Complete Encyclopaedia of Music/B/Battishill, Jonathan
Battishill, Jonathan, was the son of an attorney, born in London in the year 1738. At the age of about nine years he was placed in the choir of St. Paul's, where he received the usual instructions in singing from Mr. Savage, who was at that time the master of the boys there. At an early age he was regularly articled as apprentice or pupil to this person, and prosecuted his studies with great diligence. This anxious spirit of research, combined with constant practice on the organ, (says the writer of his life in the "Public Characters,") at once stored his mind with those riches of harmonic combination and evolution on which he formed his style, and gave him a command of hand adequate to the execution of whatever his imagination suggested ; and at the expiration of his engagement with Mr. Savage, he was considered one of the best extemporary performers on the organ which his country could boast. He had not been long his own master before he was solicited to compose some songs for the theatre of Sadler's Wells; and he produced, for that place, several of the best ballads of the time. He was next engaged to preside at the harpsichord at Covent Garden Theatre ; and afterwards was appointed organist, first of the united parishes of St. Clement, Eastcheap, and St. Martin Orgar, and subsequently of Christ Church, Newgate Street. About this time, in conjunction with Michael Arne, he wrote the music of an opera entitled "Alcmena," the subject of which was taken from the Persian history. It was performed at Drury Lane in the year 1764, and excellent as the music was, the managers found it necessary, from the general insipidity of the drama, to lay it aside, after having been repeated five times. This piece was shortly afterwards succeeded by the "Rites of Hecate," a musical drama, in which he afforded further proofs of his very superior talent. Notwithstanding Battishill's numerous engagements with the theatre and his pupils, he by no means neglected the study of sacred music, but produced at different times several anthems and hymns, which, for their various excellences, have been much admired. In the composition of &Itches and glees, he has afforded numerous proofs of the diversity of his taste and genius. About the year 1770, he obtained the prize of the gold medal, given by the Noblemen's Catch Club, at the Thatched House, St. James's Street, to the composer of the best cheerful glee; this was obtained by his well-known glee for three voices, "Underneath this myrtle shade." In
1776, he published by subscription two excellent collections of three and four part songs.
Soon after his engagement at Covent Garden, Battishill married a Miss Davies, one of the vocal performers of that theatre. She died in
the year 1775, and from this period he dissipated much of his time in convivial parties, and so far gave way to excess, as gradually to under. mine his constitution. He died at Islington is 1801, aged sixty-three years ; and, according to his last request, was interred near Dr. Boyce, in the vaults of St. Paul's Cathedral. It has been stated that the memory of Battishill was such, that even the longest compositions of Handel, Corelli, or Arne, were always sufficiently present to his recollection, during the time he was playing them, to render the assistance of the text unnecessary. It is said, that if he had once heard music, the impression of it was al-most indelibly fixed on his mind ; and a very singular instance has been recited in proof of this fact. He was one day dining with Dr. Arnold, when he played, from memory, several passages of the doctor's oratorio of the " Prodigal Son," which he had not heard for thirty years, and which the doctor himself had entirely forgotten.
With respect to the general character of Battishill's compositions, they are marked by a peculiar strength of idea, great force and justness of expression, a masterly disposition, and a happy contrivance in the parts. Four of his anthems, "Call to remembrance," "How long wilt thou forget me, 0 Lord ?" "I will magnify thee, 0 Lord," and "Deliver us, 0 Lord our God," are printed in Page's Harmonia Sacra. He also left in manuscript at his death six anthems, several psalm tunes, and some glees, rondos, and songs. Some of his choruses in "Alcmena," for science, dignity, and expression, deserve to be classed with the first-rate productions. Most of his songs are likewise extremely energetic and vigorous ; this, in particular, is the characteristic of the two bass songs, "Poised in heaven's eternal scale," and " Thus when young Ammon marched along." As proofs of the beauty and originality of his fancy in ballad composition, every one will admit the charming pastoral melody of "Ye shepherds and nymphs of the grove," the mellifluous and affecting air of "When Damon languished at my feet," the expressive passages in "When beauty on the lover's cheek," and, above all, his popular song of "Kate of Aberdeen."