1752–1822)], Charles Dignum [q. v.], and Vincent Novello [q. v.] The chapel of the Spanish embassy, near Manchester Square, also enjoyed his services, probably after Danby's death in 1798 until the younger Webbe's appointment.
Webbe died at his chambers in Gray's Inn on 25 March 1816. His gravestone in Old St. Pancras Gardens (once the churchyard) has disappeared within the last few years, but a granite obelisk was erected in its stead in 1897.
Webbe was ‘the typical glee composer’ (Davey), and is best known by such polished and beautiful pieces as ‘When winds breathe soft,’ ‘Swiftly from the mountain's brow,’ ‘Glorious Apollo,’ ‘Thy voice, O Harmony,’ and ‘Come live with me.’ But his motets are still constantly sung in Roman catholic churches. His hymns include an ‘O Salutaris,’ known in Anglican hymn-books as ‘Melcombe;’ an ‘Alma Redemptoris’ (‘Alma’); a ‘Veni Sancte Spiritus’ (‘Come, Thou Holy Spirit’), and the popular harmonised version of a Gregorian ‘Stabat Mater.’
Among Webbe's numerous publications are:
- In conjunction with his son, nine books of vocal music in parts, 1764–95; afterwards republished in 3 vols. 1812. Many of Webbe's glees are re-edited or republished by Warren, Hullah, Oliphant, Boosey, and Novello.
- Songs, of which the best known may have been the simple melody, ‘The Mansion of Peace,’ 1785?
- ‘Ode to St. Cecilia,’ six voices, 1790.
- ‘A Collection of Sacred Music as used in the Chapel of the King of Sardinia in London, by Samuel Webbe,’ no date, obl. folio. It contains upwards of twenty motets, and masses in D minor for three voices, and G major for four voices, neither published in
- ‘A Collection of Masses for Small Choirs,’ 1792 (No. 1 was printed by Skillern in 1791); they are simply written, some for two parts only.
- ‘A Collection of Motets and Antiphons,’ 1792, printed by Webbe's permission, although he had no intention of printing them.
- ‘Antiphons in six Books of Anthems,’ 1818.
- Seven masses rearranged for three and four voices, including two requiem masses in G minor and E minor, never before published, 1864.
All Webbe's church music has been re-edited and republished by Novello.
[Gent. Mag. 1816, i. 569, 643; Quarterly Musical Magazine, 1818 p. 219, 1821 p. 363, passim; Grove's Dictionary, i. 323, 383, iv. 387; Davey's Hist. of English Music, p. 414; Cansick's Epitaphs in St. Pancras, p. 98; Daily News, 26 July 1897; Tablet, 24 July 1897; information from the choirmaster of the Sardinia Street catholic church, where a volume of the rare ‘Collection of Sacred Music’ is preserved; information from Rev. R. B. Sankey, M.A., Mus. Bac. Oxon.; authorities cited.]
WEBBE, SAMUEL, the younger (1770?–1843), teacher and composer, the son of
Samuel Webbe (1740–1816) [q. v.], was born in London about 1770, and studied the organ, piano, and vocal composition under his father and Clementi. Webbe in his active interest in the glee clubs followed in the footsteps of his father. He composed many excellent canons and glees, but in 1798 he settled in Liverpool, as organist to the unitarian chapel in Paradise Street. About 1817 he joined John Bernard Logier [q. v.] in London in teaching the use of the chiroplast. Webbe became organist to the chapel of the Spanish embassy, before returning to Liverpool, where he was appointed organist to St. Nicholas and to St. Patrick's Roman catholic chapel. He died at Hammersmith on 25 Nov. 1843. His son, Egerton Webbe (1810–1840), wrote upon musical subjects; his daughter married Edward Holmes [q. v.]
Webbe published, in conjunction with his father, ‘A Collection of Original Psalm Tunes,’ 1800. He was also the author of several anthems, madrigals, and glees, besides a Mass and a Sanctus, and a Chant for St. Paul's Cathedral. He wrote settings for numerous songs and ballads. About 1830 he published ‘Convito Armonico,’ a collection of madrigals, glees, duets, canons, and catches, by eminent composers.
[Brown and Stratton's British Musical Biography, p. 437; authorities cited.]
WEBBE, WILLIAM (fl. 1568–1591), author of ‘A Discourse of English Poetrie,’ was a member of St. John's College, Cambridge, where he was acquainted with Gabriel Harvey and Edmund Spenser. He graduated B.A. in 1572–3. About 1583 or 1584 he was private tutor to the two sons of Edward Sulyard of Flemyngs in the parish of Runwell, Essex. When these pupils reached manhood Webbe went, probably again as private tutor, to the family of Henry Grey (cousin of Lady Jane Grey), at Pirgo in the parish of Havering atte Bower, Essex. One of Grey's daughters was married to a William Sulyard. From Pirgo on 8 Aug. 1591 Webbe dates a letter to his friend Robert Wilmot (fl. 1568) [q. v.] which is prefixed to the edition of ‘Tancred and Gismund’ revised and published by Wilmot in 1592. Grey's wife was one of the ladies to whom the tragedy
