The British Musical Biography

[E] Cooke, Benjamin, composer and organist,
was born at London in 1734. He studied
under Pepusch, and became deputy-organist
at Westminster Abbey in 1746. Conductor of
Academy of Ancient Music, 1752-1789. Master
of the boys at Westminster Abbey, 1757. Lay-
clerk, do., 1758. Full organist, Westminster,
1762, succeeding John Robinson. Doc. Mus.,
Cantab., 1775. Organist of St. Martin-in-the-
Fields, 1782, Sub-director at Handel Com-
memoration, 1784. He died at Westminster,
London, Sept. 14, 1793. Buried in West Cloister
of Westminster Abbey.

[W] Works. — Ode on Handel, for 8 voices.
Glees : Collection of twenty glees, catches and
canons, for 3, 4, 5 and 6 voices, in score, Lon-
don, 1775 ; As now the shades ; Ere the beams
of morning break ; Farewell ; Hand in hand ;
Hark, the lark ; How sleep the brave ; In the
merry month of May ; I've been young, though
now grown old ; Now the bright morning star,
day's harbinger ; Let Rubinelli charm the ear,
duet; Thrysis, when he left me, duet ; The
Dormouse, glee ; Beneath in the dust. Nine
glees and two duets, op. 9 [1795] . Ode on the
Passions (Collins), 1784, etc. Concertos for
combinations of various instruments. Organ
and harpsichord music. Anthems and Church
Services. Morning and Evening Service in G.
Songs, etc.
"Dr. Cooke's glees are numerous, and of
great beauty. They are remarkable for natural
and graceful ease of melody, great simplicity
and yet much art in the disposition of parts,
and fine expression." — Hogarth. A number
of them are still in use among our singing
societies ; " Hark, the lark," being one of
those perennial favourites of which the Eng-
lish school furnishes not a few examples.

entry id: 98-L-42