Amos Whiting and George Whiting

[giles.enders]

Having an interest in very obscure composers I am wondering if anyone has any information about these American brothers.  I have a little information about George born 1842 died 1923 but nothing on Amos.

[chill319]

You probably have this information already, Giles, but a quick Google search uncovers four items:

1855: A. Whiting, teacher of the organ, piano forte, and vocal music: Also, agent for Brown & Allen's splendid piano fortes. No. 2 Piper's Block, up stairs, Main St., Worcester. ... Also, agent for Taylor & Farley's seraphines and melodeons. ... [4pp.]

1860: Mechanics Hall: Grand concert on May-day evening, Tuesday, May 1st, 1860, by the Worcester S.S. Singing Society, numbering 275 voices, A. Whiting--director, assisted by the National Union Band, M. Arbuckle, leader . [4pp.]

1861: Washburn Hall: Musical soiree. Mr. A. Whiting, assisted by Mrs. Doane, Mrs. Whiting, Messrs. B.D. Allen, Geo. P. Burt, C.C. Stearns, and the Mendelssohn Choral Club, will give a musical soiree on Tuesday evening, March 19, 1861. ... [1p.]

1861-2, The Worcester Magazine: [1861] Amos Whiting lately volunteered his services for a' few weeks in the public schools, with the purpose of giving a juvenile concert to the public on New Year's night. The concert was given and repeated, much to the gratification of those who listened to the harmony of a thousand voices singing the songs that stir the patriot's and the Christian's heart." Evidently the committee favors music, but the expense is still in the way.

In 1862 may be read: "Vocal music, which, for a long period, has annually claimed the attention of the committee, has at length been subjected to the test of a trial. An appropriation of $300 was made for that purpose. It was deemed best that the exercise should be a study rather than a recreation, etc. * * * It was decided to confine the instruction to the high, grammar and secondary schools, the high school to have two lessons per week and the others one of a half hour each; the secondary schools to be taught by a female and the higher grades by a male. Mr. Amos Whiting wa's placed in charge of the higher grades, and Mrs. Wm. Sumner of the lower."


Clues for further searches may be obtained by googling "Descendents of Lady Jane Beaufort," which just may possibly document Amos's parental and grand-parental generations (In both of which Barre, Massachusetts Amos Whitings appear together with a George Whiting). Of course, there were two George Chadwicks composing concurrently in Massachusetts, so the Beaufort angle could be a red herring.

[eschiss1]

Also, if you can turn up the index referred to (Bio-bibliographical index of musicians in the United States of America since colonial times) in http://musicsack.com/PersonFMTDetail.cfm?PersonPK=100307577, while apparently it does not contain birth and death dates for Amos Whiting, it may contain some useful information (I don't know but hope so.)

[giles.enders]

George Elbridge Whiting  Born 14.9.1842  Holliston, Ma.  Died 14.10.1923 Cambridge, Ma.

His initial studies were with his older brother Amos.  From an early age he held various posts as an organist - including Hartford ,Conn.  King's Chap. Boston, Music Hall Society, Church of the Immaculate Conception, Boston, Cincinnati Music Hall.  He became head of the organ department of the New England Conservatory.  In 1874 he went to Berlin to study with Haupt and Roedecke.

Orchestra

Symphony in C minor
Overture to Tennyson's The Princess  Op.44
Prologue to Longfellow's 'Golden Legend' Op.11
Piano concerto in D minor
Suite for cello and orchestra  Op.32

Chamber

Suite for violin and piano  Op.38

Song

Six songs  Op.10
Set of part songs  Op.12

Choral

Tale of the Viking  cantata  Op.40
Dream Pictures  cantata
Leonore  cantata  Op.42
March of the Monks of Bangor  cantata  Op.41
Midnight  cantata  OP.43
Henry of Navarre  cantata
Our Country  Festival choral march for mixed voices  Op.60  words by G E Whiting  pub. by T Presser
Bethlehem  for female voices  Op.31

Church

Te Deum  Op.21
Vesper Service
Mass in C minor Op.4  1872
Mass in F minor  Op.371874
Hymns and Offertory Pieces  Op.33
Psalm  Op.34

Organ

The organist, twelve pieces  Op.1
Three preludes  Op.2
Twenty five studies  Op.3
Fantasia  Op.22
Registration Fantasia  Op.23
Storm Fantasia  Op.24
Magnificat  Op.25
Preludes for Grand Mass  Op.26
Grand Sonata  Op.35
Preludes  Op.36
Melody - Homage to Greig  1908  pub. T Presser
Six pieces  Op.57:  Requiem-funeral march, Postlude in D, Gradual, Postlude, Processional Toccata. pub. by White-Swan Music  1907
Three Pieces:  Prelude in B flat, Melody in B flat, Canzonetta in A minor  pub. by O. Ditson & Co.


His nephew was the composer Arthur Battelle Whiting  1861-1936