became its principal representatives in America. They have issued some English choir-music of high quality.
29BILES, ETHEL. See Colleges, 3 (Cotner C., Neb.).
31BILLINGS, WILLIAM (Oct. 7, 1746, Boston : Sept. 29, 1800, Boston), often erroneously called 'the first American composer,' was an uneducated man of humble origin, by trade a tanner, who had an irrepressible enthusiasm for developing popular singing. He was somewhat grotesque in personal appearance, unconventional in expression and far from technically expert in music. But his zeal was contagious and the freshness of his tunes caught popular attention. His first efforts came when the New England churches were beginning to use hymns by Watts and others in addition to the traditional versified Psalms, and the rhythmical swing and curious 'fuguing' effects of his tunes corresponded to the independent feeling of the time.1 His later work, after the Revolutionary War, often gave voice to the patriotic fervor of that period. His name appears in 1764 in connection with the sale of concert-tickets. His series of six books began in 1770 (see list under TUNE-BOOKS), continuing till 1794. In 1774 he seems to have conducted a singing-class at Stoughton, which became the germ of the Stoughton Musical Society in 1786. It is probable that he taught many similar classes. Selections from his works, mostly 'anthems,' have been noted in concert-programs in Boston in 1782, '87 and '96, and in Philadelphia in 1786-88. A few of his tunes, such as 'Chester' (for which he provided patriotic words), continued in use for some time, though steadily replaced by the better productions of later writers. It is supposed that he first introduced, or at least made popular, the use of the pitch-pipe and also of the 'cello or double-bass for accompaniment. See Ritter, Music in America, chap. iii (needlessly caustic), Mathews, Hundred Years of Music, pp. 25-9, Elson, Hist. of American Music, pp. 12-9, etc. [R.1]
33BIMBONI, ALBERTO (b. 1882). See Register, 10.
35BINDER, FRITZ (b. 1873). See Register, 7.
37BINGHAM, WALTER VAN DYKE (b. 1880). See Register, 9.
39BINTLIFF, ELIZABETH, née Battle. See Colleges, 3 (Ripon C., Wis., Olivet C., Mich.).
41BIRD, ARTHUR (July 23, 1856, Cambridge, Mass.). To the works listed in Vol. i. 328-9 may be added a set of 'Oriental Scenes'
431 There are interesting analogies between this outbreak of popular tunes in America in 1770 and the rise of Methodist singing in England about 1740.
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