William Hayes (composer) facts for kids
William Hayes (1706 – 27 July 1777) was a talented English composer, organist, singer, and conductor. He lived a long time ago, in the 1700s, and was known for his amazing musical skills.
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Life of William Hayes
William Hayes was born in Gloucester, England. He started his musical journey as a choirboy at Gloucester Cathedral around 1717. Later, he became an organist in different places. He worked at St Mary's in Shrewsbury in 1729, and then at Worcester Cathedral in 1731.
Hayes at Oxford University
Most of Hayes's career was spent at the University of Oxford. He became the organist at Magdalen College in 1734. He earned his music degrees there, a B.Mus in 1735 and a D.Mus in 1749. Around the time he got his doctorate, he was painted wearing his special robes.
In 1741, he was chosen to be the Heather Professor of Music. This was a very important job at the university. He also became the organist for the University Church of St Mary the Virgin. For the next 30 years, he was in charge of Oxford's music concerts.
Hayes helped build the Holywell Music Room in 1748. This is the oldest building in Europe made just for music concerts! He was also an early member of the Royal Society of Musicians. This group helped musicians in need. In 1765, he joined the "Noblemen and Gentlemen's Catch Club," which was a club for singing fun, short songs called catches. William Hayes passed away in Oxford when he was 69 years old.
William Hayes's Music Style
William Hayes really admired the famous composer George Frideric Handel. Hayes was one of the most active conductors of Handel's large musical works, like oratorios, outside of London. An oratorio is a big musical story, often religious, performed by singers and an orchestra.
What Made His Music Special?
Even though he loved Handel's music, Hayes had his own unique style. He often wrote music for types of pieces that Handel didn't focus on much. These included:
- English chamber cantatas: These are smaller vocal pieces for one or two singers with instruments.
- Anthems with organ: These are songs for choirs, often sung in churches.
- Convivial vocal music: Fun songs for social gatherings.
His vocal works often used English song forms instead of the Italian "da capo aria" style, which was popular at the time. A da capo aria is a song where the first part is repeated at the end.
Hayes also liked to write music in a "learned" polyphonic style. This means music with many independent melodies woven together. You can hear this in his many canons (songs where different voices sing the same melody starting at different times) and his strict fugal movements in instrumental pieces. A fugue is a type of musical composition where a short melody is introduced by one part and then taken up by others.
Even though he didn't publish much of his instrumental music, his vocal works were very popular. Many amateur and professional musicians bought the printed versions. His important works like the ode The Passions, the short oratorio The Fall of Jericho, and his Six Cantatas show that he was one of the best English composers of his time.
Hayes as a Writer
Hayes also wrote books about music. His book Art of Composing Music was the first to describe "aleatoric composition." This is music created by chance, though Hayes wrote about it in a funny, satirical way. In his Remarks, he shared his thoughts on music, saying he preferred the music of Handel and Corelli over others like Rameau. He also wrote Anecdotes, which gives us a peek into how music festivals were organized in the mid-1700s.
Hayes left his large music library to his son, Philip Hayes, who was also a composer. Later, all their music manuscripts went to the Bodleian Library in Oxford.
Main Musical Works
Sacred Music
- The Fall of Jericho: An oratorio, written around 1740–1750.
- Sixteen Psalms: Published in London in 1773.
- David: An oratorio that his son Philip finished.
- About 20 anthems and church music pieces, found in Cathedral Music in Score, edited by Philip Hayes in 1795.
Secular Vocal Music
- 12 Arietts or Ballads and 2 Cantatas: Published in Oxford in 1735.
- When the fair consort: An ode, published in Oxford in 1735.
- Circe: A masque (a type of theatrical entertainment), performed in Oxford in 1742.
- Six Cantatas: Published in London in 1748.
- Peleus and Thetis: Around 1749.
- The Passions: An ode with words by William Collins, from 1750.
- Where shall the Muse: An ode, from 1751.
- Hark! Hark from every tongue: An ode, from 1759.
- Ode to the Memory of Mr. Handel: Around 1759.
- Daughters of Beauty: An ode, from 1773.
- Catches, Glees and Canons: Collections of short, fun vocal pieces, published in four books between 1757 and 1785.
Instrumental Music
- Six concerti grossi: These are pieces for a small group of solo instruments and a larger orchestra.
- The Rival Nations: A concerto.
- Bassoon concerto: This piece is now lost.
- Harpsichord concerto in G: Written around 1735–1740.
- Organ concerto in A.
- Organ concerto in D: From 1755.
- Six trio sonatas: Pieces for two solo instruments and a bass instrument.
Writings by William Hayes
- The Art of Composing Music by a Method Entirely New (London, 1751): A book about composing music.
- Remarks on Mr. Avison's Essay on Musical Expression (London, 1753): His thoughts on another musician's essay.
- Anecdotes of the Five Music Meetings (Oxford, 1768): Stories and details about music festivals.
