In 88, having married a lady of considerable fortune, he retired from the public exercise of his profession. In 1821 he resumed its duties for one day, to play, as a member of the King's band, at the coronation of George IV. Fétis says that about 1772 Crosdill visited Paris, where he took lessons of the elder Janson; that he resided in Paris for some years, and played in the orchestra of the 'Concerts des Amateurs' at the 'Loge Olympique'; and that he returned to London about 1780. But this account cannot be correct as respects the dates, as we have seen that Crosdill was engaged in England during the greater part of the time mentioned by Fétis. His visit was probably in 1778–79 and occupied some months instead of some years. Crosdill died in October 1825 at Eskrick, Yorkshire, leaving all his property to his only son, Lieutenant Colonel Crosdill, of the East India Company's service, who, by his father's desire, presented to the Royal Society of Musicians the munificent donation of 1000l.
[ W. H. H. ]
CROSS, Thomas, an engraver of music in the latter part of the 17th and early part of the 18th centuries. He resided in Catherine Wheel Court, on the south side of Snow Hill, near Snow Hill Conduit. At a time when printing by metal types was the almost universally adopted means for placing music before the public, he commenced the issue of a long succession of single songs engraved on copper plates by the graver, and printed on one side only of the leaf, and led the way to the general adoption of that method of printing music. Henry Hall, organist of Hereford Cathedral, mentions him in some verses prefixed to Dr. Blow's 'Amphion Anglicus,' 1700;
'While at the shops we daily dangling view
False concord by Tom Cross engraven true.'
And again in some lines prefixed to the second book of Purcell's 'Orpheus Britannicus,' 1702;
'Then honest Cross might copper cut in vain.'
It is probable that he engraved some of the earlier publications of the elder Walsh.
Thomas Cross, junior, his son, was a stamper of music, and (according to Sir John Hawkins) 'stamped the plates of Geminiani's Solos and a few other publications, but in a very homely and illegible character, of which he was so little conscious that he set his name to everything he did, even to single songs.' He probably bore in mind his father's superscription, 01'Exactly engraved by T. Cross.'
[ W. H. H. ]
CROSSE, John, [App. p.601 "date of birth July 7, 1786"] a native of, and resident in, Hull, published in 1825 a large quarto volume entitled 'An Account of the Grand Musical Festival held in September, 1823, in the Cathedral Church of York, … to which is prefixed a Sketch of the rise and progress of Musical Festivals in Great Britain, with biographical and historical notes'—an admirably executed work, replete with valuable and useful information. He died in 1829 [App. p.601 "Oct. 20, 1833"].
[ W. H. H. ]
CROTCH, William, Mus. Doc., was born at Norwich, July 5, 1775. His father, a master carpenter, who combined a taste for music and mechanics, had constructed for himself a small organ. When little more than two years old the child evinced a strong desire to get to this instrument, and being placed before it, contrived shortly to play something like the tune of 'God, save the King,' which he soon was able to play with its bass, and other tunes. His ear was remarkably sensitive, and readily distinguished any note when struck, or detected faulty intonation. The Hon. Daines Barrington, a well-known amateur, published an interesting account of him, and Dr. Burney communicated to the Royal Society an account, which was printed in the Philosophical Transactions for 1779. In the spring of 1780 [App. p.601 "Oct. 1779"] the child was brought to London, and performed in public on the organ. Besides his musical ability he displayed considerable skill in drawing, to which art he remained attached through life, and attained to much eminence in it. In 1786 Crotch went to Cambridge, and remained there about two years as assistant to Dr. Randall, the Professor of Music, and organist of Trinity and King's Colleges, and Great St. Mary's Church. At fourteen years of age he composed an oratorio, 'The Captivity of Judah,' which was performed at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, June 4, 1789. In 1788 he removed to Oxford, where he studied, under the patronage of the Rev. A. C. Schomberg, of Magdalen College, with a view of entering the church. His patron dying, he resumed the profession of music, and in September, 1790, was appointed, on the death of Thomas Norris, organist of Christ Church. On June 5, 1794, he graduated as Bachelor of Music. In March, 1797, he succeeded Dr. Philip Hayes, deceased, as organist of St. John's College, and Professor of Music in the University. On Nov. 21, 1799, he proceeded Doctor of Music, composing as his exercise Dr. Joseph Warton's 'Ode to Fancy,' the score of which he afterwards published. From 1800 to 1804 he delivered lectures in the Music School. In 1812 he produced his oratorio 'Palestine,' which was received with great favour, and also published a treatise on the 'Elements of Musical Composition.' About 1820 he was appointed music lecturer at the Royal Institution, London, and on the establishment of the Royal Academy of Music in 1822 was placed at its head as principal. [App. p.601 "He lectured at the Royal Institution in 1804, 5 and 7, and again from 1820 onwards."] On June 10, 1834, he produced at Oxford, on the installation of the Duke of Wellington as Chancellor, an oratorio, 'The Captivity of Judah,' wholly different from his juvenile work bearing the same title.[1] On June 28 in the same year he made his last public appearance as a performer, by acting as organist for part of the third day's performance at the Royal Musical Festival in Westminster Abbey. Dr. Crotch died at Taunton at the house of his son, the Rev. William Robert Crotch, then Head Master of the Grammar School there, where he had for some time resided, while seated at dinner, Dec. 29, 1847, and was interred in the neighbouring church of Bishop's Hull, where a monumental inscription is placed
- ↑ The MS. is now (1876) in possession of the Rev. Sir F. Ouseley, Bart.
