Capel Bond facts for kids
Capel Bond (born December 14, 1730 – died February 14, 1790) was an English organist and composer. He wrote music and played the organ, a large musical instrument.
Life as a Musician
Capel Bond was born in Gloucester. His father was William Bond. His older brother, Daniel Bond, was a painter. Capel went to Crypt school. When he was just 12 years old, he started learning to play the organ from Martin Smith. Martin Smith was the organist at Gloucester Cathedral. An organist is someone who plays the organ, and an apprentice is someone who learns a skill from a master.
In 1749, Capel moved to Coventry. There, he became the organist for two important churches. These were St Michael and All Angels, which later became Coventry Cathedral. In 1752, he also became organist at Holy Trinity Church, Coventry.
He married Ann Spooner in 1768. She was the daughter of Abraham Spooner. One of Ann's relatives was surprised by the marriage. She thought Mr. Bond seemed like a very unlikely person to marry.
Capel Bond was very good at his job. He was always on time and played wonderfully. Because of his skill, he received extra money each year starting in 1770. He worked hard to make music popular in the Midlands area. He led the Coventry Musical Society. They performed big musical pieces like Handel's Messiah and Samson. He also helped organize concerts and music festivals in Coventry and Birmingham.
Capel Bond passed away in 1790. He is buried at St Bartholomew's Church in Binley, Coventry. His tombstone says he was an excellent musician. It also says he was a kind husband and a loyal friend.
His Musical Works
Capel Bond's most famous work is called Six Concertos in Seven Parts. He published this collection in London in 1766. A concerto is a piece of music, often for a solo instrument and an orchestra. This collection included four concertos for a group of instruments. It also had one concerto for the bassoon and one for the trumpet.
His music was similar to other composers from the Midlands, like Richard Mudge. It also shared styles with famous composers like Handel and John Stanley. The bassoon concerto had a lighter, more graceful style. Some people think it might have been influenced by a lost work from William Boyce.
Capel Bond's compositions are considered some of the best by a composer from outside London. People enjoyed hearing them in concerts until about 1812.
His only other known works are Six Anthems in Score. These were published in London in 1769. Anthems are pieces of sacred music, often sung by a choir.
