Amzi Chapin


Amzi Chapin was an American cabinetmaker, singing-school teacher, shapenote proponent and composer.

Biography

Chapin was born in Springfield, Massachusetts into a family of cabinet-makers. His father was Edward Chapin of Chicopee MA. He had four older brothers, and a younger sister and brother. The family is believed to be of Puritan descent.
Chapin worked in Hartford, Connecticut from 1788 until 1791, when he moved to New Haven. Thereafter he embarked on a career as an itinerant singing teacher, composer and cabinetmaker in the South and Midwest.
Chapin married Hannah Power, daughter of Rev. James Power, on 10 October 1800 in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, where he taught and farmed for the next thirty years. They had eight children including six daughters named Mary Jane, Eunice, Eliza, Rebecca and Hannah. All moved to Northfield except Mary who died in Pennsylvania at age 30.
A.Chapin's Journal Northfield, Ohio, becoming some of the pioneers of Northfield Township. In November 1831 Amzi Chapin wrote the original proposal and is listed along with eight other men founders of the Presbyterian congregation in Northfield Twp. He died there on 19 February 1835.

Music

Chapin taught singing schools in Virginia and North Carolina, before moving to Kentucky and then Pennsylvania. He was a proponent of Andrew Law's four-note method of shape note notation. Lucius Chapin was also a singing teacher, and the two were apparently among the first to teach sacred music west of the Allegheny Mountains. The well-known tune "Primrose" is by Amzi Chapin, while Lucius contributed "Vernon" and the Ninety-Third Psalm. "Olney" and "Rockingham" are credited to "Chapin". The Shenandoah Harmony has reprinted 7 other tunes or arrangements by Amzi, one by Lucius, and one by Amzi or Lucius.