an instrument for Worcester Cathedral, the two departments of which were referred to collectively in the following extract:—'A.D. 1613. All the materials and workmanship of the new double-organ in the Cathedral Church of Worcester by Thomas Dalham, organ-maker, came to £211.' The name 'Chayre organ' is also given to the smaller one. At length, in the contract for the York Cathedral Organ, dated 1632, we find the word 'great' applied to an organ as a whole—'touchinge the makeinge of a great organ for the said church,'—although farther on in the agreement a 'great organ' and 'chaire organ' (in front) are specified.
[ E. J. H. ]
GREAVES, Thomas, a lutenist, published in 1604 a work intitled 'Songs of Sundrie Kindes; first Aires to be sung to the Lute and Base Violl. Next, Songs of Sadnesse, for the Viols and Voyces. Lastly, Madrigalles for five Voyces.' It consists of 21 pieces; 15 songs and 6 madrigals. On the title-page the composer describes himself as 'Lutenist to Sir Henrie Pierrepoint, Knight,' to whom he dedicates his work. Nothing is known of his biography.
[ W. H. H. ]
GRECCO, Gaetano, born at Naples about 1680, pupil of A. Scarlatti, whom he succeeded as teacher of composition in the Conservatorio dei Poveri, where he had Pergolesi and Vinci for his pupils. From thence he passed to the Conservatorio di San Onofrio. The date of his death is unknown. None of his music appears to have been printed, and only a very few pieces are known in MS.
[ G. ]
GREEN, James, an organist at Hull, published in 1734 'A Book of Psalmody, containing Chanting Tunes for the Canticles and the reading Psalms, with eighteen Anthems and a variety of Psalm tunes in four parts,' which was very favourably received, and ran through many editions. The eleventh appeared in 1751.
[ W. H. H. ]
GREEN, Samuel, a celebrated organ builder, born in 1740, studied the art of organ building under the elder Byfield, Bridge, and Jordan. After commencing business on his own account he erected many instruments in conjunction with the younger Byfield, with whom he was for some years in partnership. Green became the most esteemed organ builder of his day, his instruments being distinguished by peculiar sweetness and delicacy of tone. There exist more cathedral organs by him than any other builder; though most of them have been since altered and added to. He erected those in the cathedrals of Bangor, 1779; Canterbury, 1784; Wells, 1786; Cashel, 1786; Lichfield, 1789; Rochester, 1791; and Salisbury, 1792: in Winchester College chapel, 1780; St. George's chapel, Windsor, 1790; and Trinity College chapel, Dublin: in the following churches, chapels, etc. in London, viz. St. Botolph, Aldersgate; Broad Street, Islington; St. Catherine-by-the-Tower; Freemasons' Hall; The Magdalen Hospital; St. Mary-at-Hill; St. Michael, Cornhill; St. Olave, Hart Street; and St. Peter-le-Poor: in the following provincial cities and towns, Aberdeen; Ardwick, near Manchester; Bath; Bolton-le-Moors; Chatham; Cirencester; Cranbourne; Greenwich Hospital; Helston; Leigh; Loughborough; Macclesfield; Nayland; Sleaford; Stockport (St. Peter's); Tamworth; Tunbridge; Walsall; Walton; Wisbech; Wrexham; and Wycombe: at St. Petersburg, and Kingston, Jamaica. He also repaired the organ erected by Dallans in 1632 in York Minster (destroyed by fire in 1829) and that in New College, Oxford. Green died at Isleworth, Sept. 14, 1796. Although always fully employed he died in straitened circumstances, and left little, if any, provision for his family, having invariably expended his gains in the prosecution of experiments with a view to the improvement of the mechanism of the organ. After his death his widow continued to carry on the business for some years.
[ W. H. H. ]
GREENE, Maurice, Mus. Doc., one of the two younger sons of the Rev. Thomas Greene, D.D., vicar of the united parishes of St. Olave, Old Jewry, and St. Martin, Ironmonger Lane (or Pomary), and grandson of John Greene, Recorder of London, was born in London about 1696. He received his early musical education as a chorister of St. Paul's Cathedral, under Charles King. On the breaking of his voice he was articled to Richard Brind, then organist of the cathedral. He soon distinguished himself both at the organ and in composition. In 1716 he obtained (it was said chiefly through the interest of his uncle, Serjeant Greene) the appointment of organist of St. Dunstan's in the West, Fleet Street, and, on the death of Daniel Purcell, in 1717, was chosen organist of St. Andrew's, Holborn. He held both those places until the following year, when, on the death of Brind, he became organist of St. Paul's, and in 1727, on the death of Dr. Croft, organist and composer to the Chapel Royal. Greene had a strong admiration for the genius of Handel, and assiduously courted his friendship; and, by admitting him to perform on the organ at St. Paul's, for which instrument Handel had an especial liking, had become very intimate with him. Handel, however, discovering that Greene was paying the like court to his rival, Buononcini, cooled in his regard for him, and soon ceased to have any association with him. In 1728, by the artifice of Buononcini, Greene was made the instrument of introducing to the Academy of Ancient Music a madrigal ('In una siepe ombrosa') as a composition of Buononcini's. This madrigal was three or four years later proved to have been composed by Lotti. The discovery of the fraud led to the [1]expulsion of Buononcini from the Academy, and Greene, believing, or affecting to believe, that his friend had been unjustly treated, withdrew from it, carrying off with him the St. Paul's boys, and, in conjunction with another friend, Festing, established a rival concert in the great room called 'The Apollo' at the
- ↑ A hard fate; for it is difficult to see that Buononcini was more dishonest than Handel was when he included a fugue of Kerl's in Israel in Egypt as 'Egypt was glad,' without a word to show that it was not his own.
