BLOW, DR JOHN

BLOW, DR JOHN, a famous musician and composer, was born in 1648 at North Collingham in the

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county of Nottingham; and was one of the first set of children after the Restoration, being bred up under Captain Henry Cook. He was also a pupil of Hingeston, organist to Oliver Cromwell, and after that of Dr Christopher Gibbons. On the 16th day of March, 1673, he was sworn one of the gentlemen of the chapel in the room of Roger Hill; and in July 1674, upon the decease of Mr Pelham Humphrey, was appointed master of the children of the chapel. In 1685, he was made one of his majesty's private music; and in 1687, was appointed almoner and master of the choristers of the cathedral church of St Paul. Blow was not a graduate of either university; but Archbishop Sancroft, in virtue of his own authority in that respect, conferred on him the degree of doctor in music. Upon the decease of Purcell in 1695, he became organist of Westminster abbey. In the year 1699, he was appointed composer to his majesty, with a salary. Blow was a composer of anthems while a chapel-boy, and on the score of his merit, was distinguished by Charles II. The king admired very much a little duet of Carissimi to the words 'Dite o Cicli,' and asked of Blow if he could imitate it. Blow modestly answered he would try; and composed in the same measure, and the same key of D with a minor third, that fine song, 'Go perjured man.' The Orpheus Britannicus of Purcell had been published by his widow soon after his decease; and contained in it some of that author's finest songs: the favourable reception it met with was a motive with Blow to the publication in the year 1700, of a work of the same kind, entitled Amphion Anglicus, containing compositions for one, two, three, and four voices with accompaniments of instrumental music, and a thorough bass figured for the organ, harpsichord, or theorbo. To this book are prefixed commendatory verses by sundry persons; and among them an ode, in the second stanza of which are the following lines:

' His Gloria Patri long ago reach'd Rome,
' Sung and rever'd too in St Peter's dome;
' A canon will outlive her jubilees to come.'

The canon here meant is that fine one to which the Gloria Patri in Dr Blow's gamut service is set. Dr Blow set to music an ode for St Cecilia's day, in 1684, the words by Mr Oldham, published together with one of Purcell on the same occasion performed the preceding year. He also composed and published a collection of lessons for the harpsichord or spinet, and an ode on the death of Purcell, written by Mr Dryden. There are also extant of his composition sundry hymns printed in the Harmonia Sacra, and a great number of catches in the latter editions of the Musical Companion. This great musician died in the year 1708, and lies buried in the north aisle of Westminster-abbey. On his monument is the canon above mentioned, engraven on a book with an inscription above it.