William Croft

Life

Born: 1678

Died: 1727

Biography

The entry in Essential Cathedral Musick, Volume 2 (Dr. Boyce) reads:

William Croft, was also one of the Children of the King's Chapel, and became Organist to the Parish Church of St. Anne, Soho. He was in 1700 admitted a Gentleman Extraordinary of the Chapel Royal, and in 1704, he was appointed Joint-Organist of the said Chapel. On the Demise of Jeremiah Clark in 1707, he obtained the whole Place of Organist; and in 1708, he succeeded Dr. John Blow as Master of the Children, and Composer to the Chapel Royal; also as Organist to the Collegiate Church of St. Peter, Westminster. He took his Degree of Doctor in Music at Oxford, in 1713, and in 1715, King George the First granted him an Addition of Eighty Pounds to his yearly Salary, in consideration of his teaching the Children to play the Organ, and Compose Music. In 1724, he published Two Volumes of Anthems in Score, of his own Composition, which he dedicated to his Royal Master.

He was buried in the North Isle of Westminster-Abbey, where a Monument is erected to his Memory, on which is inscribed as follows:

Near to this Place was interred William Croft, Doctor of Music, Organist of the Chapel Royal, and this Collegiate Church. He happily derived his Harmony from that excellent [sc. Blow] Artist of Modulation, on one side of whom he now lies: He made a diligent Progress in those celebrated Works, which he consecrated to God in great Abundance, and charmingly recommended them, not only by the Solemnity of his Airs, but also by a sweetness of Conception, Manners, and even Aspect. Having been conversant in transitory things, for almost fifty Years, with the utmost Candour, (conspicuous for no other Office of Humanity in a greater Measure, than a Friendship and a truly paternal Love for all the Pupils that he educated) on the 14th of August he passed to the Choir of the Blest, in order to add his own Hallelujah to the Music of Angels.

Awake up my Glory;

Awake Lute and Harp;

I myself will awake right early.

View the Wikipedia article on William Croft.

List of choral works

• For works at CPDL sorted alphabetically by title, see William Croft compositions

L E G E N D

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• Burial Service     (   Sibelius 2 )
• Blessed are all they
• Give the king thy judgments     (   Sibelius 2 )
• God is gone up with a merry noise     (   Sibelius 5 )
• Hear my prayer (SSAATTBB)
• Hear my prayer (SATB)
• I cryed unto the Lord
• I will alway give thanks
• I will sing unto the Lord
• Laudate Dominum     (   Sibelius 5 )
• Lord, thou hast searched me out
• Lord, what love have I
• O be joyfull in God
• O give thanks
• O Lord God of my salvation (SSAATB)
• O Lord God of my salvation (ATB)
• O Lord, grant the King
• O Lord, I will praise thee
• O Lord, rebuke me not
• O praise the Lord (ATBB)
• O praise the Lord, all ye heathen
• Out of the deep
• Praise the Lord, O my soul
• Put me not to rebuke     (   Sibelius 5 )
• Rejoyce in the Lord
• Signore Gesu   ( )
• Sing praises
• Sing unto God
• Sing unto the Lord
• The Earth is the Lord's
• The heav'ns declare
• The Lord is King
• The Lord is my strength and my song
• This is the day
• Thou, O God, art praised
• Turn thee, O Lord     (   Sibelius 2 )
• We wait for thy loving kindness
• We will rejoyce in thy salvation

Hymns

• How hast thou, Lord, from year to year   (   )
• O God, our help in ages past     (2 editions available)
• O worship the King   ( )

Click here to search for this composer on CPDL

Publications

• Musica Sacra, Vol 1 (William Croft) (1724)

External links

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