The Enchiridion

Biographical Notes

( Clare - Coombes )

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Clare, John

b. Helpstone, Northamptonshire: 13 July 1793

d. Northampton: 20 May 1864

(See also DNB; OCEL)

Xref:

RS-198 A stranger once did bless the earth

 

Clark(e), Jeremiah (Clark, Clerk; 1673-1707)

b. ? : c.1673

d. St Paul's Churchyard, London: 1 December 1707

As a boy he was a chorister in the Chapel Royal and sang at James II's coronation in 1685. He was organist of Winchester College 1692-95; vicar- choral and organist of St Paul's Cathedral 1699; and master of the choristers there in 1704. He was appointed composer to the Chapel Royal in 1700; he and William Croft became `gentlemen extraordinary' there in 1700 and joint organists in 1704.

Clarke was music master to Queen Anne, for whose use he composed some `Choice Lessons' for the harpsichord. Among a great variety of music for church, concert and theatre he wrote various songs (one of which is in The Beggar's Opera), several hymn tunes and anthems and the well-known `Trumpet Voluntary'.

A sensitive and moody man, he died by shooting himself, allegedly as a result of an unhappy love affair. He is buried in the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral.

(See also DNB; GDM; OCM)

Xrefs:

RS-31 Brockham

RS-257=351=570 St Magnus

 

Clark, Jeremiah (1749-1809)

b. Worcester: c. 1749

d. Bromsgrove, Worcestershire: 11 May 1809

He was a chorister at Worcester Cathedral where his father, Charles, was a lay clerk. He was organist of St Phillip's Church, Birmingham (now the Cathedral) 1765-1803; of Walsall Parish Church (apparently as a `pluralist') 1796-98; and of Worcester Cathedral 1806-07. He published a number of songs.

(See also DNB; GDM)

Xref:

RS-588 Bishopsthorpe

Clark, Thomas

b. ? bapt. Canterbury, Kent: 5 February 1775

d. Canterbury: 30 May 1859

He was a cobbler by trade, having been apprenticed to his father. He did not learn to read until adulthood, but became leader of the psalmody in a Wesleyan chapel in Canterbury. Later he also led the singing of a congregation worshipping in the dilapidated Blackfriars Monastery; they were originally Baptist but gradually drifted into Unitarianism, and his association with them led to his resigning his position with the Wesleyans.

From an early age he was a prolific composer of hymn tunes and published more than 20 sets of them. He co-edited The Union Tune Book 1837 for the Sunday School Union, and reharmonized the second edition in 1842; he also produced the Union Harmonist 1841.

Xrefs:

RS-25=596 Crediton

and

Thomas Clark: Psalm Tunes &c.

 

Claudius, Matthias

b. Reinfeld in Holstein, nr Lübeck: 15 August, 1740

d. Wandsbeck, nr Hamburg: 21 January 1815

Editor of Der Wandsbecker Bothen (The Wandsbeck Messenger).

(See also Julian pp.236-237a)

Xref:

RS-124 We plough the fields, and scatter

 

Titus Flavius Clemens Alexandrinus

(St Clement of Alexandria)

b. ? Athens: c.170

d. ? : c. 220

(See also Julian p.238)

Xref: 

RS-527 Jesus, our mighty Lord

 

Clifford, Benjamin

b. ? bapt. Coley, nr Halifax, Yorkshire: 24 January 1752

d. Leeds, Yorkshire: 4 May 1811

Practically nothing is known of him except that he published Sacred Harmony in Leeds in 1811.

Xrefs:

RS-411 Castleford

and

Benjamin Clifford: Sacred Harmony

Cocker, Norman

b. Sowerby Bridge, Yorkshire: 20 March * 1889

[ * not as erroneously stated by Watkins Shaw ]

d. Dukinfield, Cheshire: 15 November 1953

He was a chorister of Magdalen College, Oxford; organ scholar at Merton College, Oxford 1907-09; organist and choirmaster of St Philip & St James's Church, Oxford 1909-13; music master at Magdalen College School 1912-15. After war service he was sub-organist at Manchester Cathedral 1919-21; organist of St Peter's, Eaton Square, London 1921-23; sub-organist again at Manchester Cathedral 1923-43 and organist there 1943-53.

He was not a prolific composer, but his `Tuba Tune' for organ is well known. He was a noted choir-trainer and a gifted improviser; he also had an `alter ego' as a cinema organist.

Xref:

RS-186=611 Ryburn

Coelho, Terrye Lynn (now Mrs Strom)

b. Camp Roberts, California, USA: 6 August 1952

Xref:

RS-29 Father, we adore you

(words and music) 

 

Coffin, Charles

b. Buzancy, Ardennes, France: 4 October 1676

d. Paris: 20 June 1749

(See also Julian pp.241b-242a)

Xrefs:

RS-176 God from on high has heard

RS-134 On Jordan's bank the Baptist's cry

 

Collignon, Charles

b. ? London: 1725

d. Cambridge: 1 October 1785

He was of French ancestry, the son of Paul Collignon of London. Educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, he practised in Cambridge as a physician, and was University Professor of Anatomy 1753-85. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society. His miscellaneous writings were published in 1786 (after his death the previous year); but the tune University is his only known contribution to music.

(See also DNB)

Xref:

RS-106=285=677 University

 

Collihole, Marian

b. Pontypridd, Mid Glamorgan: 14 August 1933

Xref:

RS-152 Ring a bell for peace

 

Collison, Valerie ( née Tagg )

b. Bromley, Kent: 23 March 1933

Xref:

RS-166 Come and join the celebration

(words and music)

 

St Columba (Columcille)

b. ? Gartan, Co.Donegal, Ireland: 7 December 521

d. Iona: 8/9 June 597

Xrefs:

RS-f/p Be thou a bright flame before me

{ RS-73 O God, thou art the Father

{ RS-272 Christ is the world's Redeemer

 

Colvin, Thomas Stevenson

b. Glasgow: 16 April 1925

d. ? : 24 February 2000

Xrefs:

RS-648 Jesu, Jesu, fill us with your love

Conder, Josiah

b. Aldersgate, London: 17 September 1789

d. St John's Wood, London: 27 December 1855

(See also DNB; Julian pp.256-257a)

Xrefs:

RS-442 Bread of heaven! on thee we feed

RS-562 Head of the Church, our risen Lord

RS-76 The Lord is King! lift up your voice

RS-288 Thou art the everlasting Word

and

J.Conder The Star in the East &c.

The Congregational Hymn Book

 

Connaughton, Luke (`Peter Icarus', &c.)

b. Bolton, Lancsashire: 2 June 1917

d. Oulton, Staffordshire: 2 September 1979

 

Xrefs:

RS-437 Reap me the earth as a harvest to God

RS-131 The voice of God goes out to all the world

 

Connolly, Richard

b. Sydney, Autralia: 1927

He was educated at Christian Brothers' and Marist Brothers' schools in Australia; and studied music and theology in Rome but did not proceed to ordination. Returning to Sydney, he graduated at the University there; then joined the Australian Broadcasting Commission (later Corporation), becoming Head of Radio Drama and Features 1973-85.

He has composed much incidental music for theatre, television and films; also many hymn-tunes. He now (1997) lives in Somerset.

Xref:

RS-350 Catherine

 

Converse, Charles Crozat

b. Warren, Massachusets, USA: 7 October 1832

d. Highwood, New Jersey, USA: 18 October 1918

He was educated at Elmira Academy, New York; and then went to Germany to study music in Berlin and Leipzig 1855-59. On returning to America he graduated in law and set up a successful legal practice in Erie, Pennsylvania.

As a composer he produced many works, sometimes under pseudonyms; and was associated with William B.Bradbury and others in editing various collections of songs and Sunday School song-books.

(See also DAB)

Xrefs:

RS-413 What a friend

and

C.Converse: Silver Wings &c.

 

Cooke, Robert

b. Westminster, London: 1768

d. Westminster: 13 August 1814

He was the son of Benjamin Cooke (1734-93), whom he succeeded as organist of St Martin-in-the-Fields in 1793. He became organist of Westminster Abbey in 1802 and Master of the Choristers in 1806.

He composed church music and several songs and glees. He drowned himself in the Thames after an unhappy love-affair and is buried in the same grave (in Westminster Abbey) as his father.

(See also DNB; GDM)

Xref:

RS-719(ii) Double Chant in F (originally G)

Coombes, Douglas

b. Bristol: 1 January 1935

After teaching in Bristol and North Somerset, he was Assistant Music Adviser for Norfolk LEA 1963-68 and Senior Music Producer for BBC Schools Radio 1968-88. He wrote a number of books for the BBC and was music arranger for the BBC School hymnals Come and Praise I and II.

He is a prolific composer, particularly of works for children. To devote more time to composing and conducting, he left the BBC to become free-lance in 1988.

Xref:

RS-649 (Let the world rejoice together)

 

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(The Rejoice & Sing Enchiridion:edited by David Goodall; last amended 17/5/03)