Introduction

Biography

Son of a Bap­tist preach­er, Per­kins came from a fa­mi­ly of 10 child­ren who sang and played va­ri­ous in­stru­ments. His mu­sic les­sons be­gan at age three.

During his fa­ther’s pas­tor­ate at Ham­il­ton, New York, choir re­hear­sals were oft­en held at the par­son­age; the lead­er would put the three year old on a small stool, on the ta­ble around which the choir was as­semb­led, giv­ing him a chance to see and hear.

Later, Per­kins would play the vio­lin­cel­lo in church, stand­ing on a stool to fin­ger the in­stru­ment.

In 1839, the fa­mi­ly moved to New York Ci­ty, where Theo­dore stu­died the pi­ano­for­te. By age 19, while work­ing as a clerk, he used all his spare time to stu­dy voice and pi­ano.

In 1851, he went to Ha­mil­ton, New York, to teach mu­sic at Ma­di­son Uni­ver­si­ty (later Col­gate Uni­ver­si­ty) and the Fe­male Sem­in­ary.

In 1854, Per­kins went to Port Jer­vis, New York, where he taught sing­ing school.

In 1855, he mar­ried Ma­ry Cas­key, who for years was his so­pra­no so­lo­ist in ma­ny ev­ents. Soon af­ter the mar­riage, they moved to Sa­lem, New Je­rsey.

In the sum­mer of 1856, he and his wife stu­died at the Nor­mal Aca­de­my of Mu­sic at North Read­ing, Mas­sa­chu­setts, un­der Lo­well Ma­son and George Root.

In 1859, Per­kins be­came co-prin­ci­pal, with Will­iam Brad­bu­ry, of the Nor­mal Aca­de­my of Mu­sic at Ge­ne­seo, New York.

He al­so worked in schools in North Pel­ham, On­tar­io, Ca­na­da, and in Tunk­han­nock and Mead­ville, Penn­syl­van­ia, and served as mu­sic­al di­rect­or in num­er­ous church­es in Brook­lyn, New York, and Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­vania.

He al­so taught voice cul­ture at Prince­ton and La­fay­ette Uni­ver­si­ties, the Un­ion Theo­lo­gic­al Sem­in­ary, and Cro­zer Se­mi­na­ry, Up­land, Penn­syl­van­ia.

Works

• The Ol­ive Branch, with T. J. Cook (New York: F. J. Hunt­ing­ton, 1860)
• Shining Star
• The Ever­green, with T. J. Cook (New York: F. J. Hunt­ing­ton, 1862)
• The New Shin­ing Star (New York: F. J. Hunt­ing­ton, 1864)
• Hallowed Songs, with Phil­ip Phill­ips & Sy­lves­ter Main (New York: Carl­ton & Por­ter, 1865)
• The Sun­day School Ban­ner (New York: Will­iam B. Brad­bu­ry, 1865)
• The Gold­en Pro­mise (New York: Brown & Pe­rkins, 1866)
• Sabbath Car­ols (New York: Brown & Per­kins, 1868)
• Songs for To­day, with Alf­red Tay­lor & Charles W. San­ders (New York: Big­low & Main, 1872)
• Cal­va­ry Songs, with Charles Ro­bin­son (Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: Am­eri­can Sun­day School Un­ion, 1875)
• Songs Tried and Proved, with Rus­sell H. Con­well (Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: A. J. Row­land, 1896)
• Coronation Songs, ed­it­ed by Dr. Deems
• Free Sun­day School Songs
• Glees and An­thems
• Gospel Tent Songs
• Hallowed Songs
• New Shin­ing Star
• Oriental
• Psalm King
• Psalms and Hymns and Spir­it­ual Songs (ed­it­ed by Charles Ro­bin­son)
• Sabbath An­thems
• Sabbath Car­ols
• The Ev­er­green
• The Mount Zi­on Col­lect­ion
• The Roy­al Stan­dard
• The Sac­red Lute
• The Safe-Guard Sing­er
• The Un­ion
• Physiological Voice Cul­ture, ed­it­ed by his son, Dr. T. Ed­ward Per­kins