John Stafford Smith
John Stafford Smith (born March 30, 1750 in Gloucester , † September 21, 1836 in London ) was an English singer (tenor), composer and musicologist .
Life
Like his father Martin Smith, Smith was an organist and made a name for himself in particular as a music researcher.
His first lessons were given to him by his father. He then studied with the educators Boyce and Nares in London. He was appointed tenor in the Chapel Royal choir and in 1784 was appointed Gentleman of the Chapel Royal. After his father resigned his office in 1790, he succeeded him as organist at Gloucester Cathedral.
In 1812 he published a two-volume work, Musica antiqua . He is considered to be the creator of the tune known as the American national anthem The Star-Spangled Banner , but this tune may have been in a collection edited by Smith as the drinking song To Anacreon in Heaven .
Web links
- John Stafford Smith at Operissimo on the basis of the Great Singer Lexicon
- Gloucester City Council: John Stafford Smith (in English)
- Gloucestershire Past Present and Future: Composer of the Star spangled Banner , SoftData Gloucester
- Sheet music and audio files by John Stafford Smith in the International Music Score Library Project
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Smith, John Stafford |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English singer (tenor), composer and musicologist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 30, 1750 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Gloucester |
| DATE OF DEATH | September 21, 1836 |
| Place of death | London |