AVISON, CHARLES, an organist at Newcastle-on-Tyne, was a pupil of Gemantini, that able violinist, but dry and uninteresting composer. In 1752, Avison published An Essay on Musical Expression, in which he had the amazing folly to hold up his master as superior to Handel. It appears that this book was not written by himself, but by his friends Dr John Brown and William Mason. Dr William Hayes, Professor of Music at Oxford, published in 1753 Remarks on Avison's Essay, in which he severely criticised the latter, as well as Avison's musical compositions. Avison replied unsatisfactorily in a second edition of his Essay, in the same year. Avison's music has little merit; but he did a service to the art, by pointing out in his essay the excellence of B. Marcello's music to the psalms, and by proposing their republication in England with English words. Mr John Garth, organist at Durham, undertook to do this, and, aided by an extensive subscription, completed the work in eight volumes folio. Avison died at Newcastle in 1700. (O. F. G.)