A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Tans'ur, William

TANS'UR, William, who is variously stated to have been born at Barnes, Surrey, in 1699, and at Dunchurch, Warwickshire, in 1700, and who was successively organist at Barnes, Ewell, Leicester, and St. Neot's, compiled and edited several collections of psalm tunes, and was author of some theoretical works. The principal of his several publications are 'The Melody of the Heart,' 1737; 'A Compleat Melody, or, The Harmony of Sion,' 1735 and 1738; 'Heaven on Earth, or, The Beauty of Holiness,' 1738; 'A New Musical Grammar,' 1746; in which he styles himself, 'William Tans'ur Musico Theorico'; 'The Royal Melody compleat, or, The New Harmony of Zion,' 1754 and 1755; 'The Royal Psalmodist compleat' (no date); 'The Psalm Singer's Jewel,' 1760; 'Melodia Sacra,' 1772; and 'The Elements of Musick displayed,' 1772. He died at St. Neot's, Oct. 7, 1783. He had a son who was a chorister at Trinity College, Cambridge. [App. p.798 "Add that he was the son of Edward and Joan Tanzer of Dunchurch, and was baptized Nov. 6, 1706."]

[ W. H. H. ]