A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Sympson, Christopher

by William Henry Husk

SYMPSON (or SIMPSON, as he sometimes spelled his name), Christopher, was an eminent performer on, and teacher of the viol, in the 17th century. During the Civil War he served in the army raised by William Cavendish, Duke of Newcastle, in support of the royal cause, and afterwards became an inmate of the house of Sir Robert Bolles, a Leicestershire baronet, whose son he taught. In 1655 he annotated Dr. Campion's 'Art of Setting or Composing of Musick in Parts,' another edition of which appeared in 1664, and the tract and annotations were added to several of the early editions of Playford's 'Introduction to the Skill of Musick.' [See Campion, Thomas, and Playford, John.] In 1659 he published 'The Division Violist, or, An Introduction to the Playing upon a Ground,' dedicated to his patron, Sir Robert Bolles, for the instruction of whose son he tells us the book was originally prepared, with commendatory verses by Dr. Charles Colman, John Jenkins, Matthew Lock, John Carwarden, and Edward Galsthorp, prefixed. In 1665 he published a second edition with a Latin translation printed in parallel columns with the English text, and the double title, 'Chelys, Minuritionum Artificio Exornata sive, Minuritiones ad Basin, etiam Ex-tempore Modulandi Ratio. The Division Viol, or, The Art of Playing Ex-tempore upon a Ground,' dedicated to his former pupil, Sir John Bolles, who had succeeded to the baronetcy. A third edition appeared in 1712, to which a portrait of Sympson, finely engraved by Faithorne, after J. Carwarden, was prefixed. In 1665 he published 'The Principles of Practical Musick,' of which he issued a second edition in 1667, under the title of 'A Compendium of Practical Musick, in five Parts. Teaching, by a New and Easie Method, 1. The Rudiments of Song. 2. The Principles of Composition. 3. The Use of Discords. 4. The Form of Figurate Descant. 5. The Contrivance of Canon.' This was dedicated to the Duke of Newcastle, and had commendatory verses by Matthew Lock and John Jenkins prefixed. It became popular, and other editions with additions appeared in 1678, 1706, 1714, 1722, 1727, and 1732, and an undated edition about 1760. A portrait of the author, drawn and engraved by Faithorne, is prefixed to the first eight editions. Sir John Hawkins in his History gives a long description of the Division Viol and Compendium (Novello's edition, pp. 708–712). He tells us also that Sympson 'dwelt some years in Turnstile, Holborn, and finished his life there' (at what date is not stated), and that he was of the Romish communion.

[ W. H. H. ]