Thomas Norris (baptised 15 August 1741 – 5 September 1790) was an English musician, known as a singer and composer.

Life

The son of John Norris of

Mere, Wiltshire Mere is a small town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It lies at the extreme southwestern tip of Salisbury Plain, close to the borders of Somerset and Dorset. The parish includes the hamlets of Barrow Street, Burton, Charnage, Limpers Hil ...

, he was baptised there on 15 August 1741. He became a chorister in

Salisbury Cathedral Salisbury Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England. The cathedral is the mother church of the Diocese of Salisbury and is the seat of the Bishop of Salisbury. The buildi ...

under John Stephens. James Harris wrote a pastoral operetta to introduce Norris to the public. He then sang as a soprano at the Worcester and Hereford festivals of 1761–62, and at

Drury Lane Theatre The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Drur ...

in a ''

pasticcio In music, a ''pasticcio'' or ''pastiche'' is an opera or other musical work composed of works by different composers who may or may not have been working together, or an adaptation or localization of an existing work that is loose, unauthorized, o ...

'', ''The Spring''. In 1765 he was appointed organist of Christ Church and of

St John's College, Oxford St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded as a men's college in 1555, it has been coeducational since 1979.Communication from Michael Riordan, college archivist Its founder, Sir Thomas White, intended to pro ...

, and in the same year graduated Mus. Bac.; in 1771 he was admitted a lay clerk of

Magdalen College Magdalen College (, ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete. Today, it is the fourth wealthiest college, with a financial endowment of £332.1 million as of 2019 and one of the st ...

. He appeared as a tenor at the Gloucester festival in 1766, and sang at the

Three Choirs festival 200px, Worcester cathedral 200px, Gloucester cathedral The Three Choirs Festival is a music festival held annually at the end of July, rotating among the cathedrals of the Three Counties (Hereford, Gloucester and Worcester) and originally featu ...

s until 1788. He was one of the principal singers at the first Handel commemoration festival in 1784, and his success there led to engagements for

oratorio An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is mus ...

parts in London. Norris was a drinker. His last appearance was at the Birmingham festival of 1790; he died at Himley Hall, near

Stourbridge Stourbridge is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley in the West Midlands, England, situated on the River Stour. Historically in Worcestershire, it was the centre of British glass making during the Industrial Revolution. The 20 ...

, on 5 September that year.

Works

Norris's compositions included several anthems, one of which was printed. He wrote glees and other pieces, some of which are included in

Thomas Warren Thomas Warren ( fl. 1727–1767) was an English bookseller, printer, publisher and businessman. Warren was an influential figure in Birmingham at a time when it was a hotbed of creative activity, opening a bookshop in High Street, Birmingham aro ...

's ''Collections''. His instrumental works were six symphonies for strings, oboes, and horns.

Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Norris, Thomas 1741 births 1790 deaths English singers English composers People from Wiltshire 18th-century British composers 18th-century male musicians 18th-century English singers People from Mere, Wiltshire