Charles Knyvett (11 February 1752 – 19 January 1822)
was an English singer and organist. He established in 1791 in London the Vocal Concerts, a series of subscription concerts.
Life
He was born in Westminster, son of Charles Knyvett and his wife Jane née Jordan; he was descended from the family of Knyvet or Knyvett of
Fundenhall, Norfolk. He was educated at
Westminster School
(God Gives the Increase)
, established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560
, type = Public school Independent day and boarding school
, religion = Church of England
, head_label = Hea ...
, and was a chorister at Westminster Abbey, under
Benjamin Cooke
Benjamin Cooke (1734 – 14 September 1793) was an English composer, organist and teacher.
Cooke was born in London and named after his father, also Benjamin Cooke (1695/1705 – 1743), a music publisher based in Covent Garden (active from 1 ...
.
He was appointed in 1770 joint organist, with
William Smethergell
William Smethergell (6 January 1751 - before March 1836) was an English composer and musician who lived and worked in London. Christened in the church of St Peter le Poer, after an apprenticeship of seven years (with the organist and composer Thom ...
, of
All Hallows-by-the-Tower
All Hallows-by-the-Tower, at one time dedicated jointly to All Hallows (All Saints) and the Virgin Mary and sometimes known as All Hallows Barking, is an ancient Anglican church on Byward Street in the City of London, overlooking the Tower of ...
.
Possessing a fine alto voice, he was one of the chief singers at the
Handel Commemoration
The Handel festival or "Commemoration" took place in Westminster Abbey between 26 May and 5 June 1784, to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the death of George Frideric Handel in 1759.
The commemoration was organized by John Montagu, ...
of 1784, and he was appointed
Gentleman of the Chapel Royal in 1786.
In 1789, in partnership with
Samuel Harrison
Samuel Bealey Harrison (March 4, 1802 – July 23, 1867) was Joint Premier of the Province of Canada for Canada East from 1841 to 1842 with William Henry Draper PM for Canada West. Draper was a member of the Family Compact and Harrison was ...
, he directed a series of oratorio performances at
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 ...
. In 1791, again in partnership with Harrison, and with the additional assistance of his brother William, he established at
Willis's Rooms
Almack's was the name of a number of establishments and social clubs in London between the 18th and 20th centuries. Two of the social clubs would go on to fame as Brooks's and Boodle's. Almack's most famous establishment was based in assembly roo ...
the
Vocal Concerts
The "Vocal Concerts" were subscription concerts in London, given from 1792 to 1794 and from 1801 to 1821. Leading singers of the day performed at the concerts.
History Establishment
The Vocal Concerts were established by Charles Knyvett and Samue ...
, which were successfully carried on for three years. He was appointed in 1796 organist of the
Chapel Royal
The Chapel Royal is an establishment in the Royal Household serving the spiritual needs of the sovereign and the British Royal Family. Historically it was a body of priests and singers that travelled with the monarch. The term is now also applie ...
. In 1801, with the co-operation of his brother William, his son Charles,
Thomas Greatorex
Thomas Greatorex (5 October 1758 – 18 July 1831) was an English composer, astronomer and mathematician. As well as being organist of Westminster Abbey, he was a Fellow of the Royal Society.
Career
Born in Wingfield near Chesterfield, Derbyshi ...
and
James Bartleman
James Karl Bartleman (born 24 December 1939) is a former Canadian diplomat and author who served as the 27th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 2002 to 2007.
Bartleman grew up in the Muskoka town of Port Carling, and he is a member of the ...
, he revived the Vocal Concerts at the
Hanover Square Rooms
The Hanover Square Rooms or the Queen's Concert Rooms were assembly rooms established, principally for musical performances, on the corner of Hanover Square, London, by Sir John Gallini in partnership with Johann Christian Bach and Carl Friedric ...
, but in the following year he withdrew from the management. In 1808 he resigned his post of Gentleman of the Chapel Royal, and was succeeded by his son Charles.
Knyvett was a member of the
Royal Society of Musicians The Royal Society of Musicians of Great Britain is a charity in the United Kingdom that supports musicians. It is the oldest music-related charity in Great Britain, founded in 1738 as the ''Fund for Decay'd Musicians'' by a declaration of trust sign ...
from 1778. He was for many years secretary to the
Noblemen and Gentlemen's Catch Club
In music, a catch is a type of round or canon at the unison. That is, it is a musical composition in which two or more voices (usually at least three) repeatedly sing the same melody, beginning at different times. Generally catches have a secular ...
, whose meetings were held at the Thatched House Tavern, St James's Street, and he was a frequent visitor at the meetings of
the Madrigal Society. For one season he replaced
Joah Bates
Joah Bates ( – 8 June 1799) was an English musician.
Life
Joah Bates was baptized at the parish church in Halifax, West Yorkshire, Halifax on 8 March 1740 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S. (8 March 1741 Old Style and New Style dates, N.S.). ...
as conductor at the
Concerts of Antient Music
The Concerts of Antient Music, also known as the ''Ancient Concerts'' or ''The King's Concerts'', were an influential concert series put on annually in London from 1776 to 1848. The concerts consisted solely of music composed at least twenty year ...
.
On 16th January, 1779 he became a Freemason being initiated along with 5 other musicians in Somerset House Lodge No.2.
Knyvett died in Blandford Street,
Pall Mall, on 19 January 1822.
William Thomas Parke
William Thomas Parke (15 February 1761 – 26 August 1847) was an English oboist and composer. He played in notable concerts of the day; in retirement he published ''Musical Memoirs''.
Life
Parke began his musical studies in 1770 under his elder ...
, in ''Musical Memoirs'' (ii, 236) wrote that he considered Knyvett "one of the best singers of glees", and "perhaps the best catch singer in England".
Publications
He published in 1815 ''Six Airs harmonised for three and four voices''; and also edited, in 1800, ''A Collection of favourite Glees, Catches, and Rounds presented by the Candidates for the Premiums given by the Prince of Wales in the year 1800''.
Personal life
He married in 1772 Rose Alleway, and they had three sons: Charles (1773–1852), a musician, from 1802 organist of
St George's Hanover Square Church
St George's, Hanover Square, is an Anglican church, the parish church of Mayfair in the City of Westminster, central London, built in the early eighteenth century as part of a project to build fifty new churches around London (the Queen Ann ...
;
William
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
, a singer and composer; and Henry (1774–1843), who became an army officer.
References
Attribution
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knyvett, Charles
1752 births
1822 deaths
People educated at Westminster School, London
Gentlemen of the Chapel Royal
18th-century keyboardists
19th-century organists
18th-century British male singers
19th-century British male singers