Arthur Foote (1853-1937) was born in Salem, MA, the youngest of three. He began piano lessons at the age of 12 and shortly afterwards began to study theory. He was 17 years old when he enrolled at Harvard University with the intention of studying law, but took composition classes with John Knowles Paine; music eventually won him over and he  earned the Master of Arts degree in music, the first such degree awarded by an American university. His musical style was strongly influenced by the music of Beethoven, Brahms. and other German romantic composers. Foote taught keyboard and theory and was a lifelong church musician in Boston, serving as organist and choir director for a series of congregations, including 32 years at the First (Unitarian) Church.  He wrote solo songs, part songs, and anthems; pedagogical collections, several major works for chorus and orchestra; character pieces for piano; a serious and first-rate body of chamber works, and several important compositions for orchestra.  He was a skilled and productive musician, but was a modest man who refrained from self-promotion.