Charles John Frederick Lampe (1739 – 10 September 1767) was an English

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 ...

and organist, and the son of composer John Frederick Lampe and the singer

Isabella Lampe Isabella Lampe (also Isabella Young) (December 1715, London – 5 January 1795, London) was an English operatic soprano and the wife of composer John Frederick Lampe. She sang primarily in works by her husband and was part of a well-known English ...

(maiden name of Young).

Biography

Charles Lampe was born in London, one year into his parents' marriage. His father was a successful composer of stage music and his mother was a celebrated

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

who often appeared in her husband's operas. Isabella was also a part of the well-known Young family of musicians. Charles was named after his grandfather,

Charles Young Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...

, who was a notable organist and composer. His great uncle, Anthony Young, was also a notable organist and composer. Charles's Aunt Cecilia (1712-1789), was one of the greatest English sopranos of the eighteenth century and the wife of composer Thomas Arne. His

Aunt Esther Esther Winfield Anderson, known and feared as Aunt Esther, is a fictional character from the television series ''Sanford and Son''. She was played by actress LaWanda Page, an acquaintance of series star Redd Foxx. Page was Foxx's first and only ...

was a well-known contralto and wife to Charles Jones, a successful music publisher in England during the eighteenth century. Three of his cousins,

Isabella Isabella may refer to: People and fictional characters * Isabella (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Isabella (surname), including a list of people Places United States * Isabella, Alabama, an unincorpora ...

, Elizabeth, and Polly Young were all successful singers, and his cousin

Michael Arne Michael Arne (c. 174014 January 1786) was an English composer, harpsichordist, organist, singer, and actor. He was the son of the composer Thomas Arne and the soprano Cecilia Young, a member of the famous Young family of musicians of the seventeen ...

was a successful composer.Olive Baldwin, Thelma Wilson: "Cecilia Young", ''Grove Music Online'' ed. L. Macy (Accessed January 12, 2009)
(subscription access)
/ref> In 1758 Charles succeeded his grandfather Charles as organist at All Hallows, Barking-by-the-Tower, a post which he held until his death in 1767. From 1760-1761 he played in the

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...

orchestra. In 1763 he married Ann Smith, a singer who sang regularly at the Marylebone Gardens. The couple lived in the

Drury Lane Drury Lane is a street on the eastern boundary of the Covent Garden area of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of Camden and the southern part in the City of Westminster. Notable landmarks ...

area from at least 1766, remaining there until Lampe's death in 1767 at the age of 28. As a composer Charles wrote mostly vocal songs for London's pleasure gardens and

catches Catch may refer to: In sports * Catch (game), children's game * Catch (baseball), a maneuver in baseball * Catch (cricket), a mode of dismissal in cricket * Catch or reception (gridiron football) * Catch, part of a rowing stroke In music * Cat ...

and glees.

Roger Fiske Roger Fiske (11 September 1910 – 22 July 1987) was a musicologist, broadcaster and author who played an important part in establishing music for schools at the BBC during and after World War II. Fiske was born in Surbiton. He studied English at ...

/Pamela McGairl: "Charles John Frederick Lampe", ''Grove Music Online'' ed. L. Macy (Accessed January 17, 2009)
(subscription access)
/ref>

Works

Charles's songs include the patriotic ''Britannia's Invitation to her Sons, to Partake of the Glory of the Intended Expedition'' (c. 1755), ''Damon & Delia or the Retreat'' (1759) and a collection, ''Six English Songs as Sung by Mr homasLowe & Mrs Lampe Junr at Mary-bone Gardens'' (1764); his music is light and appealing with much use of the Scotch snap. Lampe's only other published compositions are some catches included in ''The Catch Club or Merry Companions … Selected by C.I.F. Lampe'' (c. 1765) and in ''A Second Collection of Catches''.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lampe, Charles English composers 1739 births 1767 deaths Musicians from London Young musical family (England) English classical organists British male organists English people of German descent 18th-century composers 18th-century British male musicians 18th-century keyboardists Male classical organists