John Clarke-Whitfeld (13 December 1770 – 22 February 1836) was an English

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

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 ...

Life

He was born John Clarke at

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...

, and educated at

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 ...

under Dr Philip Hayes. In 1789 he was appointed organist of the parish church at

Ludlow Ludlow ( ) is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire (district), Shropshire, England. It is located south of Shrewsbury and north of Hereford, on the A49 road (Great Britain), A49 road which bypasses the town. The town is near the conf ...

. Four years later he took the degree of Mus. Bac. at

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 ...

, and in 1795 he was chosen as organist of

Armagh Armagh ( ; , , " Macha's height") is a city and the county town of County Armagh, in Northern Ireland, as well as a civil parish. It is the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland – the seat of the Archbishops of Armagh, the Primates of All ...

cathedral, whence he removed in the same year to Dublin, with the appointments of organist and master of the children at St Patrick's Cathedral and Christchurch. Driven from Ireland by the rebellion of 1798, he accepted the post of organist at

Trinity The Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the Christian doctrine concerning the nature of God, which defines one God existing in three, , consubstantial divine persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit, thr ...

and St John's Colleges, Cambridge,. He took the degree of Mus. Doc. at Cambridge in 1799, and in 1810 proceeded to the same grade at Oxford. In 1814 he assumed the surname of Whitfeld, in addition to that of Clarke, in anticipation of an inheritance which failed to materialise. Press cutting - ''Bury & Norwich Post'' 1 June 1814 - ''Tuesdays Gazette: John Clarke, of Emanuel House, Cambridge, Dr. in music, only son and heir of John Clarke, late of Malmesbury, Wilts, Gent, by Amphillis his wife, (who was at length the only surviving child of Henry Fotherly Whitfeld, of Rickmansworth Park, deceased) has his Majesty's licence and authority to take and use the surname and arms of Whitfeld only.'' In 1820 he was elected organist and master of the choristers at Hereford Cathedral; and on the death of Dr Haig he was appointed Professor of Music at Cambridge. Three years afterwards he resigned these appointments in consequence of an attack of paralysis. He died at Hereford, on 22 February 1836 aged 65. Whitfeld's compositions were very numerous. Among the best of them are four volumes of anthems, the first three published in 1805, and the fourth soon after his appointment at Hereford Cathedral. He also composed a great number of songs, one of which--"Bird of the Wilderness," written to some well-known verses by

James Hogg James Hogg (1770 – 21 November 1835) was a Scottish poet, novelist and essayist who wrote in both Scots language, Scots and English. As a young man he worked as a shepherd and farmhand, and was largely self-educated through reading. He was a ...

, the "Ettrick Shepherd"—attained a high degree of popularity but the great work of his life was the publication, in a popular and eminently useful form, of the

oratorio An oratorio () is a musical composition with dramatic or narrative text for choir, soloists and orchestra or other ensemble. Similar to opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguisha ...

s of

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 ...

, which he was the first to present to the public with a complete

pianoforte A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an action mechanism where hammers strike strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a chromatic scale in equal temp ...

accompaniment.

Family

On 3 September 1789 John Clarke married Susannah Grainger (born 1768) in Worcester. Their son Henry John Whitfeld (1808–1855) became an alumnus of

Downing College, Cambridge Downing College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge and currently has around 950 students. Founded in 1800, it was the only college to be added to the university between 1596 and 1869, and is often described as the oldest of ...

and the vicar of Granborough,

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...

. Henry J. Whitfeld was the author of ''Scilly and its Legends'' (1852) and ''Rambles in Devonshire'' (1854).

Notes

References

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Whitfeld, John Clarke 1770 births 1836 deaths English classical organists English cathedral organists English classical composers Glee composers Alumni of the University of Oxford Alumni of the University of Cambridge Members of the University of Cambridge Faculty of Music English male classical composers Professors of Music (Cambridge) English male classical organists