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Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Talented Tuesday: Will Loftin Hargrave, Composer and Author

Will Loftin Hargrave, the son of my 5th-great-grandmother's brother Skelton Hardgrave, was an author and composer. The Library of Congress has sheet music for several songs that he composed.

There liv'd on the banks of a smooth flowing river [sheet music]. Library of Congress Peforming Arts Encyclopedia.

Wait for the wagon [sheet music]. Library of Congress Performing Arts Encyclopedia.

His compositions "There Liv'd on the Banks of a Smooth Flowing River" and "Wait for the Wagon" were published in 1851.

Old Bob Ridley [sheet music]. Library of Congress Performing Arts Encyclopedia.

His composition "Old Bob Ridley" was published in 1853. It was performed by Kunkel's Nightingale Opera Troupe.

Wallannah: A Colonial Romance. Internet Archive.

His book Wallannah: A Colonial Romance was published by B. F. Johnson Publishing Company in 1902 (twenty years after his death.) The book is set in New Bern, North Carolina.

Kinston Journal (Kinston, North Carolina), 13 November 1879, page 2

Goldsboro Messenger (Goldsboro, North Carolina), 15 January 1883, page 1

Semi-Weekly Messenger (Wilmington, North Carolina),11 March 1902, page 4

References

Old Bob Ridley [sheet music]
There liv'd on the banks of a smooth flowing river [sheet music]
Wait for the wagon [sheet music]
Wallannah: A Colonial Romance (East Carolina University Digital Collections)
Wallannah: A Colonial Romance (Internet Archive)

1 comment:

  1. I had a copy of his "Night Winds Waltz" which I gave many years ago to a friend to his friend...Loftin Hargrave. He reported that Mr Hargrave & his wife immediately played the piece on piano & flute, and pronounced it "Quite mediocre"

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