Richard John Samuel Stevens (27 March 1757 – 23 September 1837) was an English

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

and

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ (music), organ. An organist may play organ repertoire, solo organ works, play with an musical ensemble, ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumentalist, instrumental ...

. He composed some highly regarded English glees, and wrote a number of volumes of recollections, diaries and other literary material that provides valuable background on the musical life of late 18th century and early 19th century England. He bridges the gap between old Handel annd Queen Victoria.Charles Cudworth. 'R. J. S. Stevens: The Memories and Music of an English Pre-Romantic', in ''The Musical Times'', November 1962 and December 1962

Biography

Stevens was born at Little Bell Alley, just off

Coleman Street Coleman Street is one of the Wards of the City of London, 25 ancient wards of the City of London, England, and lies on the City's northern boundary with the London Borough of Islington. The ward, which includes land lying on either side of the ...

in London, and was apprenticed to William Savage, Master of the Boys at

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Paul the Apostle, is an Anglican cathedral in London, England, the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London in the Church of Engl ...

until his voice broke in 1773. He took up various organ and technig jobs until his first official appointment, as organist of St Michael's Cornhill in May 1781. In 1786 he succeeded John Stanley as organist at

Temple Church The Temple Church, a royal peculiar in the Church of England, is a church in the Inner Temple, Inner and Middle Temple, Middle Temple, London, Temples located between Fleet Street and the River Thames, built by the Knights Templar for their En ...

, and in 1796 succeeded John Jones as organist of Charterhouse. Many of these positions were held simultaneously. In 1801, he was appointed Gresham Professor of Music. In 1808 he received yet another appointment, as music master at

Christ's Hospital Christ's Hospital is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Private schools in the United Kingdom, fee-charging boarding school for pupils aged 11–18) with a royal charter, located to the south of Horsham in West Sussex. T ...

. Besides being valuable in themselves, these appointments helped him to attract the wealthy pupils on whom his living substantially depended. In 1810 Stevens married Anna Jeffery, after a long courtship; in 1811 they had a son, Richard George, who entered

Gray's Inn The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and Wale ...

in 1834. He embarked on the life of a gentleman of leisure, made possible by a substantial bequest from one of his father’s friends in 1817. He died, aged 80, at his wife's old home at Peckham, and was buried in the cloisters at London Charterhouse. Stevens's chief claim to attention is as a composer of glees. He was not prolific, considering the length of his life; the bulk of his composing was done between 1780 and 1800. Stevens was more careful than many contemporaries in his choice of texts, and devoted special attention to

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

. Of his 15 Shakespearean glees, composed between 1782 and 1807, five are among his best-known pieces: "Ye spotted snakes" (1782, rev. 1791), "Sigh no more, ladies" (1787), "Crabbed age and youth" (1790), "Blow, blow, thou winter wind" (1793) and "The cloud-cap't towers"(1795). Among Stevens’s compositions that did not outlive him were some anthems, including several for Christ's Hospital; three keyboard sonatas; an opera entitled ''Emma''; and a few songs and hymn tunes. Stevens was a professional member of the Anacreontic Society and it is through his journal accounts that we know that

John Stafford Smith John Stafford Smith (bapt. 30 March 175021 September 1836) was an English composer, church organist, and early musicologist. He was one of the first serious collectors of manuscripts of works by Johann Sebastian Bach and a friend of his son Jo ...

wrote their club song "The Anacreontic Song", which, considerably altered and with new words, is now the national anthem of the USA, "

The Star-Spangled Banner "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written by American lawyer Francis Scott Key on September 14, 1814, after he witnessed the bombardment of Fort ...

". His writings are housed in the Pendlebury Library of Music, Cambridge, and his manuscripts in the nearby

Fitzwilliam Museum The Fitzwilliam Museum is the art and antiquities University museum, museum of the University of Cambridge. It is located on Trumpington Street opposite Fitzwilliam Street in central Cambridge. It was founded in 1816 under the will of Richard ...

, bequeathed by Professor J B Trend, a descendant of the family.J. B. Trend. 'R. J. S. Stevens (1757-1837) and His Contemporaries', in ''Music & Letters'', Vol. 14, No. 2 (April 1933), pp. 128-137

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External links

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Recollections of R. J. S. Stevens: An Organist in Georgian London
English classical composers English organists English male organists 1757 births 1837 deaths English opera composers English male opera composers Glee composers {{UK-composer-stub

Biography

See also

Notes

External links