William Hutchins Callcott (1807 – 5 August 1882) was an English organist, composer and arranger of music.

Life

Callcott, born in Kensington in 1807, was a younger son of the musician

John Wall Callcott John Wall Callcott (20 November 1766 – 15 May 1821) was an eminent English composer. Callcott was born in Kensington, London. He was a pupil of Haydn, and is celebrated mainly for his glee compositions and catches. In the best known of his ...

, and nephew of the painter

Augustus Wall Callcott Sir Augustus Wall Callcott (20 February 177925 November 1844) was an English landscape painter. Life and work Callcott was born at Kensington Gravel Pits, a village on the western edge of London, in the area now known as Notting Hill Gate. ...

. As a child he received some instruction from his father, and later continued his studies under his brother-in-law,

William Horsley William Horsley (18 November 177412 June 1858) was an English musician. His compositions were numerous, and include amongst other instrumental pieces three symphonies for full orchestra. More important are his glees, of which he published f ...

. On 4 July 1830 he was elected 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 sig ...

. Callcott was for some years organist of Ely Place Chapel. In the latter part of his life he suffered much from ill-health. He died in Kensington on 5 August 1882, and was buried on the 9 August at

Kensal Green Cemetery Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in the Kensal Green area of Queens Park in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. Inspired by Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, it was founded by the barrister George Frederick ...

. His son Robert Stuart Callcott, who showed great promise as an organist and musician, died in the spring of 1886 at an early age.

Publications

Callcott published in 1836 an abridgement of his father's ''Musical Grammar'', in 1840 a collection of psalm and hymn tunes for Edward Bickersteth's ''Christian Psalmody'', and in 1843 ''The Child's own Singing Book''. In the latter work he was assisted by his wife Maria, who was the author of religious stories. In 1851 he published ''Remarks on the Royal Albert Piano'' (exhibited at the International Exhibition of that year), and in 1859 ''A few Facts on the Life of Handel''. Callcott composed several songs, glees, and anthems, but his name was principally known by his arrangements and transcriptions for the piano, which amount to many hundred pieces.

References

Attribution *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Callcott, William Hutchins 1807 births 1882 deaths 19th-century British composers Music arrangers Members of the Royal Society of Musicians Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery