Thomas Welsh (c. 1780 - 24 or 31 January 1848) 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

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

tic

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

. Welsh spent most of his life 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 is now particularly remembered for his light-hearted stage works.Opera Glass
/ref>

Life

The son of John Welsh, by his wife, a daughter of

Thomas Linley the elder Thomas Linley (17 January 1733 – 19 November 1795) was an English bass and musician active in Bath, Somerset. Born in Badminton, Gloucestershire, Linley began his musical career after he moved to Bath at age 11 and became apprentice to the or ...

, he was born at

Wells, Somerset Wells () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Somerset, located on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills, south-east of Weston-super-Mare, south-west of Bath, Somerset, Bath a ...

. He became a chorister in

Wells Cathedral Wells Cathedral, formally the , is a Church of England cathedral in Wells, Somerset, England. It is the seat of the bishop of Bath and Wells and the mother church of the diocese of Bath and Wells. There are daily Church of England services in ...

, where his singing notice;

Richard Brinsley Sheridan Richard Brinsley Butler Sheridan (30 October 17517 July 1816) was an Anglo-Irish playwright, writer and Whig politician who sat in the British House of Commons from 1780 to 1812, representing the constituencies of Stafford, Westminster and I ...

heard of him, and induced Linley to engage him for

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 ...

performances at the

Haymarket Theatre The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre in Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in ...

, London, in 1796. Engagements followed for the stage, in course of which he sang in many operas, some of which, such as Thomas Attwood's ''Prisoner'', were written specially to exhibit his powers. He was also brought into notice as an actor, mainly through the influence of Kemble. Meanwhile he was completing a musical education under Karl Friedrich Horn,

Johann Baptist Cramer Johann (sometimes John) Baptist Cramer (24 February 1771 – 16 April 1858) was an English pianist, composer and music publisher of German origin, born in the Holy Roman Empire. He was the son of Wilhelm Cramer, a famous London violinist and con ...

, and Baumgarten. He produced two farces at the Lyceum Theatre, and an opera, ''Kamskatka'', at Covent Garden, and ultimately settled down to his main work, as a teacher of singing. He had great success with his pupils, among whom were Charles Edward Horn, Catherine Stephens, Jane Shirreff, and Mary Anne Wilson, who became his wife, and sang in many important concerts. He died at

Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...

on 24 January 1848. In addition to dramatic pieces, he wrote some sonatas for piano (1819), songs, part-songs, glees and duets, and a ‘Vocal Instructor,’ London

825 __NOTOC__ Year 825 (Roman numerals, DCCCXXV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. Events By place India * A group of Persio-Assyrian adherents of the Church of the East, under the leadership of two Persian bis ...

Stage works

* ''Twenty Years Ago!'' ('musical play', 21 July 1810,

, Lyceum Theatre) * ''The Green-eyed Monster'' (or ''How to Get Your Money'') ('operatic farce', 14 October 1811, London, Lyceum Theatre) * ''Kamtchatka'' (or ''The Slave's Tribute'') ('musical play', 16 October 1811, London, Covent Garden) * ''Up to Town'' ('comic opera', 6 November 1811, London,

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 ...

) (collaborative composition with William Reeve, Condell, Whitaker) * ''For England, Ho!'' ('melodramatic opera', 15 December 1813, London, Covent Garden) (collaborative composition with Henry Bishop) * ''Is He Jealous?'' ('operetta', 2 July 1816, London, Lyceum Theatre)

References

;Attribution English opera composers English male opera composers English classical composers 1848 deaths Year of birth uncertain English opera singers English basses Operatic basses {{UK-composer-stub