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Barnabas Gunn (c. 1680 – 6 February 1753) was an 
Gunn's compositions included
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ (music), organ. An organist may play organ repertoire, solo organ works, play with an musical ensemble, ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumentalist, instrumental ...
and composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and Defi ...
.
Gunn's date and place of birth are unknown, but he was appointed organist of the newly built St Philip's Church (now St Philip's Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of Saint Philip is the Church of England cathedral and the seat of the Bishop of Birmingham. Built as a parish church in the Baroque style by Thomas Archer, it was consecrated in 1715. Located on Colmore Row in central Birmi ...
) in Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
in 1715. He spent nine years as the organist of Gloucester Cathedral
Gloucester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Peter and the Holy and Indivisible Trinity, in Gloucester, England, stands in the north of the city near the River Severn. It originated with the establishment of a minster dedicated to S ...
from 1730, returning to Birmingham as organist of both St Philip's and St Martin in the Bull Ring
St Martin in the Bull Ring is a Church of England parish church in the city of Birmingham, West Midlands, England. It is the original parish church of Birmingham and stands between the Bull Ring Shopping Centre and the markets.
The church is ...
in 1740, remaining there until his death.
Gunn's compositions included cantata
A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir.
The meaning of ...
s, song
A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetitio ...
s, psalm
The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...
s and instrumental music for strings
String or strings may refer to:
*String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
.
In 1751 a thinly veiled attack appeared in an anonymous pamphlet (attributed to William Hayes) entitled "''The Art of Composing Music by a Method Entirely New ... Suited to the Meanest Capacity''", suggesting that Gunn composed using a ''Spruzzarino'' - a fictional device that squirted random dots of ink onto manuscript paper. Gunn responded in good humour by naming a 1752 publication of his music "''12 English Songs, by the newly invented method of composing with the Spruzzarino''".
Gunn's compositions were in fact highly successful - his 1742 "''2 Cantatas and 6 Songs''" had 464 subscribers, including the composer George Frideric Handel
George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque music, Baroque composer well known for his opera#Baroque era, operas, oratorios, anthems, concerto grosso, concerti grossi, ...
.
Gunn promoted concerts at Birmingham's Moor Street Theatre
The Moor Street Theatre was the first regular Theater (structure), theatre – as distinct from earlier booths and converted barns for strolling players – to be established in Birmingham, England. Located in a back yard between Moor Street and Pa ...
from 1740, and from 1748 until his death in 1753 also organised regular concerts between early May and mid-August in Duddeston Gardens, Aston
Aston is an area of inner Birmingham, England. Located immediately to the north-east of Central Birmingham, Aston constitutes a ward within the metropolitan authority. It is approximately 1.5 miles from Birmingham City Centre.
History
Aston wa ...
, featuring artists from as far away as London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
and Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. These are the earliest recorded organised classical music concerts in Birmingham's history and featured repertoire including Handel, Gunn himself and fellow local composer John Alcock.
Printed works
*''Two Cantatas and Six Songs'' (Gloucester, 1736) *''Sun, Moon and Stars, Praise the Lord - a lyric poem by I.Watts'' (Birmingham, 1742) *''Six Solos for Violin, Cello and Harpsicord'' (Birmingham, 1745) *''Twelve English Songs... by the New-invented method of composing with the spruzzarino (London, c.1750) *'' Six Setts of Lessons for the Harpsicord'' (London, n.d. but probably 1750)References
Bibliography
* Article "Barnabas Gunn", in ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd edition'', ed. Stanley Sadie. 29 vols. London, Macmillan Publishers Ltd., 2001. *J. Sutcliffe Smith, ''The Story of Music in Birmingham'', Cornish, 1945External links
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gunn, Barnabas 1680 births 1753 deaths English composers English classical organists British male organists Cathedral organists People from Birmingham, West Midlands Male classical organists