A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Jacob, Benjamin
JACOB, Benjamin, born in London in 1778, was at a very early age taught the rudiments of music by his father, an amateur violinist. When 7 years old he received lessons in singing from Robert Willoughby, a well-known chorus-singer, and became a chorister at Portland Chapel. At 8 years of age he learned to play on the harpsichord, and afterwards studied that instrument and the organ under William Shrubsole, organist of Spa Fields Chapel, and Matthew Cooke, organist of St. George, Bloomsbury. At 10 years of age he became organist of Salem Chapel, Soho, and little more than a year afterwards was appointed organist of Carlisle Chapel, Kennington Lane. Towards the latter end of 1790 he removed to Bentinck Chapel, Lisson Green, where he remained until Dec. 1794, when the Rev. Rowland Hill invited him to assume the place of organist at Surrey Chapel. In 1796 he studied harmony under Dr. Arnold. In 1800 he conducted a series of oratorios, given under the direction of Bartleman in Cross Street, Hatton Garden. As he advanced in years he became more and more distinguished as one of the best organists of his time, and in 1808 began a series of performances at Surrey Chapel, of airs, choruses, and fugues played upon the organ alone, without any interspersion of vocal pieces. In that and the following year Samuel Wesley addressed to him, as to a kindred spirit, a remarkable series of letters on the works and genius of John Sebastian Bach. These letters were published in 1875 by Miss Eliza Wesley, the writer's daughter; the originals are now in the library of the Sacred Harmonic Society. In 1809 Jacob gave an organ performance at Surrey Chapel in conjunction with Wesley, the two playing alternately the fugues of Bach and Handel and other pieces. In 1811, 1812 and 1814 Jacob repeated the performances in conjunction with Dr. Crotch. As a consequence of his high reputation he was frequently engaged to open new organs and to act as judge on trials for vacant organists' seats.
In Nov. 1823 he quitted Surrey Chapel for the newly-erected church of St. John, Waterloo Road. This led to a dispute between him and the Rev. Rowland Hill, resulting in a paper war, in which the musician triumphed over the divine. The excitement of the controversy, however, proved too much for Jacob; he was attacked by disease, which developed into pulmonary consumption, and terminated his existence Aug. 24, 1829. His compositions were not numerous, consisting principally of psalm tunes and a few glees. The collection of tunes, with appropriate symphonies, set to a course of psalms, and published under the title of 'National Psalmody,' which he edited, is well known.