Introduction

Biography

William was the son of Or­son Per­kins and Han­nah Rust, and bro­ther of Hen­ry Per­kins and ope­ra sing­er Ju­li­us Ed­son Perk­ins.

He at­tend­ed the Kim­ball Un­ion Aca­de­my in Me­ri­den, New Hamp­shire, then stu­died mu­sic in Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts; Lon­don (with J. Q. We­the­rbee); and Mi­lan, It­aly (with Giu­sep­pe Pe­ri­ni).

Settling in Bos­ton, he found­ed a mu­sic aca­de­my and pub­lished a num­ber of hym­nals. He lived in Bos­ton 1857–84, then moved to New York Ci­ty.

Hamilton College award­ed him an hon­or­ary doc­tor­ate of mu­sic de­gree in 1879.

Works

• Choral Har­mo­ny, 1859
• Nightingale, 1860
• Union Star Glee Book, 1861
• Atlantic Glee Book, 1861
• Tabernacle, 1862
• The Gold­en Ro­bin, 1863
• Sabbath School Trum­pet, 1864
• Church Bell, 1867
• Starry Crown of Sun­day School Me­lo­dies (New York: Will­iam A. Pond, 1869)
• Dominion Song­ster, 1870
• Laurel Wreath, 1870
• Chorister, 1870
• Mocking Bird, 1871
• Orphean, 1871
• Church Wel­come, 1872
• Seminary Al­bum, 1873
• Perkins’ Ant­hem Book, 1874
• The Shin­ing Ri­ver, with Hen­ry Perk­ins (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Ol­iv­er Dit­son, 1875)
• Zion, 1875
• Perkins’ Sing­ing School, 1875
• Whippoorwill, 1876
• Male Voic­es Glee Book, 1876
• American Glee Book, 1877
• Herald, 1877
• Requiem, 1878
• Crystal Fount­ain, 1878
• Singers’ Class Book, 1878
• The Tree of Life (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: G. D. Rus­sell, 1878)
• The Tem­ple, 1879
• The An­them Harp, 1880
• Vocal Ech­oes, 1881
• Choral Choir, 1882
• The Peer­less, 1882