William McGibbon (April 1690, in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

– 3 October 1756) was a Scottish

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

and

violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

ist.David Johnson. "McGibbon, William". Grove Music Online. Accessed 15 March 2012.

Life

Eighteenth-century sources disagree about many details of his life, and consequently his early life is shrouded in uncertainty. He was probably born in

, the child of the violinist Duncan McGibbon and his wife Sarah Muir, although earlier sources say he was born in Edinburgh. He may have studied in London under William Corbett, and may have travelled in Italy in his youth, possibly with Corbett. He seems to have settled in Edinburgh in the 1720s. He died in 1756, and left his estate to the

Edinburgh Royal Infirmary The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, or RIE, often (but incorrectly) known as the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, or ERI, was established in 1729 and is the oldest voluntary hospital in Scotland. The new buildings of 1879 were claimed to be the largest v ...

Career

He was the principal violinist of the Edinburgh Musical Society orchestra from 1726 until his death. Although a prolific composer, particularly for the flute, recorder and fiddle, only a few of his works are now known. Grove says they "vary in quality"; his early work shows influences of Corelli,

Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...

Veracini Veracini is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Agostino Veracini (1689–1762), Italian painter and engraver, cousin of Francesco * Antonio Veracini (1659–1733), Italian composer and violinist *Francesco Maria Veracini Fra ...

, and

Purcell Henry Purcell (, rare: September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer. Purcell's style of Baroque music was uniquely English, although it incorporated Italian and French elements. Generally considered among the greatest En ...

, while after 1740 he produced many settings of Scottish tunes, which were then very popular, but still show an Italian influence.

References

External links

* 1690 births 1756 deaths Musicians from Edinburgh Scottish classical composers British male classical composers Scottish classical violinists British male violinists 18th-century Scottish musicians 18th-century British composers 18th-century British male musicians 18th-century classical composers 18th-century violinists Male classical violinists {{Scotland-musician-stub

Life

Career

See also

References

External links