French, Jacob. Harmony of Harmony in Five Parts containing I. The Ground Work, or Principles of Music, by way of Question and Answer. II. The Gamut, or Scale of Music, in a very Plain and Concise Method; together with Observations on Music. III. A Complete set of Psalm Tunes, Adapted to all the different Metres and Keys usually Sung in Churches. IV. A Number of Pieces Set to Particular Psalms and Hymns, together with Odes, Fuging, and Flying Pieces. V. A Number of Anthems, Suitable for different occasions. Northampton: Printed, Typographically at Northampton, by Andrew Wright - For the Compiler, 1802. First Edition. [11926]
Oblong in full leather, binding has good joints and is tight, yet scuffed and worn with a pill-sized hole in the center of the top cover, exposing the wooden board beneath. 5 1/4 x 9 inches; plain rules to spine with no label or lettering. Lacks all free end papers. [i]-xii, [9]-150; lacks the last leaf of text (final music page and index), the 3 of page 83 is inverted. Worming to the top right corner of the title page & next leaf with some loss, first few leaves browned at edges, rest good. Good. Hardcover.
No. 194 in Britton, Lowens, and Crawford, American Sacred Music Imprints 1698-1810: A Bibliography. "98 compositions, incl. 7 anthems & 11 set-pieces, for 4 voices, a few for 3; full text...80 American compositions, 12 non-American, 6 unidentified."
The music is in round notes.
Jacob French (1754-1817), b. Stoughton, MA; d. Simsbury, CT. French was a composer and singing-master; the title page designates him "Musico Theorico." During the American Revolution he served several terms as a soldier between the years 1775 and 1781. Details of his musical career are scarce, with documentation existing showing that he was at times a "Teacher of Musick" at Medway and at Uxbridge, Massachusetts, and also at Providence. French published The New American Melody (1789) and The Psalmodist's Companion (1793), in addition to the Harmony of Harmony offered here.
