Joseph Funk (1778–1862)
Author of The Harmonia Sacra
Works by Joseph Funk
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1778-04-06
- Date of death
- 1862-12-24
- Gender
- male
- Occupations
- music teacher
music publisher
composer - Organizations
- Mennonites
- Relationships
- Funck, Heinrich (grandfather)
Kieffer, Aldine S. (grandson) - Short biography
- Joseph Funk established the first Mennonite publishing house in the USA at his home in Mountain Valley, Virginia (renamed Singers Glen in 1860). He is best remembered for inventing a shape-note system used in his landmark publication Harmonia Sacra (1851), and for a monthly musical periodical, The Southern Musical Advocate and Singer's Friend (1859-1861). His grandson Aldine S. Kieffer acquired the publishing business in the 1870s and merged it into the Ruebush-Kieffer Company, a major influence in the spread of Southern gospel music.
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Bucks County, Pennsylvania, USA
- Places of residence
- Singers Glen, Rockingham County, Virginia, USA
- Place of death
- Singers Glen, Rockingham County, Virginia, USA
- Burial location
- Singers Glen, Rockingham County, Virginia, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- Singers Glen, Rockingham County, Virginia, USA
Members
Reviews
The New Harmonia Sacra : A compilation of genuine church music, comprising a great variety of meters, harmonized for four voices. Facsimile editions of 1822 edition by Joseph Funk
This is a facsimile edition of the 1822 edition published for the 150th anniversary of its publication. The compiler Joseph Funk has been called “the father of song in northern Virginia. He was a Mennonite who promoted congregation choral singing through singing schools and publication of music. Mennonites came to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia in 1730, but did not build a church building until 1822. This book had 17 editions published up to 1900 and about 5 since. Some of the hymns show more appear in later denominational Mennonite hymn books. The current day Harmonia Sacra Singing Movement is non sectarian. The tunes are written in 4 scores, 4 shapes of notes. The minor mode is used almost as often as the major mode. The 4 shape ( square, diamond, triangle , circle do not appear to be used the same way as used in Sacred Harp. The key note does not appear to be Fa (triangle), rather La (square)??? show less
Statistics
- Works
- 8
- Members
- 55
- Popularity
- #295,339
- Rating
- 4.7
- Reviews
- 1
- ISBNs
- 3