Solomon Howe
Life
Born: 14 September 1750, North Brookfield, Massachusetts
Died: 18 November 1835, New Salem, Massachusetts
Biography
Solomon Howe graduated from Dartmouth College in 1777, worked for a short time for William Billings, and was preacher, teacher, printer and farmer. His published works include music and poetry: The Farmer’s Evening Entertainment, Divine Hymns on the Sufferings of Christ, and others. His music books contain only his own works. In his first book, Worshiper's Assistant, he wrote music in "easy and plain" simple styles. Many of the lyrics are unattributed in his second book, The Farmer's Evening Entertainment; they are likely by Howe himself, since the title advertises "new hymns."
- "Though music has made vast progress in twenty-five years, yet some professed friends have made horrid havoc of it, in a few years; perhaps, to line their own pockets; as no other object appears to the public. Mr. Wm. Billings and Capt. Abraham Wood were first authors of note in America, Anno. 1770, etc. A number since, in succession, have offered their acceptable works to the public, whose names are too numerous to be mentioned ; but some authors and publishers of tunes, who, (in a number of the states) seem to be void of stock, have been bold enough to take tunes from Billings, Wood, Babcock, Read, Kimball, Gillet, Brownson, etc. etc. without leave and publish and sell them without the author's notice, chiefly before the Congress had given power to authors for securing Copy Rights; this laid those authors under the necessity of losing the benefit of their best compositions. This mode of avarice, has been practiced by some printers, wishing to appear, as authors, rather than publishers, have, wasted cartloads of paper, which must forever lie as useless lumber on the hands of credulous purchasers, unless used for wrapping paper; and bring a just odium on their compilers. This truth ought to impress every ingenuous mind with a proper resentment against such impious intruders on human rights, who (under pretense of serving the public) are taking away the hard earned bread of ingenious and very dependent authors, who, by these means are rendered unable to publish their own compositions." (Howe 1804)
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Publications
- Howe, Solomon. 1799. Worshiper's Assistant, Containing the Rules of Music, and a Variety of Easy and Plain Psalm Tunes; Adapted to the Weakest Capacities, and Designed for Extensive Utility, as an Introduction to More Critical and Curious Music. Northampton, Massachusetts: Andrew Wright. 31 pp. Second Edition, 1804.
- Howe, Solomon. 1804. The Farmer's Evening Entertainment, Containing I. Characters, Rules and Directions for Vocal Music; II. A Number of New Tunes of as Various Airs and Metres as the Compass of the Book will admit; III. New Hymns, taken from sacred Writ, and Adapted to the Tunes; Calculated for Social Worship. Northampton, Massachusetts: Andrew Wright. 32 pp.