Biographical Notes
William A. Newland (1813-1901) was born in London, England, on November 2, 1813, and studied at the Royal Academy of Music. In October 1832 he moved to New York with his brother, and then to Philadelphia shortly thereafter. Newland converted to Catholicism from Episcopalian the following year. In 1834, he was appointed organist at St. Mary’s Church, followed by several other churches. Between 1838 and 1891, Newland worked as the organist at the Church of St. John the Baptist. In 1858, The Harmonia Sacred Music Society of Philadelphia honored him with the title Doctor of Music. In addition to his work as a church organist, Newland was a sought-after music educator. He also composed a small number of sacred works. He died in Philadelphia on November 28, 1901.
Charles Zeuner (1795-1857) was born in Eisleben, Germany, on September 20, 1795. He studied with Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778–1837) in Weimar and Michael Gotthard Fischer (1773–1829) in Erfurt. Zeuner moved to Boston, Massachusetts, around 1830. That same year, he gave his first concert in the city on February 13 and was appointed organist of the Handel and Haydn Society on September 24. He held this position until 1837, and then served as president of the Society from 1838 to 1839. While in Boston, Zeuner was also the organist at Park Street Church, taught organ and voice, and composed in a variety of genres. Between 1831 and 1840, he published four collections of church music. He composed his large-scale oratorio Feast of the Tabernacles in 1832, and the Boston Academy of Music gave eight performances of the work in 1837. Two years later, Zeuner moved to Philadelphia, where he worked as an organist for St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church and Arch St. Presbyterian Church. He died by suicide on November 7, 1857.