“The Unparallelled Musical Clock, made by that great Master of Machinery, David Lockwood. It excels all others in the Beauty of its Structure and plays the choicest Airs from the most celebrated Operas with the greatest Nicety and Exactness. It performs with beautiful graces, ingeniously and variously intermixed, the French Horn, Pieces, perform’d upon the Organ, German and Common Flute, Flageolet, etc., Sonata’s, Concerto’s, Marches, Minuetts, Jiggs and Scots Airs, composed by Corelli, Alberoni, Mr. Händel and other great and eminent Masters of Musick.” It was not until Mr. Palma’s concert however, that there seems to have been any music for which the public could buy tickets. This pioneer effort was followed by others. The “Subscription Concerts of Musick” became fashionable in 1764; and later the fortnightly “City Concerts” under John Bentley at the City Tavern. The Amateur and Professional Concerts were a popular series. Groups of men fostered music as the years passed. Francis Hopkinson and his friends both professional and amateur assembled regularly to play “Concerti Grossi.” This group of about twelve musicians probably formed Philadelphia’s first Orchestra. The first real musical impetus came undoubtedly from Francis Hopkinson, signer of the Declaration of Independence and later member of Congress. He was besides, a teacher, organist, poet, harpsichordist, essayist, improver of the harpsichord and the first American composer. Among his works are the song, “My Days have been so wondrous free,” the earliest American secular composition extant; and “Seven Songs” dedicated to Washington. John Adams described him as:—“One of your pretty, little curious, ingenious men. His head is not bigger than a large apple. I have not met with anything in natural history more amusing and entertaining than his personal appearance, yet he is genteel and well bred, and is very social.”[4] [4] Sonneck: “Francis Hopkinson and James Lyon.” Other composers were not lacking as is seen by the announcement of John Gualdo, in 1769, of a concert in which five out of thirteen numbers were composed by him. This is the first recorded composers’ concert in this country and his name appeared with those of the famous composers of Europe of the day, as Philadelphia was never far behind. Benjamin Franklin interested himself in the art and constructed an improved Armonica or Musical Glasses. Thus two important public men of the time gave music their sanction and assisted its cause. As the city grew the people began to feel the need of instruction in music. From early times Philadelphia had its share of music teachers, the first one to publicly advertise, being a woman. Among them were a number of excellent Englishmen who presented at concerts the works of the great masters of Europe; and there were a few Germans. One of these was an accomplished person if the following announcement which appeared in 1755, be true: