Thomas Hastings
Musician · 1784–1872 · Washington, Connecticut
Best known for
Composer
Thomas Hastings was a self-taught Connecticut-born hymn composer, choir master, and music critic who served as a New York City church choir master for forty years (1832–1872) and who, in collaboration with Lowell Mason, helped reshape American congregational singing toward the European art-music model. His best-known tune is “Toplady,” the standard melody for “Rock of Ages.”
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- Born October 15, 1784, in Washington, Connecticut, to Dr. Seth Hastings and Eunice Parmele.
- Moved to Clinton, New York as a young man and began teaching singing schools; was largely self-taught as a musician.
- Lived with albinism, which left him with poor sight.
- Compiled the influential anthology Spiritual Songs for Social Worship with Lowell Mason in 1831.
- Composed the tune “Toplady” for Augustus Toplady’s “Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me,” published in Spiritual Songs.
- Served as choir master in New York City churches for forty years, from 1832 until his death.
- Wrote roughly 1,000 hymn tunes across his career.
- Published the 1822 Dissertation on Musical Taste, the first comprehensive musical treatise by an American author.
- Died in New York City on May 15, 1872, at age 87.
