CT’s HIDDEN TREASURE: Sawney FREEMAN
More than two centuries ago, Sawney Freeman, a Connecticut musician likely born into slavery, left behind a musical legacy that had been lost to time. Now, thanks to the efforts of dedicated historians, musicians, and St. John’s Episcopal Church in Essex, his compositions have been rediscovered and are being heard again for the first time in generations.
Parishioners at St. John’s uncovered a sobering chapter of their community’s history: probate records from the 1770s that mentioned an enslaved child named Sawn, or Sawney. Decades later, in 1790, a farmer placed a newspaper ad seeking a runaway enslaved man.
“As part of that ad, he said, ‘Sawney is a fiddler. And he took with him a fiddle,’” explained Jim Myslik, a member of St. John’s Episcopal Church.
After gaining his freedom, Sawney Freeman primarily worked as an agricultural laborer—but his story didn’t end there. In 1801, an ad in the Connecticut Journal revealed a remarkable achievement: Freeman had published The Musician’s Pocket Companion, cementing his place as one of the earliest known published Black composers in the United States.
Credit: Connecticut Journal in New Haven/Connecticut Public
This extraordinary revelation prompted parishioners at St. John’s to dig deeper–eventually uncovering an online database listing a manuscript attributed to Freeman, tucked away in the Watkinson Library at Trinity College in Hartford. It was there that the church parishioners found what appeared to be the only surviving record of Freeman’s compositions.
“It is all done by hand in a very clear dark ink,” he said. The words "by Sawney Freeman" or "by S.F." were written near many of the tunes, leaving little doubt about the author’s identity.
How Freeman’s manuscript ended up in this library remains a mystery, but one can only imagine the joy he would have felt knowing that, in a future where contributions like his are too often erased, his legacy endures.
Music Haven Students had the extraordinary opportunity to bring Freeman’s work to life during Unforgotten: Discovering the Music of Sawney Freeman, a panel discussion hosted by the Greater New Haven African American Historical Society. Presented in collaboration with the CMI Confronting Racism Group, the event delved into the often-overlooked history of enslavement in the local area. Moderated by Diane Orson—CMI member, special correspondent for CT Public, and NPR contributor—the discussion illuminated Freeman’s life and legacy. Orson, who also co-produced Connecticut Public Broadcasting’s Unforgotten: Connecticut’s Hidden History of Slavery, guided the conversation, providing historical insights into Freeman’s remarkable contributions and the enduring significance of his music.
On Saturday, February 1, 2025, Music Haven students will perform works by Sawney Freeman as part of The Haven String Quartet Chamber Series Concert: Music In Stillness.