Thomas Busby (composer)
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Thomas Busby | |
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Born | |
Died | |
Nationality | English |
Occupation | Composer |
Thomas Busby (26 December 1755 – 28 May 1838)[1] was an English composer.
Early life
Busby was the son of a coach-painter. He was born at Westminster, London, in December 1755. His father was musical, and sang himself; when his son developed a fine treble voice, he decided to bring him up as a musician. Benjamin Cooke, the organist of Westminster Abbey, turned down young Busby (at age 12-13) as too old for a chorister; he was placed under Samuel Champness for singing, and Charles Knyvett for the harpsichord. Subsequently he studied under Jonathan Battishill.[2]
In the summer of 1769 Busby was engaged to sing at Vauxhall Gardens at a salary of ten guineas a week. On his voice breaking, he was articled to Battishill for three years, and worked on both his musical and his general education. On the expiration of his training he returned to his father's house, and set himself to earn his living by music and literature.[2]
Early works
His first venture was the composition of music to a play by
Marriage and later years
In July 1786 he married Priscilla Angier, daughter of Charles Angier of Earl's Court, Kensington.[1] Together they had seven children, including George Frederic, architect Charles Augustin, and Julian (also a composer and musician). After his marriage Busby lived in Poland Street, where he was sought after as a teacher of Latin, French, and music. A few years later he moved to Battersea. In 1798 he was elected organist of St Mary Woolnoth.[2]
In the spring of 1799, his early oratorio was produced by
In June 1801, Busby obtained the degree of Mus. Doc. at Cambridge, for which purpose he entered at
Final years
In his latter years Busby lived with a married daughter at Queen's Row, Pentonville, where he died, aged 84, on Monday, 28 May 1838. According to an obituary notice of him. he was eccentric and held "loose notions on religious subjects".[2] George Borrow is said to have portrayed Busby as the editor of the "Universal Review" in his novel Lavengro (1851).[4]
Publications
In 1786 Busby and Samuel Arnold brought out a Musical Dictionary. Busby went on to issue a serial entitled The Divine Harmonist, consisting of 12 folio numbers of music, partly selected and partly original. In this work are included some fragments of his oratorio The Creation. The Divine Harmonist was followed by Melodia Britannica, which was to be a collection of English music, but the work was unsuccessful, and was never completed. About the same time Busby completed a translation of Lucretius into rhymed verse. Around 1800 he brought out A New and Complete Musical Dictionary, and started the first musical periodical in England, The Monthly Musical Journal, of which four numbers were produced.[2]
His translation of
References
- ^ doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/4158. (Subscription or UK public library membershiprequired.)
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Squire 1886.
- ^ "Busby, Thomas (BSBY800T)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
- ^ M.C. Rintoul: Dictionary of Real People and Places in Fiction (2014)
- Attribution
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Squire, William Barclay (1886). "Busby, Thomas". In Stephen, Leslie (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 8. London: Smith, Elder & Co. p. 31-32. ; Endnotes:
- Public Characters for 1802-3, 371
- Concert-room Anecdotes, i. 93
- Musical World for 1838, 80
- Genest's Hist. of the Stage, vii.
- Times, 30 May 1838
- British Museum Catalogue
- Graduati Cantab. 1760-1856.