William Selby
Born1738
London, England
Died1798 (aged 59)
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupation(s)church musician, composer
Instrument(s)organ
Years active1755–1798

William Selby (1738–1798[1]) was an English organist, harpsichordist, choirmaster and composer who emigrated to America.[2][3]

Early life

Born in England and baptised in London on 1 January 1739, Selby was the third known son of Joseph and Mary Selby.[4]: 12  Beginning at the age of 17, he held several positions in London as organist including at St Sepulchre-without-Newgate (1760-1770) and also at the now demolished All Hallows, Bread Street (1756-73).[5][6] He was also organist to the Magdalen Hospital (1766–9).[7] Selby published both sacred and secular music between 1665 and 1670, most notably the nine psalm and hymn settings included in A Second Collection of Psalms and Hymns Used at the Magdalen Chapel (c 1770), which also included works by Thomas Arne.[3] His hunting song The Chace of the Hare was often reprinted.[7]

American career

Selby emigrated to Boston, Massachusetts in October 1773 at the age of 35.[4] (He was following in the footsteps of his brother John, also an organist, who emigrated in 1771).[7] In 1774, Selby became the organist at Trinity Church in Newport, Rhode Island. Three years later, Selby became organist at King's Chapel in Boston where he organized the first colonial music festival.[8]

Selby's surviving works include two voluntaries and one Fugue for the organ, a lesson in C for the harpsichord, and an anthem for Thanksgiving Day. His Boston compositions included a Jubilate and three anthems, including Behold, he is my salvation, composed for the rededication of Old South Church, Boston.[7] The patriotic choral ode To Columbia’s Favourite Son, was performed at the Stone Chapel in 1786, in the presence of President Washington.[7]

Over his career he published nine psalms and hymns for solo voice, eight choral works (both religious and secular), six songs, nine solo pieces for guitar and three for keyboard.[9] In addition to his musical endeavors, he managed a grocery and liquor shop.[10]

References

  1. ^ "American Composer Timeline". Vox Novus.
  2. ^ Flood, W. H. Grattan (1 August 1924). "New Light on Late Tudor Composers: I. William Selby". The Musical Times. 65 (978). Musical Times Publications Ltd.: 703–704. doi:10.2307/912257. JSTOR 912257.[dead link]
  3. ^ a b McKay, D. (1971). "William Selby, Musical Emigre in Colonial Boston". The Musical Quarterly. LVII (4): 609–627. doi:10.1093/mq/LVII.4.609. Retrieved 21 July 2009.
  4. ^ a b Temperley, Nicholas (2003). Bound for America: Three British Composers. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0-252-02847-3.
  5. ^ Sounds of the Square Mile: Music from the Churches of the City of London, a film and concert by Thomas Allery, 2023
  6. ^ Donavan Dawe. Organists of the City of London, 1666–1850 (Padstow, 1983)
  7. ^ a b c d e Temperley, Nicholas. 'Selby, William (ii)' in Grove Music Online (2001)
  8. ^ Biggs, E. Power, ed. (1955). A Treasury of Shorter Organ Classics. Bryn Mawr, PA: Merrymount Music Press. p. 1.
  9. ^ Nicolas Slonimsky. Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, 7th. ed. (1984)
  10. ^ Lindstrom, Carl E. (1939). "William Billings and His Times". The Musical Quarterly. 25 (4): 479–497. doi:10.1093/mq/XXV.4.479. ISSN 0027-4631. JSTOR 738861.
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