1820 Letter from the Musical Academy at St. John New Brunswick Submitting an Epitaph for William Jackson of Exeter to Parker's Euterpeiad
1820Best.-Nr. List3998St. John New Brunswick 1820. 3 pp stampless folded letter measuring 7 x 9 inches to J. R. Parker at the Franklin Music Warehouse Boston with circular date stamp and manuscript postal markings. Folded with usual wear; very good. An 1820 letter from the Musical Academy at St. John New Brunswick to J. R. Parker at the Franklin Music Warehouse in Boston concerning subscriptions to Parker's Euterpeiad; or Musical Intelligencer the circulation of musical periodicals an order for the Masonick Minstrel and the submission of an epitaph for William Jackson of Exeter. The Euterpeiad was a Boston music periodical edited by John Rowe Parker and issued from 1820 to 1823; the Retrospective Index to Music Periodicals describes it as "the first true music periodical in the USA."1 It was devoted to musical information and belles lettres publishing criticism biography correspondence notices of musical societies and performances and discussion of new musical works and instruments. The writer first reports that he has secured four additional subscribers and asks Parker to send copies from the first of April then comments on the periodical's prospectus and its critical department: "Perhaps Mr. Ch. has obtained some more names. You will please consign him the Euterpeiad and he will of course consign you Cash. Criticism is a desirable division of your Prospectus. You may tell me to do anything to forward your views and I will feel happy in acceding." The second portion of the letter is addressed to the editors of the Euterpeiad submitting for publication the epitaph on the tombstone of William Jackson of Exeter the English composer organist writer and painter; the writer notes the epitaph's "elegant simplicity" and that "many of your highly respectable readers will consider it as a treat." The copied epitaph presents Jackson as a musician critic writer painter and man of letters: "In the Science of Music an Eminent Professor / Whose genius united elegant expression / Pure and Original Melody / With peculiar delicacy of Harmonic Combination / In Painting in Literature in every liberal study / That enlightens the Intellect or expands the . / His attainments were rare and distinguished . / A Writer novel and acute in observation. / A correct and discriminating Critic / Endeared to his select associates / By a conversation and demeanor / of Impressive and fascinating simplicity." The writer uses Jackson's epitaph to criticize literary pretension: "I wish that many of our Knights and Squires who assume a supercilious consequence would strive to deserve such an inscription. Men of real merit and genuine talent are always modest and attentive not like those presuming authors who are all title page and no contents". The writer also asks Parker to give the bearer Mr. Deering a copy of the Masonick Minstrel for his own use "for which he will pay you on delivery." A good early North American music and print-culture letter linking the Musical Academy at St. John Parker's Franklin Music Warehouse The Euterpeiad Masonic music subscriber networks and British music in the Atlantic world. 1 Retrospective Index to Music Periodicals "The Euterpeiad or Musical Intelligencer" accessed July 22 2026 https://ripm.org/journals/etp. . unknown
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