Lillian Tait Sheldon Explained

Lillian Alison Tait Sheldon (10 September 1865 - 10 January 1925)^[1] was an American composer^[2] and organist^[3] who composed many hymns.^[4]

Sheldon was born in Gouverneur, New York^{[5] [6]} to Lucretia Maria and George Peter Tait. She married James Otis Sheldon and they had two children.^[7] Little is known about Sheldon’s education. She was the organist of the First Presbyterian Church in Gouverneur from 1885 until her death in 1925.^[8] Although most of her compositions were hymns, her “Rock-a-By Baby Lullaby” was published in the January 1897 edition of Ladies Home Journal.^[9]

Sheldon’s music was also published by B.F. Woods Music Co.,^[10] J. Fischer & Brother,^[11] and Oliver Ditson Co.^[12] Her compositions, all for voice and piano, included:

• “Around the Great White Throne”^[13]
• “He Knows”^[14]
• “Hear, Forgive and Save” (text by Eliza Morris)^{[15] [16]}
• “Hosanna We Sing” (text by Rev George S. Hodges)^[17]
• “Jesus, Shepherd of the Sheep” (text by Henry Book)^[18]
• “Lord, Within Thy Temple Fair”^[19]
• “More Love to Thee, O Christ”
• “Rest”
• “Resurrection”
• “Rock-a-By Baby Lullaby” (text adapted from Charles Fremont Gale)
• “Ten Thousand Times Ten Thousand^[20]
• “Through Peace to Light”

Notes and References

1. Book: Heinrich, Adel . Organ and harpsichord music by women composers : an annotated catalog . 1991 . Greenwood Press . 978-0-313-38790-6 . New York . 650307517.
2. Book: The Etude . 1909 . T. Presser . en.
3. Book: Cohen, Aaron I. . International Encyclopedia of Women Composers . 1987 . Books & Music (USA) . 978-0-9617485-2-4 . en.
4. Book: Hixon, Donald L. . Women in music : an encyclopedic biobibliography . 1993 . Scarecrow Press . Don A. Hennessee . 0-8108-2769-7 . 2nd . Metuchen, N.J. . 28889156.
5. Book: Stern, Susan . Women composers : a handbook . 1978 . Scarecrow Press . 0-8108-1138-3 . Metuchen, N.J. . 3844725.
6. Book: Woman's Number . 1918 . Theodore Presser . en.
7. Web site: Lillian Tait Sheldon - Ancestry.com . 2022-06-04 . www.ancestry.com.
8. Web site: Biographical Dictionary of the Organ Lillian Taitt Sheldon . 2022-06-04 . www.organ-biography.info.
9. Book: The Ladies' Home Journal . 1896 . LHJ Publishing, Incorporated . en.
10. Web site: Sheldon . Lillian Tait . Musicaneo . 2022-06-04 .
11. Book: Stewart-Green, Miriam . Women composers : a checklist of works for the solo voice . 1980 . G.K. Hall . 0-8161-8498-4 . Boston, Mass. . 6815939.
12. Book: Company, Oliver Ditson . A Catalog of the Vocal Music (folio Size) Published by Oliver Ditson Company: Complete with Addenda to June 1, 1920 . 1920 . Oliver Ditson . en.
13. Web site: Sheldon . Lillian . Hymnary.org . 2022-06-04 . en.
14. Book: The Musician . 1919 . Hatch Music Company . en.
15. Book: Office, Library of Congress Copyright . Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series . 1948 . en.
16. Book: The Musical Monitor . 1921 . Mrs. David Allen Campbell, Publisher . en.
17. Book: Geibel . Adam . Hymns We Love: For Sunday Schools and All Devotional Meetings . Eickhoff . Frederic W. . 1907 . A. Geibel Music Company . en.
18. Book: Catalog of Copyright Entries: Musical compositions . 1930 . Library of Congress, Copyright Office. . en.
19. Web site: Musescore . Lord, within thy temple fair - Lillian Taitt Sheldon . 2022-06-04 . Musescore.com . en.
20. Book: New Music Review and Church Music Review . 1907 . Novello, Ewer. . en.