John Bunyan Herbert
Life
Born: 14 September 1852
Died: 19 May 1927
Biography
John Bunyan Herbert was born in Cambridge, Ohio. A year later, his family moved to Monmouth, Illinois, where he received his early education. He bought a book on harmony at age 14 and spent his spare time mastering the subject. He attended Monmouth College, and was its first graduate. At his father’s insistence, he attended the Hahnemann-Medical College of Chicago and set up practice in Monmouth. He continued to study music, sang in a church choir, and organized a male quartet that appeared at several of the national Prohibition Conventions and many Chautauquas. George Root visited Monmouth and they became good friends. After studying with George Frederick Root and Philip P. Bliss, he closed his medical practice to work with music full time. At one time, Herbert taught at the Southern Development Normal music school in Waco, Texas. There he taught many future composers of Gospel hymns. He died in Monmouth, Illinois. He composed many hymns, glees and part-songs. He also wrote political songs, a harmony method text, a book on how to write accompaniments for songs, and a collection of settings of songs from the plays of Shakespeare. His most popular composition was his 1891 setting of “Away in a manger.”
View the Wikipedia article on John Bunyan Herbert.
List of choral works
Sacred works
Secular works
- Ah! My heart is weary waiting
- The Elves of Night
- Jack and Jill
- My love she’s but a lassie yet
- Peter, Pumpkin Eater
- Voice of the Western Wind
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