Musical Awakenings

Abstract After schooling at the historic Boston Latin School, Dwight matriculated at Harvard University. There he read constantly and immersed himself in his studies. The German language especially was a subject of tremendous interest. But besides academics, there was at Harvard an underground network of music enthusiasts, and, although not officially sanctioned, music contributed substantially to the life of the university. Dwight learned several instruments and led the Arionic Society and the Pierian Sodality, Harvard’s nascent music clubs. Following a nine-month stay in Meadville, Pennsylvania, where he tutored and briefly ran the local lyceum, Dwight continued his education at Harvard Divinity School and published “On the Proper Character of Poetry and Music for Public Worship,” an advocacy piece that insists on higher standards for church music and changes to the rituals of the contemporary church. Dwight’s tastes and expectations for good music were quickly rising.