[Compendium of Glees and Madrigals including:] A Collection of Four Glees, Composed at Blenheim, 1799; The Celebrated Glee Sung at Harrison & Knyvett's Vocal Concerts; A Collection of Six Glees. The Sylvans, Urchins, Elves, & Fairies' Dance; Slow Men of London, 'Oh, Nanny! wilt thou gang with me',

Callcott (J.W., composer & compiler), Samuel Harrison and Richard Webb (composers)

Published by Birchall; Preston; Longmand & Broderip Clementi. -1804, 1799

printed music, 2 or 3 staves per page, predominantly 3-part a-capella (one madrigal for 6 voices 'Padre del Ciel' by Callcott), various paper stock, with only two leaves showing signs of spotting ('Harold the Valiant'), contents list in manuscript to pastedown and front endpaper, several glees with vertical advertisement catalogue on final leaf verso, pp. [322, each title with separate pagination], oblong folio, contemporary half calf, marbled boards, spine gilt-ruled, edges worn, boards with abrasions, good. John Wall Callcott, Oxford University alumnus and organist at St. Paul's, Covent Garden, and the Asylum for Female Orphans in Lambeth, was the undisputed king of the glee form in the late 18th century. His domination of the popular Catch Club competitions led to a limitation on the number of entries per composer, but even within this stricture, he won all the prizes in 1789 (one of the prize-winning glees included here), and in 1792, 'This gained a Prize Medal' (also included). Chalcott sets lyrics by the more famous poets of the day, including Southey and Ossian, the lesser known, such as John Rannie, comic songs, 'Aldiborontiphoscophornio', 'The Erl King's Daughter', 'Green Thorn of the Hill of Ghosts', to name but a few. Samuel Harrison, renowned tenor, particularly at the Concerts of Antient Music and the Three Choirs Festival, and member of the Noblemen and Gentlemen's Catch Club, supplies one 4-part glee, which he has signed on the title-page; while Richard Webb, 'of Magd. Coll., Oxford' contributes a group of 4 Glees, including 'On a Bee Stifled in Honey'. Seller Inventory # 74366

Bibliographic Details

Title: [Compendium of Glees and Madrigals including...
Publisher: Birchall; Preston; Longmand & Broderip Clementi. -1804
Publication Date: 1799