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Member of Carr family

(b London, Sept 12, 1768; d Philadelphia, May 24, 1831). American composer, tenor, organist and publisher of English birth, son of Joseph Carr. His uncle was Benjamin Carr (1731–80), who ran an instrument-making and repair shop in London for over 20 years. He studied the organ with Charles Wesley (ii) and composition with Samuel Arnold, and probably learnt engraving at his father's shop in London. After 1789 he assisted Arnold as harpsichordist and principal tenor for the Academy of Ancient Music, and his earliest known opera, Philander and Silvia, was performed at Sadler's Wells Theatre in October 1792. He emigrated to Philadelphia no later than July 1793 where he opened a music shop selling instruments and sheet music. From February to July 1794 he worked as a composer and arranger for Philadelphia's New Theatre, and he made his stage début in Philadelphia on 22 September with the Old American Company. He accompanied the Old Americans back to New York in ...

Member of Corfe family

(b Salisbury, bap. Feb 26, 1713). English tenor and organist. He was a chorister at Salisbury Cathedral from 1722 to 1729. He sang in Rosamond at Lincoln’s Inn Fields in 1733, in Handel’s operas and oratorios from c1733 to 1744 and in Messiah...

Member of Corfe family

(b Salisbury, bap. Feb 9, 1741; d Salisbury, July 29, 1820). English organist and tenor, son of Joseph Corfe (b 1705). He was a chorister at Salisbury Cathedral, 1752–3, lay vicar, 1759–60, and was apprenticed to the cathedral organist John Stephens. He was made a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal in 1783 and in 1784 sang at the Handel Commemoration. He was also organist of Salisbury Cathedral from 1792 to 1804. Joseph was a respected singing teacher with Nancy Storace and Mrs Second among his pupils. He married Mary Bernard on 14 April 1766 and they probably had three sons. His published works include A Treatise on Singing (1799), Sacred Music (1800), The Beauties of Handel (1803), Beauties of Purcell (c1805), Thorough Bass Simplified (1805) and Church Music (c1810...

Member of Corri family

(b Edinburgh, ?1784; d Baltimore, Feb 19, 1832). Italian composer, tenor, pianist, and teacher, son of Domenico Corri, and possibly twin brother of Montague Philip Corri. As P. Antony Corri he was well established as a composer in London from about 1802 to 1816, when many of his piano pieces and songs were published. His L’anima di musica (1810) is the most extensive piano tutor of its period, and ran to several editions. He was a founder of the London Philharmonic Society and the Royal Academy of Music in 1813, and was director of the Professional Society in 1816. He was expelled from the Philharmonic in December 1816 (due to a scandal probably involving his wife) and emigrated to the USA, where he settled in Baltimore by autumn 1817. There he was christened Arthur Clifton on 31 December 1817 and remarried the following day. He served as organist of the First Presbyterian Church (...

Member of Hemmerlein family

(b Bamberg, 1766; d Bamberg, 1838). German violinist and tenor, grandson (through Georg Ludwig) of Johann Nikolaus Hemmerlein. He was ordained in 1793 but the same year embarked on unauthorized freelance travels as a violinist and tenor which were to last for 25 years. The assumed name under which he travelled is still unknown. From ...

Member of Robinson family (ii)

(b Dublin, c1799; d Dublin, Oct 21, 1872). Irish tenor, organist, and composer. His father Francis was an administrator and baritone, who in 1810 founded the Sons of Handel, a large-scale concert-giving society. Francis James Robinson was a chorister in Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, and assistant organist from 1816 to 1841. He was also organist at St Patrick’s Cathedral there (1828–9) and a tenor vicar-choral at Christ Church from 1833 until his death and at St Patrick’s from 1843. In June 1834 he sang an important role at the Musical Festival in Westminster Abbey. He composed church music and songs, and was given an honorary MusD at Dublin in 1852. His brother William (b Dublin, c1805) was a bass, and sang in the choirs of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Christ Church and Trinity College; another brother, John (...