John Eccles (composer) facts for kids
John Eccles (born in 1668 – died on January 12, 1735) was an English composer. He wrote music for plays and for the King.
John Eccles was born in London. His father, Solomon Eccles, was also a musician. His brother, Henry Eccles, was a composer too. In 1694, John Eccles started working for the King's Private Music group. By 1700, he became the Master of the King's Musick. This was a very important job where he was in charge of the King's music. In the same year, he entered a music contest to write music for a play called The Judgement of Paris. He came in second place.
Music for the Theatre
Eccles wrote a lot of music for plays, which is called incidental music. From the 1690s, he created music for many famous plays. These included Love for Love by William Congreve, The Spanish Friar by John Dryden, and Macbeth by William Shakespeare. He also worked with another famous composer, Henry Purcell, to write music for Don Quixote.
In 1693, Eccles became a composer for the Drury Lane theatre. When some actors left to start their own company at Lincoln's Inn Fields in 1695, he wrote music for their plays too. One of these plays was Rinaldo and Armida.
Other Works and Later Life
John Eccles also composed music for the crowning ceremony of Queen Anne. He wrote many songs, and some of his most famous ones, like "I burn, I burn," were written for a singer named Anne Bracegirdle. She liked his music so much that she only sang his songs.
Eccles also wrote an opera called Semele. An opera is a play where all the words are sung. This opera wasn't performed until the 1900s. The story for his Semele was later used by another famous composer, George Frideric Handel, for his own opera called Semele in 1744.
Later in his life, Eccles lived in Kingston upon Thames. He continued to write music for plays and special court events, but not as often. People said he spent a lot of his time fishing.
He was the only Master of the King's Musick to serve four different monarchs: King William III, Queen Anne, King George I, and King George II.
Modern Editions of His Music
For a long time, it was hard to find John Eccles's music. But now, new versions of his works are being published. These new editions are helping more people discover and enjoy his music. Some of the works that have been published include his music for Macbeth, The Judgement of Paris, and Rinaldo and Armida. His opera Semele can also be found in a special music collection.
See also
In Spanish: John Eccles (compositor) para niños
