Son of farmer George G. Hall and Elizabeth Thomas Hall, Jacob attended singing schools taught by Timothy Funk when he was a boy. As his love of music progressed, he earned money by trapping quail and bought a German accordion; he soon learned to play one part while singing another. After he and his brother jointly purchased an organ, he taught himself to play hymn tunes, gospel songs, and anthems. He went on to study music theory, harmony, and composition in Harrisonburg and elsewhere, and in 1877 attended a Normal Music School in New Market, Virginia, taught by Benjamin Unseld and P. J. Merges. Afterwards, he partnered with H. T. Wartman for two years to conduct singing schools and conventions. In 1890, Hall attended Dana’s Musical Institute in Warren, Ohio, and a normal school run by George and F. W. Root at Silver Lake, New York. He later served as principal of the National Normal School of Music. Hall’s works include:

• Hall’s Songs of Home, 1885
• The Star of Bethlehem (Dayton, Virginia: Ruebush-Kieffer Company)
• Musical Million (assistant editor)
• Hall’s Quartettes for Men, 1912
• Biography of Gospel Song and Hymn Writers (New York: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1914)

Sources