John Weldon (musician)

Born at Chichester in the south of England, he was educated at Eton College, where he was a chorister, and later received musical instruction from Henry Purcell.

Perhaps surprisingly, Weldon's setting was chosen over contributions by his older, more experienced and better-known competitors, Daniel Purcell (younger brother of Henry), John Eccles and Godfrey Finger.

Music for The Tempest, until the mid-1960s believed to have been composed by Henry Purcell, was in all probability written by Weldon for the Drury Lane Theatre, in 1712.

John Weldon devoted the latter part of his life almost exclusively to the duties of the Chapel Royal and to writing church music.

[6] They were claimed to have been sung by the famous tenor, Richard Elford, though it seems that at least some of the anthems were written for one Mr Bowyer during Weldon's time at New College.

[8] John Weldon's grandson Samuel Thomas Champnes would follow in his musical footsteps and become one of Handel's soloists.