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SAMUEL WESLEY (1766-1837)

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Originally appearing in Volume V28, Page 530 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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SAMUEL See also:WESLEY (1766-1837)  , See also:English musical composer, son of See also:Charles See also:Wesley (see above), was See also:born at See also:Bristol on the 24th of See also:February 1766, and See also:developed so precocious a See also:talent for See also:music that at three years old he played the See also:organ and at eight composed an See also:oratorio entitled See also:Ruth—a fact which is duly chronicled on a curious portrait, painted in 1774, and afterwards engraved, wherein he is represented in the childish See also:costume of the See also:period . Though suffering for many years from an accidental injury to the See also:brain, Wesley was See also:long regarded as the most brilliant organist and the most accomplished extempore See also:fugue-player in See also:England . He may indeed be regarded as the See also:father of See also:modern organ-playing, for he it was who, aided by his See also:friends See also:Benjamin See also:Jacob and C . F . See also:Horn, first introduced the See also:works of See also:Sebastian See also:Bach to English organists, not only by his superb playing, but by editing with Horn, in 18ro, the first copy of Das wohltemperirte Clavier ever printed in England . Wesley's last performance took See also:place on the 12th of See also:September 1837 at See also:Christ See also:Church, Newgate See also:Street, See also:London, where, after See also:hearing the wonderful performances of Mendelssohn, he was himself induced to See also:play an extempore fugue . He died on the 11th of See also:October 1837, leaving a vast number of MS. and printed compositions . His See also:brother Charles (1757–1815) was also an accomplished organist, and still more famous was his son, See also:Samuel Sebastian (q.v.) .

End of Article: SAMUEL WESLEY (1766-1837)
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