Thomas Vaughan (1782 – 9 January 1843) was an English singer. A

tenor A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The lo ...

, he sang in prominent concerts of the day.

Life

Vaughan was born in

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...

in 1782, and was a chorister of the cathedral under

John Christmas Beckwith John Christmas Beckwith (25 December 1759 – 3 June 1809) was an English organist and composer. Life Beckwith was born in Norwich on 25 December 1759, son of Edward Beckwith (1734–1793). His father and uncle were lay clerks at Norwich Cathedra ...

. His father died while Vaughan, still very young, was preparing to enter the musical profession, which he was enabled to do under the advice and patronage of Canon Charles Smith. In June 1799 Vaughan was elected lay-clerk of

St George's Chapel, Windsor St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in England is a castle chapel built in the late-medieval Perpendicular Gothic style. It is both a Royal Peculiar (a church under the direct jurisdiction of the monarch) and the Chapel of the Order of the Gart ...

, where he attracted the notice of

George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...

. In May 1803 he was admitted a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal, and about the same time became vicar-choral of

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...

and lay vicar of

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

. In 1811 he joined

Charles Knyvett 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 wif ...

in establishing vocal subscription concerts, in opposition to 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 ...

; but on the death of

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 ...

in 1812 the two enterprises were merged, and Vaughan became principal tenor soloist at all the prominent concerts and festivals. He sang at the

Three Choirs Festival 200px, Worcester cathedral 200px, Gloucester cathedral The Three Choirs Festival is a music festival held annually at the end of July, rotating among the cathedrals of the Three Counties (Hereford, Gloucester and Worcester) and originally featu ...

s from 1805 to 1836, and took part in the British première of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in 1825. For twenty-five years the public recognised in him the typical faultless singer of the English school, perfected by the study of

oratorio An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is mus ...

music. Vaughan died at a friend's house near Birmingham, on 9 January 1843, and was buried on 17 January in the west cloister of Westminster Abbey. A small tablet was erected for him in the Abbey; it reads: "Thomas Vaughan. For 40 years member of this Choir and Her Majesty's Chapel. Obit. January 9th 1843 aged 63.""Thomas Vaughan"
Westminster Abbey. Retrieved 24 March 2019.

Personal life

He married in 1806 Miss Tennant, a soprano singer well known from 1797 in oratorio performances. After about ten years of married life they separated, and Mrs Vaughan was heard, as Mrs Tennant, at

Drury Lane Theatre The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Drur ...

References

Attribution * {{DEFAULTSORT:Vaughan, Thomas 1782 births 1843 deaths Musicians from Norwich English tenors Gentlemen of the Chapel Royal 19th-century British male singers Burials at Westminster Abbey