Robert William Keith (1787–1846) was an English musical composer and writer.

Life

Born at

Stepney Stepney is a district in the East End of London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The district is no longer officially defined, and is usually used to refer to a relatively small area. However, for much of its history the place name appl ...

on 20 March 1787, he was the son of Cornelius Keith, organist of St. Peter's, Cornhill, and of the Danish Chapel in Wellclose Street, and the grandson of William Keith, organist of West Ham Church (d. 1800). From the latter Keith learnt the rudiments of music, and from François Hippolyte Barthélémon and others the violin, harmony, and composition. Keith kept at 131

Cheapside Cheapside is a street in the City of London, the historic and modern financial centre of London, which forms part of the A40 London to Fishguard road. It links St. Martin's Le Grand with Poultry. Near its eastern end at Bank junction, where ...

a musical and musical instrument warehouse, and prepared many of his own publications. He died on 19 June 1846.

Works

While organist and composer to the

New Jerusalem Church The New Church (or Swedenborgianism) is any of several historically related Christian denominations that developed as a new religious group, influenced by the writings of scientist and mystic Emanuel Swedenborg (1688–1772). Swedenborgian or ...

in Friars Street, Keith published ''A Selection of Sacred Melodies … to which is prefixed Instructions for the use of Young Organists …'', London, 1816. There followed ''A Musical Vade Mecum, being a compendious Introduction to the whole art of Music; Part I, containing the Principles of Notation, etc., in an easy categorical form, apprehensible to the meanest capacity'', London, 1820 (?); ''Part II, Elements of Musical Composition''. Keith compiled instruction-books for pianoforte, flute, and Spanish guitar (by "Paulus Prucilli"), and a violin preceptor, which went through many editions. Some of Keith's sacred music was published by

Muzio Clementi Muzio Filippo Vincenzo Francesco Saverio Clementi (23 January 1752 – 10 March 1832) was an Italian composer, virtuoso pianist, pedagogue, conductor, music publisher, editor, and piano manufacturer, who was mostly active in England. Encourag ...

. He set to music elegiac verses ''Britannia, Mourn'', on the death of the Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales, 1817; arranged the overture and airs from ''

Der Freischütz ' ( J. 277, Op. 77 ''The Marksman'' or ''The Freeshooter'') is a German opera with spoken dialogue in three acts by Carl Maria von Weber with a libretto by Friedrich Kind, based on a story by Johann August Apel and Friedrich Laun from their 181 ...

'' as duet for two violins, c. 1830; and edited ''Favourite Airs with Variations, for the Violin''.

Notes

Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Keith, Robert William 1787 births 1846 deaths English organists British male organists English composers 19th-century English musicians 19th-century British male musicians 19th-century organists