William Knyvett (singer) facts for kids

William Knyvett (1779–1856) was a British singer and composer from the 1800s. He was known for his beautiful voice and for writing popular songs.

Early Life and Musical Training

William Knyvett was born on April 21, 1779, probably in London. His father, Charles Knyvett, was also a musician. William learned music from his father and from other famous teachers like Samuel Webbe and Giovanni Battista Cimador.

When he was just nine years old, in 1788, William sang in the high-pitched boys' choir at the Concerts of Antient Music. This was a very important series of concerts. By 1795, he was singing as a main alto singer there.

A Career in Music

In 1797, William became one of the "gentlemen" singers at the Chapel Royal. This was a special group of musicians who sang for the King. Soon after, he also became a lay vicar at Westminster Abbey, another important musical role.

In 1802, William took over from Dr. Samuel Arnold as one of the official composers for the Chapel Royal. Even though his natural voice was a deep bass, he often sang the higher alto parts using his falsetto voice. He was part of a famous group of singers and performed at many concerts in London and at music festivals across the country for over 40 years.

A famous song called "!With sighs, sweet Rose" was even written just for him by John Wall Callcott.

Conductor and Composer

William Knyvett became a conductor too. In 1832, he took over as the conductor for the Concerts of Antient Music, a job he held until 1840. He also conducted the Birmingham festivals from 1834 to 1843 and the York festival in 1835. He was one of the last musical leaders who followed the old traditions of conducting large musical works called oratorios, much like the famous composer George Frideric Handel.

William Knyvett also wrote many popular songs. Some of his well-known pieces include:

• "There is a flower"
• "My love is like the red, red rose" (1803)
• "The Bells of St. Michael's Tower" (1810)
• "The Boatie Rows" (1810)
• "The Midges' Dance"
• "As it fell upon a day" (1812)

He also wrote a special glee (a song for several voices) called "When the fair rose." He won a prize for this song in 1800 from the Harmonic Society. The prize was given to him by his supporter, the Prince of Wales. More than 35 of his songs were printed and published.

William also wrote some important pieces that were not published during his lifetime. These included a grand anthem called "The King shall rejoice," which was performed for the coronation of King George IV. He also wrote "This is the day the Lord has made" for the coronation of Queen Victoria.

Later Life and Family

Sadly, William Knyvett lost a lot of his money because of some bad investments. He passed away on November 17, 1856, in Ryde, on the Isle of Wight.

In 1826, he married his second wife, Deborah Travis. She was also a talented singer and was especially known for her deep understanding of Handel's music. She sang at the Concerts of Antient Music starting in 1813 and at other major London concerts until 1843. Deborah Knyvett died on February 10, 1876.