Sarah Lancaster (composer)

Sarah “Sally” Lancaster (April 28, 1834 – April 13, 1918) was an American composer in the Sacred Harp tradition. Three of her songs were published: “The Last Words of Copernicus”, “I’m on My Journey Home”, and “Sardis”. Biography Lancaster was born in Talbot County, Georgia, April 28, 1834. Her parents were James Lupo Lancaster and Charity Lancaster, formerly of Edgecombe County, North Carolina. Through her father she was a descendant of the Italian Jewish musician Peter Lupo, who had emigrated to England and was active at the court of Elizabeth I. She had two sisters, Anna Lucinda Maria Atkinson Lancaster, known as “Ann”, and Priscilla R. Lancaster, known as “Sid”; all three were musical, and both others contributed hymns to editions of the Sacred Harp. All three were students of Benjamin Franklin White and J. P. Reese, the latter of whom assisted them in their compositions. Sarah studied in Hamilton, Georgia, likely at the Hamilton Female Institute, where she expressed an interest in music and took piano lessons. It appears that she boarded with White’s family during this time in her life; she also developed the habit of sending original compositions to friends and family along w