Jonathan Battishill

He is considered one of the outstanding 18th century English composers of church music and is best remembered today for his seven-part anthem Call to Remembrance, which has long survived in the repertoires of cathedral choirs.

Beginning at the age of nine, he sang as a chorister at St. Paul's Cathedral initially under the direction of composer Charles King.

After his voice broke he studied organ, music composition, and singing under William Savage, almoner and master of the choristers.

One of his earliest engagements was on 16 March 1756 in a concert of Handel's Alexander's Feast at the Great Room, Dean Street, where he was described as 'Mr Batichel'.

While there he composed incidental songs and choruses for plays and pantomime music for both Covent Garden and the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.

[1] While working at Covent Garden, Battishill met singing actress Elizabeth Davies who had originated the role of Margery in Thomas Arne's Love in a Village.

[2] The opera was a theatrical failure, but critics of the day attributed its lack of success to dramatic faults on the part of the librettist Rolt, rather than to problems with the music.

[1][3] Upon taking his first organist post in 1764, Battishill composed chiefly church music, glees, catches, madrigals, and part-songs.

His anthems included O Lord, Look Down from Heaven and Call to Remembrance, the latter of which was sung at his own funeral and is still performed in cathedrals today.