Thomas Augustine Arne (1710 – 1778) was an English
composer. He is best known for his patriotic song
"Rule, Britannia!" and the song "A-Hunting We Will Go".
Arne was a leading British theatre composer of the 18th
century, working at Drury Lane and Covent Garden. He
wrote many operatic entertainments for the London
theatres and pleasure gardens, as well as concertos,
sinfonias, and sonatas. His father and grandfather were
both upholsterers and both held office in the
Worshipful Company of Uphol...(+)
Thomas Augustine Arne (1710 – 1778) was an English
composer. He is best known for his patriotic song
"Rule, Britannia!" and the song "A-Hunting We Will Go".
Arne was a leading British theatre composer of the 18th
century, working at Drury Lane and Covent Garden. He
wrote many operatic entertainments for the London
theatres and pleasure gardens, as well as concertos,
sinfonias, and sonatas. His father and grandfather were
both upholsterers and both held office in the
Worshipful Company of Upholders of the City of London.
His grandfather fell on hard times and died in the
debtors' prison of Marshalsea. His father earned enough
money not only to rent 31 King Street, a large house in
Covent Garden, but also to have Arne educated at Eton
College. But in later life, he too lost most of his
money and had to supplement his income by acting as a
numberer of the boxes (ticket counter) at the Drury
Lane Theatre.
Arne was so keen on music that he smuggled a spinet
into his room and, damping the sounds with his
handkerchief, would secretly practise during the night
while the rest of the family slept. He also dressed up
as a liveryman to gain access to the gallery of the
Italian Opera. It was at the opera that Arne first met
the musician and composer Michael Festing, who was a
major influence on him. Festing not only taught him to
play the violin, but also took him to various musical
events, including going to compete against Thomas
Roseingrave for the post of organist at Hanover Square,
and a visit to Oxford in 1733 to hear George Frideric
Handel's oratorio Athalia.
Upon leaving school, Arne was articled to a solicitor
for three years. However, Arne's father discovered his
son leading a group of musicians at what was probably
one of Festing's musical gatherings. Following this
disclosure of his son's real interest and talent, he
was persuaded (again probably by Festing) to allow the
young Arne to give up his legal career and to pursue
music as a living.
Between 1733 and 1776, Arne wrote music for about 90
stage works, including plays, masques, pantomimes, and
operas. Many of his dramatic scores are now lost,
probably in the disastrous fire at the Royal Opera
House, Covent Garden in 1808. Arne's sister, Susannah
Maria Arne, was a famous contralto, who performed in
some of his works, including his first opera, Rosamund.
With her marriage to the Drury Lane actor Theophilus
Cibber Susannah became known professionally as "Mrs
Cibber". She and their brother Richard would often
perform Arne's works together.
A lithography caricature of Thomas Arne
Arne was a Freemason and active in the organization,
which has long been centred in the Covent Garden area
of London, where Arne lived for many years. Like
Mozart, who also lived in the 1700s, Arne lived before
the Catholic hierarchy had banned membership in the
Lodges in all countries.
On 15 March 1737, Arne married singer Cecilia Young,
whose sister, Isabella was the wife of John Frederick
Lampe. During this period Arne's operas and masques
became increasingly popular, and he received the
patronage of Frederick, Prince of Wales, at whose
country home, Cliveden, the Masque of Alfred, featuring
"Rule Britannia", was debuted in 1740.
In 1741, Arne filed a complaint in Chancery pertaining
to a breach of musical copyright and claimed that some
of his theatrical songs had been printed and sold by
Henry Roberts and John Johnson, the London booksellers
and music distributors. The matter was settled out of
court. Arne was one of the first composers to have
appealed to the law over copyright issues.
In 1742 Arne went with his wife to Dublin, where he
remained two years and produced his oratorio The Death
of Abel, of which only the melody known as the Hymn of
Eve survives, and some stage works; he also gave a
number of successful concerts. On his return to London
in 1744 he was engaged as leader of the band at Drury
Lane theatre, and the following year as composer at
Vauxhall Gardens.
In 1750, after an argument with David Garrick, Susannah
left Drury Lane for Covent Garden Theatre, and Arne
followed. In 1755 during another period spent in
Dublin, he separated from Cecilia, who, he alleged, was
mentally ill. He began a relationship with one of his
pupils, Charlotte Brent, a soprano and former child
prodigy. Brent performed in several of Arne's works,
including the role of Sally in his 1760 opera Thomas
and Sally and Mandane in his 1762 opera Artaxerxes.
Eventually Brent and Arne went their separate ways and
she married a violinist named Thomas Pinto in 1766.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Arne).
Although originally written for Harpsichord, I created
this Interpretation of the Minuet in G Major (later
revised into the first movement from Concerto No 8, Six
Favourite Concertos for the Organ, Harpsichord or Piano
Forte, London, ca.1793) for String Quartet (2 Violins,
Viola & Cello).
SHEET MUSIC