A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Cooke, Thomas

by William H. Husk

COOKE, Thomas Simpson, familiarly known as Tom Cooke, was born in Dublin in 1782. Evincing early a taste for music he studied under his father, and made such rapid progress as to perform in public a violin concerto when only seven years of age. He received instruction in composition from Giordani. When only fifteen he was appointed leader of the band at the theatre in Crow Street, Dublin, in which situation he continued several years, and composed several musical pieces. On one of his benefit nights he announced himself to sing the tenor part of The Seraskier, in Storace's opera 'The Siege of Belgrade,' an experiment which proved quite successful, and led to his removal to London, where he made his first appearance, in the same character, at the English Opera House, Lyceum, on July 13, 1813. On Sept. 14, 1815, he appeared as Don Carlos in 'The Duenna,' at Drury Lane Theatre, where he continued as a principal tenor singer for nearly twenty years. During this period, on one of his benefit nights, he exhibited the versatility of his talents by performing in succession on the violin, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, violoncello, double bass, and pianoforte. About 1823 he undertook, alternately with his duty as tenor singer, the duty of leader of the band. [App. p.597 adds that "in 1821 he was called 'director of the music at Drury Lane Theatre' (Quarterly Musical Magazine), and that from 1828 to 1830 he was one of the musical managers of Vauxhall Gardens."] Some years later he was engaged, at Drury Lane and Covent Garden, as director of the music and conductor. He was a member of the Philharmonic Society, and occasionally led the band or conducted the concerts. In 1846 he succeeded John Loder as leader at the Concert of Antient Music. For several years he held the post of principal tenor singer at the chapel of the Bavarian Embassy. [App. p.597 "He relinquished his post at the Bavarian Embassy in 1838."] He died at his house in Great Portland Street, Feb. 26, 1848, and was buried at Kensal Green cemetery. Cooke's compositions were numerous and varied. He wrote much for the theatre, but his music of that description has mostly passed out of memory. As a glee composer he was more successful, and several of his compositions of that class obtained prizes from the Catch and Glee Clubs. As a singing-master he had a deserved reputation, and several of his pupils achieved distinction; amongst them Miss M. Tree, Mrs. Austin, Miss Povey, Miss Rainforth, the Misses A. and M. Williams, and Mr. Sims Reeves. He wrote a treatise on singing, which was much esteemed. Cooke's principal dramatic pieces were 'Frederick the Great,' 1814; 'The King's Proxy,' 1815; 'The Count of Anjou,' 1816; 'A Tale of Other Times' (with Bochsa), 1822; 'The Wager, or, The Midnight Hour,' 1825; 'Oberon, or, The Charmed Horn,' 1826; 'Malvina,' 1826; 'The Boy of Santillane,' 1827; 'The Brigand,' 1829, one song in which, 'Gentle Zitella,' attained great popularity; 'Peter the Great,' 1829; 'The Dragon's Gift,' 1830; 'The Ice Witch,' 1831; 'Hyder Ali,' 1831; 'St. Patrick's Eve,' 1832; 'King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table,' 1835; [App. p.597 adds "'Abu Hassan' (adapted from Weber), April, 1825; 'The White Lady' (from Boieldieu), Oct. 1826; 'Isidore de Merida' (from Storace), 1828; 'Acis and Galatea,' 1842; 'The Follies of a Night,' 1845. (Dict. of Nat. Biog.)"] additional songs for 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' 1840. He also adapted several foreign operas to the English stage, after a fashion in vogue in his time, i. e. omitting much that the composer wrote, and supplying its place by compositions of his own. He published 'Six Glees for 3 and 4 voices' in 1844, besides many singly. Among his glees which gained prizes were 'Hail! bounteous Nature,' 1829; 'Come, spirits of air,' 1830; 'Let us drain the nectared bowl,' 1830; 'Thou beauteous spark of heavenly birth,' 1832; 'O fair are thy flowerets,' 1836: he likewise obtained a prize for his catch, 'Let's have a catch and not a glee,' 1832. Cooke had considerable abilities as a wit and humourist. His eldest son, Henry Angelo Michael (commonly known as Grattan) Cooke, was educated in the Royal Academy of Music, and for many years held the post of principal oboe in all the best orchestras, and was subsequently band-master of the second regiment of Life Guards.

[ W. H. H. ]