Introduction

Biography

As a young man, Bak­er moved to Sa­lem, Mas­sa­chu­setts, and in 1831 be­gan teach­ing mu­sic. In 1833, he tra­veled through­out Am­eri­ca with a con­cert com­pa­ny.

Afterward, he stu­died with John Pad­don in Bos­ton, where, in 1839, he be­came mu­sic­al di­rect­or of a church run by a Dr. Chan­ning.

In 1841, he be­gan hold­ing what were termed mu­sic­al con­ven­tions, and soon af­ter he was ap­point­ed vice-pr­esi­dent of the Han­del and Haydn Society of Bos­ton, hold­ing the post six years.

From 1841–48, he was su­per­in­ten­dent of mu­sic­al in­struc­tion in the Bos­ton gram­mar schools (suc­ceed­ing Lo­well Ma­son). He sub­se­quent­ly bec­ame ed­it­or of the Bos­ton Mu­sic­al Jour­nal, and helped found the Bos­ton Mu­sic School in 1857.

Works

• The Bos­ton Mu­sic­al Edu­ca­tion So­ci­ety’s Col­lect­ion of Church Mu­sic, with Is­aac Wood­bu­ry, 1842
• Baker’s Church Mu­sic, 1855
• The Storm King, a can­ta­ta, 1856
• The Burn­ing Ship, a can­ta­ta, 1858
• Camillus, the Ro­man Con­quer­or, a can­ta­ta, 1865