John Bennett (composer)

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John Bennett (c 1735–1784) was a British organist and composer

Very little is known about him. While we do not know the date of his birth we do know he died in September 1784 after serving as organist at St Dionis Backchuch Fenchurch, London for over thirty years. He was a pupil of Pepusch . Beechey 1969 provides more detail than can be found in Groves about him. He has been referred to as the typical versatile eighteenth-century English musician, playing the organ, teaching the Harpsichord, playing the viola, and performing at Drury Lane Theatre as a singer in the chorus and as a ballet dancer. According to Mortimer’s The Universal Director (1763) he lived at Queen-square Bloomsbury and succeeded Burney as organist at St. in 1752. Unfortunately the church was demolished in 1878.

An interesting aside for organists is the information provided in the church minutes for July 27th, 1749: ". . . that the Salary of Organist be Thirty pounds p. Ann and that he be annually chose. . . .That the person who shall be chosen Organist shall attend in Person twice on every Sunday and on other usual Festivals, and to have no Deputy but in case of sickness." (quoted in Beechey1969 pp.vii)

Beechey suggested that in 1760 Bennett must have been suffering financial difficulty as he applied for a second organist’s post (with permission from St Dionis) which he was unsuccessful in gaining. It was common in that period for organists to serve more than one church simultaneously.

[edit] The history of the 10 voluntaries for organ or harpsichord by John Bennett

The 10 Voluntaries for Organ or Harpsichord were published in 1758 since which time the voluntaries have been published a number of times. In the last fifty years various selections from them have seen the light of day. H. Diack Johnstone published numbers 9 and 10 in 1966 (Novello, London). Beechey published 2,5,7,8,9 10 in 1969 and Diack Johnstone also published 6 of them in 1988. It has recently come to my attention that a new edition has been published in 2002 of the entire set in Cambridge (UK)? According to Beechey 1969 five copies survive in the British Isles: in the British Museum, the Oxford university Faculty Library, the Euing Library at Glasgow University, the Gerald Finzi Collection at St. Andrews University, and the Shaw – Hellier Collection, Wombourne House, Staffordshire. The British Museum and the collection at Oxford contain the subscription list which lists no less than 227 names including Boyce, Stanley and George Fredrick Handel. Being an amateur musician I did not have access to one of the above sources. However, luckily Newcastle upon Tyne City Libraries inter-library loan system came to my rescue and managed to obtain a photocopy from an unknown source. I have edited these and they are freely available on IMSLP [1]

[edit] Ornamentation of the ten voluntaries

In this section I will consider three ornaments, the trill (shake), the Beat (modern equivalent the lower mordent) and the appoggiatura.

The trill or shake
[2]

While the interpretation above is the standard one and should always be tried first, alternatives are indicated depending upon the context. Which involves taking into account both the speed and pitch of adjacent notes. If the music is fast the number of shakes will be reduced, or even converted to a modern day acciaccatura.

If the trill occurs in a descending passage Diack Johnston, (1966B) quotes the following additional interpretations: [3]

The Beat (modern equivalent to the lower mordent)
For the beat you play the written note and the note (or half note, according to the key you play in [Ferguson 1987 pp. 152]) beneath it.

According to Diack Johnstone "this seems generally to be regarded as the exact inversion of the trill, beginning on the note below the principal note. However, several authorities table the beat as beginning on the principal note, and it is impossible to tell from the music which interpretation is intended." (1966B). Howard Ferguson 1987 pp.151 - 152 Discusses this in detail. The interesting thing is that even if you decide to start on the note below rather than ‘falling’ onto it. How long should you hold this first note for?

The Appoggiatura
This was interpreted the normal way taking half the value for a un-dotted note and two-thirds the value when the note is dotted. These occur frequently in Bennett in semi-quaver runs, in which case I have written them out in full (indicating the editing by the use of a slur).

The voluntaries as teaching pieces
The voluntaries of Bennett provide excellent pieces for those just starting to learn the organ:

1. The frequent manual changes provide experience in using multiple manuals 2. The slow movements provide practice in part playing 3. The fast movements provide experience in articulation and ornamentation

It must not also be forgotten that the pieces are also very pleasant, while most organists find them rather superficial most non organists find them particularly pleasant and refreshing to listen to.

Fingering - a request for collaboration
I have not come across an authentically figured edition of any eighteenth century voluntaries and would like to take this opportunity to welcome anyone to edit these voluntaries and send me the details - I will then edit the files to reflect the changes. Obviously the person will be fully acknowledged on the web site. Diack Johnstone 1996 lists at least two references specific to fingering of the period so it should be a "doable" task.

[edit] References

Beechey G 1969 Ten Eighteenth century voluntaries [Vol 6 or Recent Researches in the music of the baroque era] A-R Editions, Madison 1969

Ferguson H 1987 Keyboard Interpretation: from the 14th to the 19th century. Oxford university press [unfutunately now out of print]

H.D. Johnstone, 1966 (ed.) Preface to John Bennett: Voluntaries IX and X for Organ Novello, London

H.D. Johnstone, 1966B (ed.) Preface to John Stanley: Voluntary in A minor Op.6 No.2 for Organ Novello, London

H.D. Johnstone, 1988 (ed.) Preface to John Bennett: Six Voluntaries for Organ London

Mortimer Thomas 1763 The universal Director; or, the Nobleman and Gentleman’s True Guide to the Masters and Professors of the Liberal and Polite Arts and Sciences