Isaac Watts
Isaac Watts (17 July 1674 – 25 November 1748) was an English Congregational minister, hymn writer, theologian, and logician. He was a prolific and popular hymn writer and is credited with some 750 hymns. His works include "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross", "Joy to the World", and "O God, Our Help in Ages Past". He is recognised as the "Godfather of English Hymnody"; many of his hymns remain in use today and have been translated into numerous languages. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Southampton (city and major port in Hampshire, South-East England, United Kingdom), Died November 25, 1748 (London (capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1911 - 1954
Roles Represented in DAHR: lyricist
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | B-10526 | 10-in. | 6/12/1911 | Joy to the world | Trinity Choir | Mixed vocal chorus, with orchestra | lyricist | |
| Victor | BVE-10526 | 10-in. | 10/1/1926 | Joy to the world! | Trinity Choir | Mixed vocal chorus, with orchestra | lyricist | |
| Victor | B-26289 | 10-in. | 4/6/1922 | Oh God, our help in ages past | Trinity Male Choir | Male vocal chorus, with brass quintet | lyricist | |
| Victor | B-28832 | 10-in. | 11/5/1923 | Be thou exalted, O God | Herman C. Taylor | Male vocal solo, with organ | lyricist | |
| Victor | BVE-32590 | 10-in. | 5/11/1925 | At the cross | Mark Love | Male vocal solo, with organ | lyricist | |
| Victor | BVE-32893 | 10-in. | 6/12/1925 | At the cross | Bernard Vessey | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
| Victor | BVE-49212 | 10-in. | 11/28/1928 | At the cross | Turney Brothers | Male vocal duet, with violin, cornet, and piano | lyricist | |
| Victor | BS-026903 | 10-in. | 9/8/1938 | Joy to the world | Lew White | Mixed vocal chorus, with violin, organ, and harp | lyricist | |
| Victor | E1FB-1107 | 10-in. | 2/9/1951 | Paz en la tierra | Los Ruiseñores | Vocal chorus, with percussion and organ | lyricist | |
| Victor | D5RC-1576 | 12-in. | 12/6/1945 | Christmas hymns, part 1 | RCA Victor Chorale ; Robert Shaw | Mixed vocal chorus, unaccompanied | lyricist | |
| Victor | D7VB-1592 | 10-in. | 8/27/1947 | Joy to the world! | Dick Leibert | Organ solo | lyricist | |
| Victor | D9RB-0252 | 10-in. | 3/3/1949 | O God, our help in ages past | RCA Victor Chorale ; Robert Shaw ; Carl Wenrich | Vocal chorus, with organ | lyricist | |
| Victor | D9VB-0721 | 10-in. | 8/20/1949 | The first Noel | Mitchell Boys Choir ; Bob Mitchell | Boys vocal chorus, with organ | lyricist | |
| Columbia | CO51494 | 10-in. | 5/8/1954 | Joy to the world | Chuck Wagon Gang | Mixed vocal quartet, with guitar | lyricist | |
| OKeh | W81573 | 10-in. | 10/25/1927 | Joy to the world! | Golden Hour Mixed Quartet | Mixed vocal quartet, with instrumental trio | lyricist | |
| OKeh | W402361 | 10-in. | 3/18/1929 | Edom | OKeh Atlanta Sacred Harp Singers | Mixed vocal ensemble, unaccompanied | lyricist | |
| OKeh | W402391 | 10-in. | 3/20/1929 | At the cross | The Irene Spain Family | Vocal trio, with viola and autoharp | lyricist | |
| OKeh | W404624 | 10-in. | 12/9/1930 | At the cross | Fiddlin' John Carson ; Virginia Reelers | Mixed vocal trio and male vocal solo, with fiddle (violin), banjo, and guitar | lyricist | |
| Brunswick | 4509-4511 | 10-in. | approximately November 1920 | Joy to the world | Collegiate Choir | Mixed vocal chorus, with orchestra | lyricist | |
| Brunswick | E25067-E25069 | 10-in. | 11/5/1927 | Joy to the world | Collegiate Choir | Mixed vocal chorus, with orchestra | lyricist | |
| Brunswick | E26997-E26998 | 10-in. | 3/15/1928 | When l can read my title clear | Maury Pearson | Male vocal solo, with violin and piano | lyricist | |
| Edison | 4960 | 10-in. | 8/30/1916 | Joy to the world | The Carol Singers | Mixed vocal chorus, with orchestra | lyricist | |
| Gramophone | BR868 | 10-in. | 11/24/1926 | Oh God, our help in ages past | E. Stanley Roper | Organ and chimes | lyricist | |
| Charm | X-CR-501-B | 10-in. | approximately 1948 | Joy to the world | Hour of Charm All-Girl Choir ; Hour of Charm All-Girl Orchestra ; Phil Spitalny | Female vocal group, with instrumental ensemble | lyricist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Watts, Isaac," accessed January 7, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102065.
Watts, Isaac. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 7, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102065.
"Watts, Isaac." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 7 January 2026.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Isaac Watts
Discogs: Isaac Watts
Allmusic: Isaac Watts
Grove: Isaac Watts
IMSLP: Isaac Watts
RILM: Isaac Watts
RISM: Isaac Watts
Britannica: Isaac Watts
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Watts, Isaac, 1674-1748 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n50043707
Wikidata: Isaac Watts - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q537034
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/17298403
MusicBrainz: Isaac Watts - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/3a8a190c-24ef-45df-abe8-735ceeb38855
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/15071 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/15071
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