Clarke, Jeremiah

Composer

b c1674 (some give earlier dates), d St Paul’s, London 1707. See also the entry (above) for Jer Clark. Chorister at the Chapel Royal, organist at Winchester College, then from 1695 at St Paul’s Cathedral during rebuilding. With choirmaster John Blow he almost certainly played at its re-opening in Dec 1697 and was probably its first official organist, later Master of the Choristers and from 1699 Vicar Choral. Composer of vocal, keyboard, other instrumental and Psalm music including his ‘Trumpet Voluntary’ which became belatedly popular in Sir Henry Wood’s 20th-c arrangement. From 1704 (jointly with Wm Croft) again at the Chapel Royal. He was Music Master to Queen Anne for whom he composed harpsichord lessons, and also composed for Drury Lane Theatre. He was called ‘the most elegant player of church music in the kingdom’, and his music tuneful and pleasing. But he was a sensitive, melancholy man who shot himself after a failed romance. Nos. 8=241 (?, see note), 24B, 60=498, 129, 696.