degree of Doctor in Musick was conferred on him by the University of Cambridge in 1696. On the present occasion he supplied the sacred musick of the day; for in the third volume of Tudway's Musical Collections in the Museum, we find-" An Anthem, with symphonies for violins

tered, are exhibited as a single song in Purcell's ORPHEUS BRITANNICUS :-" Strike the viol, touch the lute," &c. so that Purcell must either have lent his aid on that occasion, or set the same words to musick at a subsequent period. In like manner we find in the ORPHEUS BRITANNICUS" Here the Deities approve," &c. as a single song, though it makes part of the first Ode for St. Cecilia's day, composed by Purcell, and performed in 1683.

It appears to have been a common practice to select certain songs out of the Entertainments which had been performed in honour of St. Cecilia. Thus, in the SPECTATOR, No. 59, May 8, 1711, we find the following Advertisement:

"At the desire of several persons of quality, for the benefit of Mess. Cuthbert, Lovelace, and White, at Stationers' Hall near Ludgate, to-morrow, being the 9th of May, will be performed a Consort of Vocal and Instrumental Musick, by the best performers. Particularly several select entertainments of the following English Operas; viz. The Indian Queen, King Arthur, the Fairy Queen, and Dioclesian; the Masque in Timon of Athens, the Pastoral in the Libertine, with several Songs out of the St. Cecilia's Musick: all composed by that great master, the late Mr. Henry Purcell."

William Turner was one of the second set of Chapel Children after the Restoration, and was a disciple of Dr. Blow. He died in 1740, at the great age of eighty-eight. 2 MSS. Harl. 7337-7343.

and trumpets," composed by this gentleman, "for St. Cecilia's day, 1697." As Purcell in 1683, and perhaps in 1694 also, furnished not only a preludial Hymn and his celebrated TE DEUM and JUBILATE, but the secular musick required in those years, I thought it probable that Dr. Turner, in 1697, was employed in setting the Ode which made the principal entertainment of that year, as well as the sacred song which preceded it. But this was not the fact: for, after a tedious inquiry, I discovered that the musick of ALEXANDER'S FEAST was composed by Jeremiah Clarke, one of the

3

"The King shall rejoice. Psalm ye 21th. ver. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 13th. An Anthem, with symphonies, &c.composed by Dr. William Turner, one of the Gent. of his Majesty's King Charles the 2d's Chapell, and of the Choirs of St. Paul's and Westminster. For the solemnity of St. Cecilia's day, 1697." Tudway's Coll. vol. iii. p. 245

272.

In Doctor Brady's Dedication of his Sermon to the Stewards of St. Cecilia's Feast in 1697, he speaks of this anthem as an “admirable performance, which by a management peculiar to them, laboured under no inconveniences of disorder or confusion."

4 The original composer of this celebrated Ode was discovered by the following advertisement in the London Gazette, No. 3346, Monday, December 6, 1697:

"The Song composed by Mr. JEREMIAH CLARKE, and sung on St. Cecilia's day, will be performed on Thursday next, at Mr. Hickford's Dancing-school in Panton-street, or in James-street over against the Tenniscourt, just by the Blue Posts, there being a door out of

Stewards of the festival of that year; whose history and unhappy end is thus related by Dr. Burney: Jeremiah Clarke had his education in the Chapel Royal, under Dr. Blow, who seems to have had a paternal affection for him. In 1693 he

each street to the room; and for the benefit of the said Mr. Clarke and Mr. Le Riche, late Stewards of the said Feast. The inusick begins at 8."

ALEXANDER'S FEAST was again announced for performance, by the same humble appellation in the following week (London Gazette, No. 3348, Monday, Dec. 13):

"The Song which was sung on St. Cecilia's day, will be performed in York-Buildings, on Thursday next, the 16th instant, with an addition of a new Pastoral on the Peace, composed by Mr. Jeremiah Clarke, and for the benefit of Mr. Le Riche only. The musick begins

at 8."

It seems to have been a common practice to perform the Ode for St. Cecilia's day at the Musick-room in York-Buildings, after the original performance at Stationers' Hall. Thus in the London Gazette, No. 2939, Thursday, Jan. 11, 1693-4, I find,-" In York-Buildings, on Monday next, will be performed the last St. Cecilia's song; beginning at the usual hour." Again in No. 2945, Feb. 1, 1693-4: "At the Consort in York-Buildings, on Monday next the 5th instant, will be performed Mr. Finger's St. Cecilia's Song, intermixt with variety of other new musick; at the ordinary rates." In a former advertisement it is called the last St. Cecilia's Song. So also, in No. 3458, January 2, 1698-9: "On Wednesday next will be performed in York-Buildings, Mr. Daniel Purcell's Musick, made for last St. Cecilia's Feast; for the benefit of Mr. Howell and Mr. Shore; with an addition of new vocal

are/

resigned in his favour the place of Master of the Children and Almoner of St. Paul's, of which cathedral Clarke was soon after likewise appointed Organist. In 1700, Dr. Blow and his pupil were appointed Gentlemen Extraordinary in the King's Chapel; of which in 1704, on the death of Mr. Francis Piggot, they were jointly admitted to the place of Organist.

and instrumental musick; beginning at 7 at night.". Again, No. 3556, Monday, December 11, 1699: "On Wednesday next, the 13th instant, will be performed at York-Buildings, a Consort of Musick, with the last St. Cecilia's Song; for the benefit of Ma. Pate [a singer] and Mr. [Daniel] Purcell; beginning exactly at 8 at night."

In some instances a St. Cecilia's Ode made a part of the entertainment of the Concert in York-Buildings, though not of the most recent date. See the London Gazette, No. 2943, Thursday, January 25, 1693-4: "At the Consort-room in York-Buildings, on this present Thursday, at the usual hour, will be performed Mr. Purcell's Song for St. Cecilia's day in the year 1692, together with some other compositions of his, both vocal and instrumental; for the entertainment of his Highness, Prince Lewes of Baden."

Again, in No. 3390, Monday, May 9, 1698:

"On Tuesday next, the 10th instant, will be performed in York-Buildings, an Entertainment of Vocal and Instrumental Musick, being St. Cecilia's Song composed by Dr. Blow, and several other new songs; for the benefit of Mr. Bowman and Mr. Snow."-Dr. Blow's Song, here mentioned, must have been either that composed in 1684 or 1691, unless he also composed the song in 1695.

"The compositions of Clarke are not numerous, as an untimely and melancholy end was put to his existence, before his genius had been allowed time to expand.

"Early in life, he was so unfortunate as to conceive a violent and hopeless passion for a very beautiful lady of a rank far superior to his own; and his sufferings, under these circumstances, became at length so intolerable, that he resolved to terminate them by suicide. The late Mr. Samuel Wiely, one of the lay-vicars of St. Paul's, who was very intimate with him, related the following extraordinary story, which he had from his unfortunate friend himself. 6 Being at the house of a friend in the country, he found himself so miserable, that he suddenly determined to return to London his friend, observing in his behaviour great marks of dejection, furnished him with a horse, and a servant to attend him. In his way to town, a fit of melancholy and despair having seized him, he alighted, and, giving his horse to the servant, went into a field, in the corner of which there was a pond surrounded with trees, which pointed out to his choice two ways of getting rid of life but not being more inclined to one than the other, he left it to the determination of chance; and taking a piece of money out of his pocket and tossing it in the air, determined to abide by its decision; but the money falling on its edge in the clay, seemed to prohibit both these means of de