Jonathan Battishill

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Jonathan Battishill (1738-1801) was one of the outstanding 18th century English composers of church music. He was the organist at St Clement Eastcheap in the City of London from 1765 until his death.

Until 1764 Battishill wrote chiefly for the theatre (incidental songs, pantomime music, and an opera in collaboration with Michael Arne, the son of Thomas Arne), but his later compositions are chiefly glees, part-songs and church music.

In 1763 he had married a singer at Covent Garden theatre where he was harpsichordist. She retired from her profession when she married; and her death in 1777 crushed him so badly that he never composed again.

In 1697 one Charles King held the appointment while Jonathan Battishill, later to become a "great" in church music, was one of his choristers.

[edit] References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.

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