James Heseltine (also spelled Hesletine; c. 1690 – 20 June 1763) was organist of

Durham Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham, commonly known as Durham Cathedral and home of the Shrine of St Cuthbert, is a cathedral in the city of Durham, County Durham, England. It is the seat of t ...

Life

Heseltine was a pupil of John Blow at 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 London, leaving the chapel choir when his voice broke in 1707. Early in the century he was organist at

St Katharine's by the Tower The Royal Foundation of St Katherine is a religious charity based in the East End of London. The Foundation traces its origins back to the medieval church and monastic hospital St Katharine's by the Tower (full name ''Royal Hospital and Collegiat ...

, in London. In January 1711 he was elected organist of

, retaining his London appointment. He composed anthems and other works, but because of a misunderstanding between him and the dean and chapter of the cathedral, he destroyed a large part of them. However six were published in ''A Collection of Anthems'' (1749). In 1730 Heseltine married Frances, daughter of George Wheler, canon of Durham. He remained as organist of the cathedral until his death in 1763. He was buried in the Galilee chapel of the cathedral. His pupil Thomas Ebdon succeeded him as organist. His wife predeceased him, and there were no children; his property was claimed by a nephew and niece in America.

References

External links

"Mr. James Heseltine (oil on canvas)"
at

Bridgeman Art Library The Bridgeman Art Library, based in London, Paris, New York and Berlin, provides one of the largest archives for reproductions of works of art in the world. Founded in 1972 by Harriet Bridgeman, the Bridgeman Art Library cooperates with many a ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heseltine, James 1690 births 1763 deaths 18th-century keyboardists English classical organists 18th-century classical composers 18th-century British male musicians Musicians from County Durham English male classical organists Cathedral organists