Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

SMITH SMITH 489
quary. In 1773 he was awarded two prizes by
the Catch Club, one for a catch, 'Here flat,'
and the other for a canon, remember '
not the
sins. ' In the next four years he gained prizes
'
for the following compositions : Let happy
lovers fly,' glee, 1774; 'Since Phillis has
bubbled, ' catch, and ' Blest pair of syrens, ' glee
(five voices), 1775 ; 'While fools their time,'
glee, 1776 ; and 'Return, blest days,' glee, 1777.
He rendered great assistance to Sir John Hawkins
in the production of his History, not only by
reducing ancient compositions into modem
notation, but also by the loan of some valuable
early MSS. from his extensive and curious
library, from which Sir John culled several
pieces to enrich his Appendix. In 1779 he
published 'A Collection of English Songs, in
score, for three and four voices, composed about
the year 1500. Taken from MSS. of the same
age ' ; among which is the Agincourt song, Our
'
king went forth to Normandy.' (See English
'
Carols of the Fifteenth Century.') In 1780 he
won another prize from the Catch Club by his
ode, 'When to the Muses' haunted hill.' He
published at various times five collections of
glees, containing compositions which place him
in the foremost rank of English glee composers.
Besides his prize glees they include 'As on a
summer's day,' 'What shall he have that killed
the deer?' 'Hark, the hollow woods resounding,'
and the madrigal ' Flora now calleth forth each
flower.' Fourteen glees, fourteen catches, four
canons, two rounds, an ode, a madrigal, and a
motet by him are given in Warren's collections.
He also published a collection of songs (1785),
and Twelve Chants composed '
for the use of the
Choirs of the Church of England.' On Deo. 16,
1784, after having for many years oflSciated as
a deputy, he was appointed a gentleman of the
Chapel Eoyal, and on Feb. 22, 1785, a lay
vicar of Westminster Abbey, being installed,
after his year of probation, April 18, 1786. In
1 790 he was engaged as organist at Gloucester
Festival. In 1793 he published a volume of
'
Anthems, composed for the Choir Service of
the Church of England.' In 1802, upon the
death of Dr. Arnold, he was appointed one of
the organists of the Chapel Royal, and on May
14, 1805, upon the resignation of Dr. Ayrton,
succeeded him as Master of the Children. In
1812 he produced his interesting work ' Musica
Antiqua.' [See vol. iii. pp. 328-9.] In June 1817
he resigned the Mastership of the Children of
the Chapel Royal. Besides the before-named
compositions he produced An Ode on the First
'
of April, ' for voices and instruments, which was
never published. A MS. Introdibction to the Art
of composing Mxbsic, by him, is in the library of
the Sacred Harmonic Society, which also contains
his Musical Commonplace Book. He died
in London, Sept. 21, 1836. By his will, dated
Jan. 21, 1834, he bequeathed all his property to
his only surviving daughter, Gertrude Stafford
Smith and appointed her sole executrix. A few
years afterwards she became insane, and in 1844
the Commissioner in Lunacy ordered that her
property should be realised and the proceeds
invested for her benefit. Through ignorance or
carelessness the contents of her house (which included
her father's valuable library, remarkably
rich in ancient English musical manuscripts)
were entrusted for sale to an incompetent
auctioneer. The library was sold April 24, 1 844,
such books as were described at all being catalogued
from the backs and heaped together in
lots, each containing a dozen or more works ;
2191 volumes were thrown into lots described
as Fifty books, ' various,' etc. The printed
music was similarly dealt with ; the MSS.
were not even described as such, but were
lumped in lots of twenties and fifties, and called
so many volumes of music' ' 578 volumes were
so disposed of, and there were besides five lots
each containing a quantity of music' The
'
sale took place in Gray's Inn Road ; Smith's
name did not appear on the catalogue ; nothing
was done to attract the attention of the musical
world, and two dealers, who had obtained information
of the sale, purchased many of the lots at
very low prices. These after a time were brought
into the market, but it is feared the greater
part of the MSS. is altogether lost. w. H. H.
SMITH, MoNTEM. See under Smith, Geokge
TOWNSHEND.
SMITH, Robert Archibald, bom at Reading,
Nov. 16, 1780. His father, a Paisley silkweaver,
finding his trade declining in Reading,
removed back to Paisley in 1800. Robert soon
showed a great aptitude for music, and at ten
could play the violin. In 1 807 he was appointed
precentor at the Abbey Church, Paisley, a situation
which he filled for many years. While
there he made the acquaintance of Robert Tannahill
the poet, many of whose fine lyrics he set
to music. One of these, ' Jessie, the Flow'r o'
Dunblane,' published in 1808, at once made its
mark, and was universally admired.
Smith possessed a fine vein of melody, and in
vocal composition had at that time perhaps no
equal in Scotland. In 1820 he began to publish
[edited by Lady Nairne and other ladies] The
'
Scottish Minstrel' (6 vols. Svo, 1820-24), containing
several hxindreds of the best Scottish
songs, not a few of them his own, frequently
without indication. It is still considered a good
compilation. In August 1823 he obtained the
leadership of the psalmody at St. George's
Church, Edinburgh. Besides anthems and
other pieces (published in 1810 and 1819, most
of the former written for the boys of George
Heriot's Hospital), Smith now found time to
publish his 'Irish Minstrel,' [which was suppressed
owing to an infringement ol Moore's copyright,]
followed in 1826 hy an ' Introduction to
Singing,' and in 1827 by ' Select Melodies of all
Nations,' in one volume, one of his best works.
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