Matthew Camidge (1764-1844)
- Concerto (G minor) for Organ from
'Six Concertos for Organ or Grand Piano Forte', Op.13 (c.1815)
Performers: Simon Lindley (1948-2025, organ)
Drawing: Anonymous (19th Century) - Charity school children's service at St Paul's Cathedral (c.1815)
Further info: Matthew Camidge (1764-1844)
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English organist and composer. Son of John Camidge (1734-1803), at an
early age he became a chorister of the Chapel Royal under his father’s
old master, James Nares. On his return to York he became assistant to
his father. He is said to have been the first to teach the cathedral
choristers to sing from notes; previously all the services had been
learnt by ear. The two Camidges also originated the York musical
festivals, beginning with a performance, on a small scale, of Handel's
‘Messiah’ at the Belfry church, which led to oratorios being given with
orchestral accompaniments in the minster. On the resignation of John
Camidge, he was appointed his successor as organist (11 November 1799), a
post he held until his retirement (8 October 1842). As a composer, he
published a considerable quantity of music for the harpsichord, organ,
and piano, besides a collection of psalm tunes, a ‘Method of Instruction
in Musick by Questions and Answers,’ and some church music. In the
preface to his Organ Concertos, op.13 (c.1815), he wrote that he had
"endeavoured to imitate the particular style of music which has been so
long admired, namely that of Handel and Corelli. This acknowledgement
will, he hopes, secure him from the critics’ censure". Matthew Camidge
was married to a niece of Sheriff Atkinson of York, by whom he had three
sons; two took orders, and became respectively vicar of Wakefield and
canon of York, and chaplain at Moscow and Cronstadt, and the third, John
Camidge (1790-1859), succeeded his father as organist of York.
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