A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Spofforth, Reginald

by David Baptie

SPOFFORTH, Reginald, glee composer, born 1768 [App. p.796 "1770"] at Southwell, Nottingham, where his uncle, Thomas Spofforth, was organist of the minster. From him and from Dr. Benjamin Cooke he probably derived all his instruction in music. About 1787 or 1788 he wrote a glee—probably his first—for three male voices, 'Lightly o'er the village green,' and in 1793 obtained two prizes from the 'Glee Club,' for his glees 'See! smiling from the rosy East,' and 'Where are those hours,' which brought him prominently forward. About 1799 he published a 'Set of Six Glees,' one of which, 'Hail, smiling morn,' at once caught the public ear, and has ever since retained its popularity. Another, 'Fill high the grape's exulting stream,' gained a prize in 1810. Spofforth's masterpieces however are not among his prize glees, and 'Come, bounteous May,' 'Mark'd you her eye,' 'Health to my dear,' and 'How calm the evening'—all for male voices—are among the finest specimens of his genius. Few English composers perhaps have excelled Spofforth in lively fancy, joined to pure chaste style. For several years before his death his health was bad, and he died at Kensington [App. p.796 "Brompton"] Sept. 8, 1827. After his death W. Hawes published a number of his MS. glees, but some of these pieces are crude and imperfect, and probably not intended for publication. Reginald's younger brother, Samuel, was born in 1780, appointed organist of Peterborough Cathedral when only eighteen, and in 1807 was made organist of Lichfield Cathedral. He died June 6, 1864, and is now best known as the composer of a once popular chant.

[ D. B. ]