meant a round or canon written out as a single melody, but came to be used for a variety of whimsical and comical forms. 'Glee,' it should be noted, means simply a song, whether gay or serious, but is restricted by usage to a part-song, unaccompanied.] Another club was the Madrigal Society, founded in 1741, devoted to a different form of music, but including many of the same members and indirectly conducive to the same purposes.
The list of favorite glee-writers prior to 1800 includes the following:—
Samuel Webbe, Sr. (d. 1816), was the most active of the circle, winning 27 medals in the Catch Club trials (1766-94) and publishing 9 collections (1774-95). His 'Glorious Apollo,' written for the Glee Club, was always sung at the opening of its meetings. He also wrote masses, etc., for the Portuguese Chapel, where from 1776 he was organist, music for the English service, 2 secular cantatas and some solfeggi. His son, Samuel Webbe, Jr. (d. 1843), was less notable along the same lines.
Benjamin Cooke (d. 1793), pupil of Pepusch and in 1752 his successor, at 12 (1746) was deputy organist at Westminster Abbey, in 1757 choirmaster and in 1762 organist. He was highly esteemed as a theorist. His church compositions were excellent, but not many, and his glees are famous (2 collections, 1775, '95). His son, Robert Cooke (d. 1814), followed in his steps.
John Stafford Smith (d. 1826), pupil of Boyce and Nares, a leading glee-writer from 1773 and Hawkins' helper on his 'History,' entered the Chapel Royal in 1784 and succeeded Arnold as organist in 1802. He published 5 collections of his own and 2 of a valuable historical character (1779, 1812).
William Hayes (d. 1777) and his son Philip Hayes (d. 1797), both associated with Oxford, where they were organists and professors, publishing glees of value (1757, by William, and about 1780-89, by Philip); Jonathan Battishill (d. 1801), the well-known organist and anthem-writer, with 2 collections of glees; the Earl of Mornington [G. C. Wellesley] (d. 1781), a self-trained, but skillful amateur at Dublin, where he was professor (1764-74), whose glees were edited by Bishop (1846); Luffman Atterbury (d. 1796) of the Chapel Royal, with more than one collection (from 1775?) and an oratorio (1773); Stephen Paxton (d. 1787), with 2 collections and some masses; John Danby (d. 1798), organist at the Spanish Chapel, with 4 collections (1785-98) and some Catholic music; Richard John Samuel Stevens (d. 1837), from 1786 organist at the Temple Church and from 1801 professor at Gresham College, with 3 collections and a fine edition of old church music; and Reginald Spofforth (d. 1827), with one collection,—all these rank high.
John Wall Callcott (d. 1821) was the most fertile of the list, writing glees, canons and catches literally by hundreds, many of them winning medals from the Catch Club (from 1785). In 1791 he had lessons from Haydn. From 1789 he served as organist, mainly at an Orphan Asylum. In 1807, under the strain of ten years' effort to compile a musical dictionary and of an appointment to lecture at the Royal Institution, he became insane. His glees, variously published during his life, were collected by Horsley (1824).
