William Tans'ur
Encyclopedia
William Tans'ur (6 November 1706, Dunchurch
– 7 October 1783, St. Neots) was an English
hymn
-writer, psalmodist
and teacher of music. His output includes approximately a hundred hymn tune
s and psalm settings and a Te Deum
. His manual A New Musical Grammar (1746) was still popular in the nineteenth century.
, Warwickshire
to Edward Tanzer, a labourer, and Joan Alibone. In 1730 he married Elizabeth Butler and moved to Ewell, near Epsom
. They had at least two sons. He taught psalmody
in various places in the south-east of England, before moving to St Neots
in Cambridgeshire
, where he worked as a bookseller and music teacher, and spent the last forty years of his life.
Dunchurch
Dunchurch is a civil parish and village on the south-western outskirts of Rugby in Warwickshire, England. The 2001 census recorded a population of 2,842 in the village.- History :...
– 7 October 1783, St. Neots) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
-writer, psalmodist
West gallery music
West Gallery Music, also known as "Georgian psalmody" refers to the sacred music sung and played in English parish churches, as well as nonconformist chapels, from 1700 to around 1850...
and teacher of music. His output includes approximately a hundred hymn tune
Hymn tune
A hymn tune is the melody of a musical composition to which a hymn text is sung. Musically speaking, a hymn is generally understood to have four-part harmony, a fast harmonic rhythm , and no refrain or chorus....
s and psalm settings and a Te Deum
Te Deum
The Te Deum is an early Christian hymn of praise. The title is taken from its opening Latin words, Te Deum laudamus, rendered literally as "Thee, O God, we praise"....
. His manual A New Musical Grammar (1746) was still popular in the nineteenth century.
Life
Tans'ur was born in DunchurchDunchurch
Dunchurch is a civil parish and village on the south-western outskirts of Rugby in Warwickshire, England. The 2001 census recorded a population of 2,842 in the village.- History :...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
to Edward Tanzer, a labourer, and Joan Alibone. In 1730 he married Elizabeth Butler and moved to Ewell, near Epsom
Epsom
Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England. Small parts of Epsom are in the Borough of Reigate and Banstead. The town is located south-south-west of Charing Cross, within the Greater London Urban Area. The town lies on the chalk downland of Epsom Downs.-History:Epsom lies...
. They had at least two sons. He taught psalmody
West gallery music
West Gallery Music, also known as "Georgian psalmody" refers to the sacred music sung and played in English parish churches, as well as nonconformist chapels, from 1700 to around 1850...
in various places in the south-east of England, before moving to St Neots
St Neots
St Neots is a town and civil parish with a population of 26,356 people. It lies on the River Great Ouse in Huntingdonshire District, approximately north of central London, and is the largest town in Cambridgeshire . The town is named after the Cornish monk St...
in Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, where he worked as a bookseller and music teacher, and spent the last forty years of his life.
Works
- A Compleat Melody, or The Harmony of Sion, 1734
- The Melody of the Heart, 1737
- Heaven on earth, or the Beauty of Holiness, 1738
- Sacred Mirth, or the Pious Soul's Daily Delight, 1739
- Poetical Meditations, 1740
- The Universal Harmony, containing the Whole Book of Psalms, 1743
- The Royal Melody Compleat, 1754–5 (8 editions, revised as The American Harmony, 1771)
- The Psalm Singer's Jewel, or Useful Companion to the Book of Psalms, 1760
- Melodia Sacra, or the Devout Psalmist's Musical Companion, 1771
- The Elements of Music Displayed, 1772
External links
- Biography at the Cyber Hymnal