Ephrata's Women Composers
Ephrata, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
During the 1740s, in the quiet religious community of Ephrata Cloister; Sister Föben (Christiana Lassie), Sister Ketura (Catherine Hagaman), and Sister Hanna (Hannah Lichty) were composing intricate hymn melodies and text to be sung during this congregation's worship services.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
In the 1740s, within the austere religious community of Ephrata Cloister, a remarkable group of women composed original hymns for their congregation's worship. Sister Föben, Sister Ketura, and Sister Hanna wrote both intricate melodies and sacred texts at a time when few women anywhere were credited as composers. Their music was woven into the daily devotional life of one of colonial America's most distinctive spiritual settlements.
Why it matters
These cloistered women rank among the earliest known female composers in America, an astonishing achievement in an era that rarely recorded women's creative work.
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Related people
- · Sister Föben (Christiana Lassie)
- · Sister Ketura (Catherine Hagaman)
- · Sister Hanna (Hannah Lichty)
Themes & tags
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