The British Musical Biography

[E] Arne, Thomas Augustine, composer,
born in King Street, Covent Garden, London,
May 28, 1710, son of an upholsterer. He was
educated at Eton College, being intended for
the legal profession, but his natural aptitude
for music led him to study privately, and he
had lessons on the spiuuet, and private lessons
on the violin, from Festing. In 1736 he
married Cecilia Young, daughter of Charles
Young, an organist, and in 1738 became com-
poser to Drury Lane Theatre. From 1742 to
1744 he resided in Dublin, and on his return
to London in 1745 he became composer to
Yauxhall Gardens, Covent Garden Theatre,
and the principal London theatres. Doc.
Mus., Oxford, 1759. He died, London,
March 5, 1778, and is buried in St. Paul's,
Covent Garden.

[W] Works. — Operas and Musical Dramas:
Rosamond (Addison), Lincoln's Inn Field's
Theatre, March 7, 1733; Opera of operas, or
Tom Thumb, 1733 ; Dido and ^neas, 1734 ;
Comus, a masque, London, 1738; Judgment of
Paris, a masque, 1740; Alfred, a masque, Lon-
don, 1740 [by Thomson and Mallet, in which
is the celebrated national song " Rule,
Britannia," written by Thomson] ; Britannia,
a masque, Dublin, 1743; Eliza, opera, Dublin,
1743 ; Artaxerxes, opera, London, 1762 [the
well-known psalm-tune " Artaxerxes " is
taken from the minuet at the end of the
overture to this opera, and was first adapted
by R. Harrison in vol. 1 of his " Sacred
harmony," 1784] ; The fairies, 1762 ; Olim-
piade, 1765. Music to Plays: Fall of Phaeton,
London, 1736 ; Zara, 1736 ; Blind beggar of
Bethnall Green, 1741 ; Thomas and Sally,
Dublin, 1743 ; Temple of Duluess, 1745 ;
King Pepin's campaign, 1745 ; Neptune and
Amphitrite, 1746 ; Don Saverio, 1749 ; The
Prophetess, 1759 ; The Sultan, 1759 ; Love in
a village, 1762 ; Birth of Hercules (never
produced) 1763 ; Guardian outwitted, 1764 ;
Ladies' frolic (with W. Bates), 1770 ; Fairy
prince, 1771 ; The Cooper, 1772 ; Elfrida (by
Mason) 1772 ; The Rose, 1773 ; Contest of
beauty and virtue, 1773 ; Achilles in petti-
coats, 1773 ; May-Day, 1775 ; Phoebe at court,
1776 ; Caractacus (by Mason), 1776 (MS. lost).
Music to Shakespeare's As you like it, 1740 ;
Twelfth Night, 1741; Merchant of Venice,
1742 ; Tempest, 1746 ; Romeo and Juliet,
1750. Oratorios : Abel, London, Match, 1755 ;
Judith, London, February, 1764. Ode on
Shakespeare, composed for the Stratford
Jubilee, 1769. Songs, etc. : Lyric harmony,
for voice, harpsichord and violin ; The Syren,
a collection of favourite songs ; Vocal grove ;

[+] Summer amusemeut ; Winter amusement :
Vocal melody, 1760; Glees, catches, etc.,
in Warren's collection and elsewhere. Over-
tures for orchestra. Sonatas for violin. Con-
certos for organ. Sonatas for harpsichord. The
compleat musician, . . . being a collection
of vocal and instrumental music . . . .
London [1760].

entry id: 13-R-6