William Thomas Parke (15 February 1761 – 26 August 1847) was an English oboist and composer. He played in notable concerts of the day; in retirement he published ''Musical Memoirs''.

Life

Parke began his musical studies in 1770 under his elder brother

John Parke John Grubb Parke (September 22, 1827 – December 16, 1900) was a United States Army engineer and a Union general in the American Civil War. Parke's Civil War service was closely associated with Ambrose E. Burnside, often serving him as chi ...

, learning the flute and the oboe; later from William Dance he studied the violin, from Charles Rousseau Burney the piano, and from Charles Frederick Baumgarten music theory. In 1775–6 Parke sang in the chorus of

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 ...

, and in 1776 he was regularly engaged there and at

Vauxhall Gardens Vauxhall Gardens is a public park in Kennington in the London Borough of Lambeth, England, on the south bank of the River Thames. Originally known as New Spring Gardens, it is believed to have opened before the Restoration of 1660, being ...

as a viola player. The

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. A ...

especially attracted him; in 1777 he was second oboe at Drury Lane theatre and in 1779 appeared as an oboist at Vauxhall Gardens. In 1783 he became principal oboe at

Covent Garden Theatre The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Op ...

, succeeding Sharpe. He had not yet attained his brother's eminence, and was called "Little Parke" when he played at the benefit concert of the elder musician. Parke held his post at Covent Garden for forty years,

William Shield William Shield (5 March 1748 – 25 January 1829) was an English composer, violinist and viola, violist. His music earned the respect of Haydn and Beethoven. Life and musical career Shield was born in Swalwell near Gateshead, County Durham, th ...

occasionally writing an effective obbligato for him. The soprano

Margaret Martyr Margaret Martyr or Margaret Thornton (1762 – 7 June 1807) was a British singer and actress. Life Martyr's parents were living in London when she was born in 1762. left, at Vauxhall as Miss Thorton She came to notice in 1778 when she was sing ...

had become his mistress by 1787; they had two sons. He appeared at the Ladies' Concerts and the

Professional Concerts The "Professional Concerts" were subscription concerts established in 1783 and given at the Hanover Square Rooms in London. Leading musicians of the day performed at the concerts. History Background Other regular concerts began in London around th ...

; his playing at the Noblemen's Subscription Concerts won the admiration of the

Duke of Cumberland Duke of Cumberland is a peerage title that was conferred upon junior members of the British Royal Family, named after the historic county of Cumberland. History The Earldom of Cumberland, created in 1525, became extinct in 1643. The dukedo ...

, who became his patron, and commanded his presence at his musical parties in town and country. The

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

made Parke one of his band at

Carlton House Carlton House was a mansion in Westminster, best known as the town residence of King George IV. It faced the south side of Pall Mall, and its gardens abutted St James's Park in the St James's district of London. The location of the house, no ...

, where he met

Joseph Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...

. Parke was one of the original members of a glee club founded in 1793, and he belonged to the

Anacreontic Society The Anacreontic Society was a popular gentlemen's club of amateur musicians in London founded in the mid-18th century. These barristers, doctors, and other professional men named their club after the Greek court poet Anacreon, who lived in the 6th ...

. He made provincial tours, visiting Birmingham in 1794, Dublin in 1796, Cheltenham in 1800, Portsmouth, Worcester, and other towns. He was principal oboist and concerto player at Vauxhall Gardens from 1800 until 1821. The

Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

noted that "Parke's tone on the oboe was sweet, his execution brilliant". He extended the compass of the oboe upwards to G, a third higher than former performers had reached. Parke retired in 1825, and died in London on 24 August 1847. In 1830 he published ''Musical Memoirs'', a valuable record of the period between 1784 and 1830: there are temperate judgements of other musicians, and many anecdotes.

Compositions

Parke's compositions include the overture and a song for ''Netley Abbey'' (1794); an adaptation of Dalayrac's ''

Nina Nina may refer to: * Nina (name), a feminine given name and surname Acronyms *National Iraqi News Agency, a news service in Iraq * Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, on the campus of Norwegian University of Science and Technology *No income, ...

''; a concerto for the oboe, (about 1789); solo and duets for the flute; and many songs and glees composed for Vauxhall Gardens and the theatres.

References

Attribution *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Parke, William Thomas 1761 births 1847 deaths English classical oboists Male oboists 18th-century British composers 18th-century British male musicians 19th-century British composers 19th-century British male musicians