George J. Webb

Alias: George James Webb

Life

Born: 26 September 1803

Died: 7 October 1887

Biography

George James Webb was born at Rushmore Lodge, near Salisbury in Wiltshire, England. He trained early in England and was an organist in Falmouth, England. He emigrated to Boston, Massachusetts, in 1830. He was organist at the Old South Church in Boston for nearly 40 years and was organist at the Boston Church of the New Jerusalem. With Lowell Mason, he founded the Boston Academy of Music. He was president of the Handel and Haydn Society. In 1871, he left Boston, taught in New York from 1876-1885, and retired to Orange, New Jersey. He was an editor for the journals “The Music Library” and “The Music Cabinet.” He published the books “Vocal Techniques” and “Voice Culture,” and was editor and arranger of the collections “Young Ladies’ Vocal Class Book,” “The Glee Hive,” “The New Odeon,” “The Vocalist,” the “Little Songster,” and “Cantica Laudis.” He composed organ music, choral music, songs, and hymns. His most well-known composition is his part-song “’Tis Dawn, the Lark is Singing.” The original song was well received and later adapted as a hymn with the addition of sacred words “Stand up, stand up for Jesus.”

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List of choral works

Sacred Works

Hymn Tunes Sabbath evening twilight Stand up, stand up for Jesus Morning Light 7 6. 7 6. D

Anthems The Lord will be a refuge

Other Sacred works No works currently available

Secular works

The adieu The bird at sea The blue-bell Canadian song The country lassie and her lover A dirge Early days The enchantress The evening bell The farmer The fringed Gentian

The harvest-moon Hearts and homes Homeward bound I am ‘talking in my sleep’ I dream of all things free I love the free ridge of the mountain In the day-spring of youth The landsman’s song The light of home Long may life and health May morning

Mill song The mother The mountaineer’s return O, the merry harvest-time The pilgrims of the ocean The pleasant spring has come again Sabbath evening twilight The sea-shore The secret of singing Semblances A song for the seasons

The song my mother sings The stone-breaker’s daughter The sun ’Tis dawn, the lark is singing To May Upon the mountain’s distant head The widow’s only son The wild bird seeks the mountain rill The wild rose

Arrangements by George J. Webb

• Sweet Content (Clara Angela Macirone)

 
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Publications

• Scripture and Worship (1834)

• Massachusetts Collection of Psalmody (1840)

External links

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