Show HOPKINSON WAS FIRST COMPOSER IN NEW WORLD George Washington Patron PatronI I of Expression of Musical i Art in America L Human nature Is of ot a a. a kind hind that likes to pigeonhole its first national expression of ot any kind Very often orten the tho pigeonholing and tho the glory glor accruing to tho the master thereby are posthumous I honors but nevertheless no every country at some ome period of or Its artistic a awakening awaken awaken- in InS ing likes to pamper Itself with tho the knowledge e of Its first firsti painter Its first sculptor or Its first composer The thing thins that really matters Is how far the country has gone ahead since its initial mo movement ement In any of or the arts but that to a great extent Is la left lert un un- un- un heeded I Friend of G George or e ton Who Vho was as the first composer a of the United States States- According to his own statement st. l Francis Hopkinson whose birth is given as 1737 Ini holds the signal honor o of that position In 1778 he sent a sheaf shear o of manuscript containing I eight pieces of music to his friend George Georgo Washington In a 3 letter accompanying accompanying ac ac- ac- ac companying this sheaf he openly de declares declares ile- ile clares dares himself to he be tho tIme first native of the tho United States who has produced a musical composition The Tho humor of oC this frank avowal courteously and mo modestly estly given Iven is greatly g increased when one ona takes take into consideration tho the fact that Va Washington hin ton as he lie himself put It could coul neither sing one of oC the songs nor raise a single sing note on an any instrument to convince the unbelieving unbelieving ing lag of oC the musical value of oC the com corn positions Nevertheless Ne the music was published and accor according ing- ing to the stan standards standards stand stand- ards of oC that time timo was considered very eT fine tine What is more it can still hold its own to today ay as an expression of oC t the q quaintness u ai n tu ess 0 of or f e eighteenth elg I ghi t e e a t h C century e a t U ry made in America molo melody Combined Oth Other r Hopkinson was wa not a a. composer b by profession proCession It ma may bo be that therein lies the reason for the apparent indifference ence enco to his existence among musical people of oC the present age He lie was Ver very much In the time nature of at being a aJack aJack aJack Jack of at all trades Among the lists of accomplishments attributed to him are those of oC satirist poet musical performer performer performer per per- former musical composer and musical Inventor In He lie was a member of oC the Continental Congress a signer of or the Declaration of ot Independence and au author author author au- au thor of oC the wor words s of Hall hail Columbia In this combination of musical ability ability abil abO- it ity with statecraft the American leader lead lead- er of or revolutionary re days as a's had more than thau a little resemblance to ski the Polish patriot composer of ot present day fame To tho the lover of music however er tho tIme fact Importance i Is that tho the first pieces of or American music have been routed out a of their oblivion lon and are ready to hold their own oan as progenitors of ot tho the works that have followed |