James Hewitt was born in England and was the director of the court orchestra for King George III. In 1792, he emigrated to New York where he worked as a musician and jack-of-all-trades, including music printing. In 1812, he became organist of Trinity Church, Boston. This “grand military sonata” was originally composed for piano. Its eight sections give a flavor of an early July 4th celebration. The final movement is the patriotic song "Hail Columbia."