Eighteenth Century English Composers, Vol. XI

By Daniel Zimmermann

Included are the following composers: John Blow, Daniel Purcell, Johann Christoph Pepusch, Richard Leveridge, Jeremiah Clarke, William Croft, Francesco Xaverio Geminiani, William Babell, Maurice Greene, Joseph Gibbs, James Kent, Carlo Zuccari, John Travers, John Frederick Lampe, Giovanni Battista Pescetti, Charles Lampe, Michael Christian Festing, Thomas Chilcot, William Hayes, Philip Hayes, Charles Avison, Thomas Augustus Arne, Michael Arne, William Boyce, John Hebden, John Christopher Smith, Charles John Stanley, John Alcock, James Nares, Richard Mudge, William Walond, John Wainwright, Robert Wainwright, James Worgan, John Worgan, John Prynne Parkes Pixell, Henry Harington, John Valentine, Matthias Hawdon, Thomas Sanders Dupuis, Thomas Linley, Thomas Linley the Younger, Benjamin Cooke, John Bennet, Frederick William Herschel, Joseph Corfe, Samuel Webbe, Samuel Webbe the Younger, James Hook, William Shield, John Stafford Smith, William Smethergell, John Marsh, Johann Samuel Schröter, Henry Condell, Charles Henry Wilton, Stephen John Seymour Storace, John Addison, Thomas Attwood, Samuel Wesley, Charles Wesley Junior, William Howgill, Charles Hague, Thomas Haigh, Johann Baptist Cramer, Franz Cramer, Wilhelm Cramer, Charles Smart Evans, and John Charles Clifton, et alii.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Daniel Zimmermann
• Release date: Feb 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005984090

Daniel Zimmermann

Daniel Zimmermann was born in Merrill, Wisconsin, and grew up in Hustisford, Wisconsin. He was graduated as valedictorian from Northwestern College, Watertown, Wisconsin. His valedictory concerned the ancient philosopher Plotinus. Special honors were third place in an Eta Sigma Phi Greek composition contest and the Doctor Ott award.He was also graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. After serving as pastor for several years, he became a free lance writer. Because of the outstanding success of his Spanish poetry in Mexico, his biography was included in Who's Who in the Midwest. He is also a former member of American Mensa.He is married to Merian, nee Ecot. The couple is residing in the Philippines.Daniel Zimmermann is the author of short stories and poetry. He also writes non-fiction, especially on literature, history, Christianity, and botany.

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Eighteenth Century English Composers, Vol. XI

By Daniel Zimmermann

Copyright by Daniel Zimmermann

Chapter One

Composers Born in the Seventeenth Century

John Blow (1649-1708)

The first date given above is the date of Blow’s baptism. I do not distinguish between baptismal dates and birth dates. After all, the baptismal date is his spiritual birthday.

John Blow was a son of Henry and Katherine Blow. While yet a boy, he became a member of the Chapel Royal, a group of clerics, singers, and musicians that served the royal family.

In 1668 he began to serve as organist at Westminster Abbey. Henry Purcell, his student and friend, replaced him in 1679. However, when Purcell died in 1695, Blow apparently returned to his former position. At the same time, he became organist at St. Margaret’s, Westminster.

When James II became king in 1685, Blow became one of his private musicians. At the most, this work lasted until 1688, when James II was chased out of England during the Glorious Revolution that brought William and Mary to the throne.

During the course of his life, he enjoyed the following positions: gentleman of the Chapel Royal, Master of the Children of the Chapel Royal, choirmaster at St. Paul’s cathedral, and composer to the Chapel Royal.

In 1673 he married Elizabeth Braddock. They were blessed with five children.

He composed various types of music, including more than a dozen catches. A catch is a round, a sort of canon. Its perpetually repeating melody was sung by at least three unaccompanied male voices, each of which began to sing on the same pitch but at a different time.

He composed many songs. Interesting titles are Bless, mortals, bless the cheering light and Hear God’s almighty voice.

Equally numerous are his sacred anthems. Online is a beautiful work entitled God is our hope and strength.

Even more beautiful is his anthem I was glad (when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord).

Among his odes, An ode on the death of Mr. Henry Purcell is outstanding. It begins with a scene from nature. During the daytime, the lark and the linnet greet the spring with song; but as night approaches, they become silent, and Philomel begins to sing. In the same way, many composer were making music in England; but when Henry Purcell came, they fell silent. They all admired the matchless man and began to sing his fame.

After explaining how hell and heaven react to Purcell’s tuneful presence, the brethren of the lyre and tuneful voice (i.e., Purcell’s surviving colleagues) are urged to lament Purcell’s death. In contrast, they may rejoice in their own fate as they live secure and linger out their days.

I wonder why they may live secure. Perhaps it is because Purcell’s intimidating presence is gone and the other musicians may start warbling again.

Also online is his masque entitled Venus and Adonis. A masque involves instrumental music, dancing, singing, and a minimum of acting. In this particular masque, I would say that the instrumental music is its chief attraction.

Also online are several selection from his Amphion Anglicus, published in 1700. The title is interesting. In Greek mythology, when Amphion and Zethus built the wall of Thebes, Zethus had to carry the necessary stones by hand; but Amphion merely played the lyre and his stones glided into their proper location. By calling his work an English Amphion, he undoubtedly was implying that his music had similar powers.

Blow also wrote a few purely instrumental works. Online is his Chaconne a 4 in G major.

Daniel Purcell (c.1664-1717)

The famous Henry Purcell did not live to see the dawn of the eighteenth century, but Daniel lived until 1717.

Daniel Purcell was born in London. At the age of fourteen, he sang in the Chapel Royal.

He later moved to Oxford, where he served as organist in Magdalen College, one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford.

In 1695 he returned to London. Here he served as composer at Theatre Royal in Drury Lane. In 1713 he also became organist in St. Andrew’s Church in a London district called Holborn.

He composed a lot of music for dramatic works. One of them is online: The Judgment of Paris. Its text was written by William Congreve.

Also online is the overture to a dramatic work entitled Virtue in Danger.

He also composed music for Saint Cecilia’s Day. It might be online, but it is difficult to find, because Henry Purcell wrote on the same subject, and his composition appears whenever I try to find Daniel Purcell’s work.

He also wrote sacred music. Online is his Nunc Dimittis in e minor and Magnificat in e minor. The Anglican Church used these compositions in its Evensong service, a special evening service involving prayers, psalms, and canticles.

His online instrumental music includes his Sonate à deux flûtes, Recorder Sonata in d minorSarabande in F major, and several suites.

Johann Christoph Pepusch (1667-1752)