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Benjamin Cooke (1734 – 14 September 1793) was an Benjamin and Robert Cooke
Westminster Abbey. Retrieved 21 May 2017. He was succeeded at the Abbey by Samuel Arnold, while his son Robert Cooke (1768–1814) was appointed organist of
Benjamin Cooke (1734 – 14 September 1793) was an English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Culture, language and peoples
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
* ''English'', an Amish ter ...
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 ...
, 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 ...
and teacher
A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching.
''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...
.
Cooke was born in London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
and named after his father, also Benjamin Cooke
Benjamin Cooke (1734 – 14 September 1793) was an United Kingdom, English composer, organist and teacher.
Cooke was born in London and named after his father, also Benjamin Cooke (publisher), Benjamin Cooke (1695/1705 – 1743), a music publ ...
(1695/1705 – 1743), a music publisher based in Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist sit ...
(active from 1726 to 1743), whose production included a seminal edition of the collected works of Arcangelo Corelli
Arcangelo Corelli (, also , ; ; 17 February 1653 – 8 January 1713) was an List of Italian composers, Italian composer and violinist of the middle Baroque music, Baroque era. His music was key in the development of the modern genres of Sonata a ...
in study scores comprising all five books of sonatas and the twelve ''concerti grossi''.
From the age of nine, Benjamin Cooke the younger was one of four boy sopranos who sang at performances of the Academy of Ancient Music
The Academy of Ancient Music (AAM) is a British period-instrument orchestra based in Cambridge, England. Founded by harpsichordist Christopher Hogwood in 1973, it was named after an 18th-century organisation of the same name (originally the A ...
under the Academy's director Johann Christoph Pepusch
Johann Christoph Pepusch (; 1667 1752), also known as John Christopher Pepusch () and Dr Pepusch, was a German-born composer who spent most of his working life in England. He was born in Berlin, son of a vicar, and was married to Margherita de ...
(1667–1752), who supervised the boys' education. In due course Cooke became the Academy's librarian, and at the death of Pepusch assumed the leadership of the Academy.
In later life he received doctoral degrees in music from both Oxford
Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town.
The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
and Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
Universities. Like his father before him, he became a member of the Royal Society of Musicians
The Royal Society of Musicians of Great Britain is a Charitable organization, charity in the United Kingdom that supports musicians. It is the oldest music-related charity in Great Britain, founded in 1738 as the ''Fund for Decay'd Musicians'' by a ...
(from 1760).
He was also the organist at Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London, England. Since 1066, it has been the location of the coronations of 40 English and British m ...
and master of the Abbey's choristers for over thirty years, as well as being the organist at the church of St Martins in the Fields. He coached Abbey choristers who sang in the premiere performance of Harriet Wainwright's opera ''Comala'' in 1792. His ''Christmas Ode'', written in a Handel
George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concerti.
Born in Halle, Germany, H ...
ian style, is one of his relatively few large-scale pieces to have been successfully revived in the modern era. He wrote glees such as ''In the Merry Month of May'', ''Deh! Dove?'', ''How Sleep the Brave'', ''Hark! the Lark'', and ''In vino veritas
is a Latin phrase that means , suggesting a person under the influence of alcohol is more likely to speak their hidden thoughts and desires. The phrase is sometimes continued as, , . Similar phrases exist across cultures and languages.
The ex ...
''. He also composed a variety of church music
Church music is a genre of Christian music written for performance in church, or any musical setting of ecclesiastical liturgy, or music set to words expressing propositions of a sacred nature, such as a hymn.
History
Early Christian musi ...
and organ music
The organ repertoire is considered to be the largest and oldest repertory of all musical instruments. Because of the organ's (or pipe organ's) prominence in worship in Western Europe from the Middle Ages on, a significant portion of organ reper ...
. Many of his musical autographs are now owned by the Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music (RCM) is a conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the undergraduate to the doctoral level in all aspects of Western Music including pe ...
.
Cooke died on 14 September 1793, probably of a heart attack, and was buried in the west cloister of Westminster Abbey.Westminster Abbey. Retrieved 21 May 2017. He was succeeded at the Abbey by Samuel Arnold, while his son Robert Cooke (1768–1814) was appointed organist of
St Martin in the Fields
St Martin-in-the-Fields is a Church of England parish church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. Dedicated to Saint Martin of Tours, there has been a church on the site since at least the medieval pe ...
. Robert Cooke eventually succeeded Arnold at the Abbey.
References
External links
* *Further reading
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cooke, Benjamin 1734 births 1793 deaths Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge English Classical-period composers Glee composers English classical organists Burials at Westminster Abbey 18th-century English classical composers 18th-century English male musicians 18th-century English keyboardists English male classical composers English male classical organists Freemasons of the Premier Grand Lodge of England Members of the Academy of Ancient Music Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey