From the year that first crowned his efforts with success, to 1792, Mr. Webbe had no less than twenty-seven medals awarded him, for glees, catches, canons and odes. But here it may not be irrelevant to remark, that four of his finest compositions, namely, ‘When winds breathe soft,’ ‘Hence, all ye vain delights,’ ‘The mighty conqueror of hearts,’ and ‘To me the wanton girls insulting say,’ were unsuccessful candidates for the golden honours bestowed on works of inferior merit; while of the many medals he obtained, not more than seven or eight were given for compositions that are now known. Eight, indeed, were the reward of useless mechanical labor, exhibited in the form of canons, none of which have survived the composer; and seven were the meed of catches, one of which, ‘To the old, long life and treasure,’ still maintains its ground.
On the death of Mr. Warren Horne, in 1784, Mr. Webbe was appointed Secretary to the Nobleman’s Catch-club, which office he held till his decease.
On the establishment of the Glee club, in 1787, Mr. Webbe became a professional member, and librarian. It was for this society he wrote his glee of perennial popularity, ‘Glorious Apollo,’ both words and music. During the time that he was actively pursuing his professional occupations, he found leisure to acquire an extensive knowledge of the German and Hebrew languages, and made himself conversant in many branches of polite literature. He even wooed the Muses, and of several of his works the poetry as well as music is believed to be from his pen. He also excelled in fencing and dancing, and added to his various accomplishments a simplicity of manners and benevolence of disposition, that endeared him to a large circle of acquaintance, among whom were some of the most distinguished persons of his day.
Mr. Webbe’s glees, &c., amount in number to one hundred and seven, and have been published in three large volumes. Besides these, he was the author of masses, (being a catholic) anthems, single songs, &c., many of them well known, but too numerous to be specified here. He died in 1817.
JOHN STAFFORD SMITH, who is still living, though he has long since retired to privacy, is a native of Gloucester, where he was born about the year 1750. His father, who was organist of that cathedral, having instructed him in the principles of music, sent him to London to complete his musical education under Dr. Boyce. At an early age he was appointed one of the gentlemen of the Chapels Royal, and on the death of Dr. Arnold, in 1802, he became organist of the same. In 1805 he succeeded Dr. Ayrton as master of the King’s choristers, which office he resigned in 1817, and shortly after withdrew from all professional employment.
When only twenty-three years of age, in 1773, Mr. Smith obtained the prize for a catch, which had, in fact, nothing to recommend it but that kind of grossness so much admired in those days; but the year following produced his fine serious glee, ‘Let happy lovers fly where pleasures call,’ to which the prize given by the Catch-club was most justly allotted. The same honour was with equal discrimination conferred in the three succeeding years, on his ‘Blest pair of syrens,’ ‘While fools their time in stormy strife employ,’ and ‘Return, blest days.’ He obtained in the whole eight of them honourable distinctions; but his very delightful, cheerful glees, ‘Let us, my Lesbia,’ and ‘As on a summer’s day,’ missed the reward due to them. Mr. Smith also is author of a madrigal, ‘Flora now calleth forth each flower,’ a work which, for contrivance and effect, may compete with anything of the kind extant. He likewise published a volume under the title of Musica Antiqua. containing specimens of the earliest compositions; and another, a collection of Ancient Songs; both of which bear testimony to his industry and research, and now form a part of every valuable musical library.
STEPHEN PAXTON.—Of this sweet composer nothing whatever is recorded, except the years when he obtained prizes for his glees. In 1779 he gained a medal for ‘How sweet, how fresh, this vernal day!’ in 1781 for ‘Round the hapless Andre’s urn;’ and in 1783, 1784, and 1785, for a catch, a glee, ‘Blest power!’ and an ode. He also composed ‘Go, Damon, go!’ the answer to ‘Turn, Amaryllis,’ and ‘Upon the poplar bough,’ two admirable glees. He had a brother, William, who wrote the delicious three-voiced glee, ‘Breathe soft, ye winds,’ in E; likewise a canon, which gained a prize in 1780. One of the Paxtons, but we cannot ascertain which, was a distinguished performer on the violoncello, and alternately with Crosdill, afterwards with Cervetto, played first violoncello at the Ancient Concerts.