Immanuel’s Ground tries to include local composers in their repertoire whenever possible.
From Warwickshire:
- John Barker, fl.1750, organist at Coventry;
- William Beasley, of Brinklow, near Coventry, fl.1789 – a mystery composer;
- Capel Bond, organist at Coventry (1730–1790);
- Michael Broome, of Birmingham (b. ca. 1700, Abingdon, Berks);
- Rev’d G Burder, of Coventry, fl.1777;
- Thomas Collins, of Nuneaton, fl.1790;
- Dr William Croft, born in Nether Ettington, Warwickshire, 1678;
- Richard Drayton, of Coventry, fl.1727;
- Rev’d John Eagleton, born Coventry 1785, d.1832;
- John Geary, organist at Caldecote, fl.1780;
- John Hill, (also from the same period as Joseph Key), who started his musical life in Kent, at Lydd, but later moved to Rugby where much of his music was written;
- James Kempson (1742-1822) was the first choir master at St Paul’s, Birmingham;
- Joseph Key, of Warwick and Nuneaton, whose Psalms and Anthems stem from the earlier part of the west gallery period (last third of the 18th century);
- John Moreton, of Birmingham;
- William Perry (1765–1843), organist and quire master at the Congregational Chapel in Cow Lane, Warwick (later known as Brook Street Chapel). His son, William Groves Perry (b.1796), followed in his footsteps as organist at the same chapel. William Groves Perry was also a printer, bookseller, and ran a stationer’s shop in Warwick;
- Robert Price, fl.1771–81, Coventry;
- William Tanzer (also spelled “Tans’ur”), baptised 1706 in Dunchurch;
- Joseph Watts, of Fenny Compton, fl.1749, an early local composer known for using fuguing tunes;
🗺️ Historical Maps: Warwickshire and Birmingham
From Northamptonshire:
- Thomas Jarman (1776–1861), from Clipston(e);
- Francis Timbrell, fl.1717, although he moved frequently.
From Leicestershire:
- John Arnold who wrote The Leicestershire Harmony in 1759, though originally from Great Warley, Essex. The full title of the book is: The Leicestershire Harmony. Containing a Set of Excellent Psalm-Tunes and Anthems, Entirely New. Also Two New Chanting-Tunes for Te Deum and Magnificat. The Whole composed, in Modern Taste, for Four Voices, By an Eminent Master of the County of Leicester; And now first published For the Use of Country Churches;
- John Valentine (fl 1735-1792).
From Oxfordshire:
- Michael Beesly, b.1700, fl.1740, who published early books of music, including some of the first printed ‘fuguing’ tunes, in both Oxford and Blewbury;
- Francis Saunders, of Thame, Oxfordshire (1817–c.1875), who published The Oxfordshire Melodist in 1844;
- Isaac Skillern, who published a book of music Six Anthems and Twelve Psalm Tunes in Abingdon in 1785;
- Amram Taylor, of Ambrosden, Oxfordshire (1802–1855), who published The Sacred Harp in 1842;
- Daniel Warner, of Ewelme;
- Matthew Wilkins, of Great Milton, Oxfordshire (1704–1772).
Works by composers like Amram Taylor and Francis Saunders were featured at the 2006 Mid-Shires’ Quires’ Day at Byfield, alongside the more well-known Thomas Jarman from Clipston. These works continue to be firm favourites.