The Battle of Trenton (A Sonata dedicated to General Washington)

BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!!

Look! The fireworks went off a day too soon!!!

Oh, well, HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY, ALL!!! :-)

"The Battle of Trenton (A Sonata dedicated to General Washington)" was composed by James Hewitt (1770-1827). Originally composed for the pianoforte, this performance is BASED UPON the splendid arrangement made of organ by legendary virtuoso, E. Power Biggs. The music was published by Merion Music (Theodore Presser) in 1974, and IS still available: http://www.organmusiconly.com/Arrangers/Biggs

In the early days of the United States a musician needed to be a "jack-of-all-trades" and master of several. James Hewitt was a man of such talents. Born in 1770 in Dartmoor, England, he had been leader of the Court Orchestra of George III, before emigrating to the New World in 1792. In New York, Hewitt was active as a concert violinist, director of theatre orchestras, and organist of Trinity Church. He later became organist of Trinity Church in Boston. He was moved to set to music the clash and drama of the Battle of Trenton (New Jersey!), which took place on Christmas Day, 1776. George Washington's surprise attack was the master stroke that boosted the morale of the ragged American army and helped turn the tide of the Revolutionary War. Hewitt was atuned to the times and his enthusiasm for his adopted country is evident in this piece of musical imagery. He dedicated his descriptive sonata to General Washington, and the piece enjoyed considerable popularity in concerts of the day. The composer's pictorial subtitles indicate his musical intention.

SInce I have run out of space, I will add the Pictorial details, and a few other items in the first post!