Today we look at a composer who has been called the “English Mozart.” Born into a famous family, Samuel Wesley died on this day in 1837.
Born in Bristol, England, he is the son of noted Methodist and Hymn-writer Charles Wesley, who was the son of Charles Wesley, a poet of the late Stuart period, who in turn was the son of John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist church. He showed musical talent early on in his life, learning violin as well as organ, and worked as a conductor as well as a music lecturer. Many of his compositions were written for the church, though there do exist some secular works.
Short entry today, I’ve got a full day with Opera and retreat training. But here’s a couple of Wesley’s compositions, one a vocal work, and the other a piece for organ.
What do you think about these performances, or pieces? Do you think that Samuel Wesley deserves the title of “English Mozart”? What’s your favourite church hymn? Let me know in the comments, or write your own blog post linking back to this post and I’ll link to it below.
Ben Clapton 