Mason, Timothy Battle

Composer

b Medfield, Massachusetts, USA 1801, d Cincinnati, Ohio, USA 1861. A younger brother of Lowell Mason (qv) who taught him music. He became organist of Fourth Street Ch, Boston, Mass, until 1833 when the noted preacher Lynam Beecher moved from Boston to Cincinnati; at that point Lowell M (then also at Boston but at Beecher’s church) persuaded his brother to become Beecher’s assistant. Beecher and TBM then set up the Eclectic Academy of Cincinnati, modelled on LM’s Academy of Music in Boston. Timothy became its director, founded the Cincinnati Handel and Haydn Society, and was Director of Music at a large Presbyterian ch (1834–54) and a Congregational one (1854–56). After briefly going to Milwaukee, he returned to Cincinnati. He composed many hymn tunes and with Lowell edited various edns of The Sacred Harp (from 1836 onwards). With nothing like the output or success of his older brother, he has entered several current books with this one enduring tune. No.952.