William Horsley (18 November 177412 June 1858) was an English composer, organist and teacher.

Career

In 1790, Horsley became the pupil of the pianist and composer Theodore Smith (c. 1740–1810), who taught him sufficiently well to obtain the position of organist at Ely Chapel, Holborn, in 1794. He resigned this post in 1798 to become the organist at the Asylum for Female Orphans as well as the assistant to John Wall Callcott, with whom he had long been on terms of personal and artistic intimacy, and whose eldest daughter, Elizabeth Hutchins Callcott, he married. Callcott encouraged his interest in vocal music. In 1802 he became his friend's successor upon the latter's resignation. Besides holding this appointment he became the organist of Belgrave Chapel, Halkin Street, in 1812 and of

London Charterhouse The London Charterhouse is a historic complex of buildings in Clerkenwell, London, dating to the 14th century. It occupies land to the north of Charterhouse Square, and lies within the London Borough of Islington. It was originally built (and ...

in 1838. Horsley spent time studying in Germany, where he met Moritz Hauptmann and

Robert Schumann Robert Schumann (; ; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and music critic of the early Romantic music, Romantic era. He composed in all the main musical genres of the time, writing for solo piano, voice and piano, chamber ...

, and he first met

Felix Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic music, Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions inc ...

on his visit to London in 1829 and remained friends with him. Horsley was one of the founders of the Philharmonic Society of London, which became the

Royal Philharmonic Society The Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) is a British music society, formed in 1813. Its original purpose was to promote performances of instrumental music in London. Many composers and performers have taken part in its concerts. It is now a memb ...

Music

His compositions were numerous, and include amongst other instrumental pieces three symphonies for full orchestra (now lost). There are five surviving piano sonatas, composed between 1812 and 1817, of which Nicholas Temperley and Leanne Langley particularly highlight No. 2 of 1814.Nicholas Temperley and Leanne Langley. 'Horsley, William', in ''Grove Music Online'' (2001) More important are his glees, of which he published five books (1801–1807) besides contributing many detached glees and part songs to various collections. His glees include "By Celia's Arbour," "O, Nightingale," and "Now the storm begins to lower". His ballads, particularly ''Gentle Lyre'' and ''The Sailor’s Adieu'' enjoyed popularity in his lifetime. Two of his hymn tunes, 'Belgrave' (1819) and 'Horsley' (1844), the latter (usually set to There is a green hill far away), are still in use today.

Family

The Horsley family were friendly with Mendelssohn and, according to L T C Rolt, were the first to hear his music for ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...

'', played by him on the piano at their home at No 1 High Row (now 128 Church Street) in Kensington. In 1833, while on a visit to London, Mendelssohn "enjoyed flirting with two of Horsley's daughters, Fanny and Sophie". Their letters from that period are full of references to him, and were published in 1934. Rosamund Brunel Gotch (ed.): ''Mendelssohn and his Friends in Kensington: Letters from Fanny and Sophie Horsley Written 1833-36'' (Oxford, 1934) Fanny was an artist who died young, Sophie an accomplished pianist. Horsley's eldest daughter Mary Elizabeth (born 1813) married the engineer

Isambard Kingdom Brunel Isambard Kingdom Brunel ( ; 9 April 1806 – 15 September 1859) was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who is considered "one of the most ingenious and prolific figures in engineering history", "one of the 19th-century engi ...

.Anthony Burton. ''The Brunels: Father and Son'' (2022)
/ref> His son Charles Edward also enjoyed a certain reputation as a musician. Another son John Callcott was a painter, who is reputed to have designed the first Christmas card in 1843.

References

External links

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Papers of the Horsley family, 18th–20th cent.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Horsley, William 1774 births 1858 deaths English Classical-period composers Glee composers Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery English Romantic composers English male classical composers Family of William Horsley