William Tans'ur

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William Tans'ur (or Tansur or Tanzer) (1700 – January 7, 1783) was an English hymn-writer, psalmodist and teacher of music. His output includes approximately a hundred hymn tunes and psalm settings and a Te Deum. His manual A New Musical Grammar (1746) was still popular in the nineteenth century.

[edit] Life

Tans'ur was born in Dunchurch, Warwickshire to Edward Tanzer, a labourer, and Joan Alibone. In 1730 he married Elizabeth Butler and moved to Ew­ell, near Epsom. They had at least two sons. He taught psalmody in various plac­es in the south-east of England, before moving to St. Ne­ots, where he worked as a bookseller and music teacher, and spent the last forty years of his life.

[edit] Works

  • A Compleat Melody, or The Harmony of Sion, 1734
  • The Melody of the Heart, 1737
  • Heaven on earth, or the Beauty of Holiness, 1738
  • Sacred Mirth, or the Pious Soul's Daily Delight, 1739
  • Poetical Meditations, 1740
  • The Universal Harmony, containing the Whole Book of Psalms, 1743
  • The Royal Melody Compleat, 1754–5 (8 editions, revised as The American Harmony, 1771)
  • The Psalm Singer's Jewel, or Useful Companion to the Book of Psalms, 1760
  • Melodia Sacra, or the Devout Psalmist's Musical Companion, 1771
  • The Elements of Music Displayed, 1772

[edit] External links

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