William Carnaby (1772 – 7 November 1839) was an English organist and composer.

Life

Carnaby was born in London in 1772, and was educated in the Chapel Royal as a chorister under James Nares and

Edmund Ayrton Dr. Edmund Ayrton (1734 – 22 May 1808) was an English organist who was Master of the Children of the Chapel Royal. Early life Edmund Ayrton was born in Ripon and baptised on 19 November 1734. His father was Edward Ayrton (1698-1774), a 'bar ...

. He was subsequently organist at

Eye, Suffolk Eye () is a market town and civil parish in the north of the English county of Suffolk, about south of Diss, Norfolk, Diss, north of Ipswich and south-west of Norwich. The population in the 2011 Census of 2,154 was estimated to be 2,361 in 2 ...

and at

Huntingdon Huntingdon is a market town in the Huntingdonshire district in Cambridgeshire, England. The town was given its town charter by King John in 1205. It was the county town of the historic county of Huntingdonshire. Oliver Cromwell was born there ...

. In 1805 he took the degree of Mus. Doc. at Cambridge, where he entered at Trinity Hall. In July 1808 he proceeded Mus. Doc., on which occasion his exercise, described as "a grand musical piece," was performed at Great St Mary's on Sunday 7 July. Previous to this he had left Huntingdon and settled in London, where he lived at various times at Winchester Row and

Red Lion Square Red Lion Square is a small square in Holborn, London. The square was laid out in 1684 by Nicholas Barbon, taking its name from the Red Lion Inn. According to some sources, the bodies of three regicides—Oliver Cromwell, John Bradshaw and He ...

. In 1823 he was appointed organist of the newly opened

Hanover Chapel, Regent Street Hanover Chapel was a church in Regent Street, London. It was built in 1825, and was demolished in 1896. History The building was situated in Regent Street between Hanover Street and Prince's Street. It was designed by Charles Robert Cockerell; ...

, at a salary of £50 per annum, a post he occupied until his death on 7 November 1839.

Compositions

Carnaby wrote many songs: these include six songs dedicated to Lady Templetown; two books of songs dedicated to William Knyvett; six canzonets for two voices to words by

William Shenstone William Shenstone (18 November 171411 February 1763) was an English poet and one of the earliest practitioners of landscape gardening through the development of his estate, '' The Leasowes''. Biography Son of Thomas Shenstone and Anne Penn, ...

; and a collection of vocal music dedicated to Viscountess Mahon. He also composed piano pieces. William Henry Husk wrote that his compositions "have been characterised as scientific, but deficient in taste."

References

Attribution *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Carnaby, William 1772 births 1839 deaths 19th-century organists English classical organists 19th-century British composers