He was elected as a member of the select Anacreontic Society which boasted amongst its membership Samuel Johnson, James Boswell and Sir Joshua Reynolds.

The words were by Ralph Tomlinson, the president of the society, and were inspired by the 6th-century BC Greek lyric poet, Anacreon, who wrote odes on the pleasures of love and wine.

[1] He began by publishing A Collection of English Song in 1779, which musicologist Nicholas Temperley called "perhaps the first scholarly edition printed in England.

"[2] Smith's library included the Old Hall Manuscript, Drexel 4175, as well as a copy of Ulm Gesangbuch from 1538 that had belonged to Johann Sebastian Bach.

[6] According to Pliny the Elder the ancient Greek lyric poet Anacreon, after whom the Anacreontic Society is named (and hence Smith's most famous piece), died when he was choked by a grape-stone.

[7] In 1814, Francis Scott Key wrote the poem "Defence of Fort M'Henry" (later re-titled, "The Star-Spangled Banner") which was later set to the tune of "Anacreon", a piece composed by Smith.