John Gostling
Encyclopedia
John Gostling was a 17th century Church of England
clergyman and bass singer famed for his range and power. He was a favourite singer of Charles II
and is particularly associated with the music of Henry Purcell
.
mercer, or chandler
. He was educated in Rochester and at St John's College, Cambridge
, where he sang in the choir
. He was a Gentleman and later Priest of the Chapel Royal
and was subsequently a Minor Canon
of Canterbury
, Vicar
of Littlebourne
in Kent
, Subdean of St Paul's
and Prebendary
of Lincoln
. He is buried in Canterbury Cathedral cloisters.
In 1679 the young Henry Purcell wrote an anthem
, the name of which is not known, for the Chapel Royal
. From a letter written by Thomas Purcell, and still extant, we learn that this anthem was composed for the exceptionally fine voice of Gostling, then at Canterbury
, but afterwards a gentleman of His Majesty's chapel. Purcell wrote several anthems at different times for his extraordinary voice, a basso profondo, which is known to have had a range of at least two full octave
s, from D below the bass staff to the D above it. The dates of very few of these sacred compositions are known; perhaps the most notable example is the anthem "They that go down to the sea in ships". In thankfulness for a providential escape of the King from shipwreck, Gostling, who had been of the royal party, put together some verses from the Psalms
in the form of an anthem, and requested Purcell to set them to music. The work is a very difficult one, including a passage which traverses the full extent of Gostling's voice, beginning on the upper D and descending two octaves to the lower.
, three by Matthew Locke
, four by Pelham Humfrey
, four by William Turner, and one by William Child
, one by Henry Aldrich
, three by Thomas Tudway, four by Jeremiah Clarke
, Isaac Blackwell
and a few others.
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
clergyman and bass singer famed for his range and power. He was a favourite singer of Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
and is particularly associated with the music of Henry Purcell
Henry Purcell
Henry Purcell – 21 November 1695), was an English organist and Baroque composer of secular and sacred music. Although Purcell incorporated Italian and French stylistic elements into his compositions, his legacy was a uniquely English form of Baroque music...
.
Background
John Gostling was the son of Isaac Gossling, a CanterburyCanterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
mercer, or chandler
Chandler
A chandler was the head of the chandlery in medieval households, responsible for wax, candles, and soap.Chandler may also refer to:- People :* Chandler , the surname of various people...
. He was educated in Rochester and at St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
, where he sang in the choir
Choir of St John's College, Cambridge
The Choir of St John's College, Cambridge, is a collegiate choir of the English cathedral tradition. Though early records are obscure, it is known that its origins can be traced to the original foundation of the College in 1511. As well as daily singing of the liturgy in the college Chapel, it...
. He was a Gentleman and later Priest of the Chapel Royal
Chapel Royal
A Chapel Royal is a body of priests and singers who serve the spiritual needs of their sovereign wherever they are called upon to do so.-Austria:...
and was subsequently a Minor Canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of Canterbury
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
, Vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
of Littlebourne
Littlebourne
Littlebourne is a village and civil parish near Canterbury in Kent, South East England.The 13th-century church, St Vincent of Saragossa, is thought to have been founded by the monks of St Augustine's Abbey and contains an ancient wall painting depicting Saint Christopher, patron saint of travellers...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, Subdean of St Paul's
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
and Prebendary
Prebendary
A prebendary is a post connected to an Anglican or Catholic cathedral or collegiate church and is a type of canon. Prebendaries have a role in the administration of the cathedral...
of Lincoln
Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral is a historic Anglican cathedral in Lincoln in England and seat of the Bishop of Lincoln in the Church of England. It was reputedly the tallest building in the world for 249 years . The central spire collapsed in 1549 and was not rebuilt...
. He is buried in Canterbury Cathedral cloisters.
In 1679 the young Henry Purcell wrote an anthem
Anthem
The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music , or more generally, a song of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a distinct group of people, as in the term "national anthem" or "sports anthem".-Etymology:The word is derived from the Greek via Old English , a word...
, the name of which is not known, for the Chapel Royal
Chapel Royal
A Chapel Royal is a body of priests and singers who serve the spiritual needs of their sovereign wherever they are called upon to do so.-Austria:...
. From a letter written by Thomas Purcell, and still extant, we learn that this anthem was composed for the exceptionally fine voice of Gostling, then at Canterbury
Canterbury
Canterbury is a historic English cathedral city, which lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a district of Kent in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
, but afterwards a gentleman of His Majesty's chapel. Purcell wrote several anthems at different times for his extraordinary voice, a basso profondo, which is known to have had a range of at least two full octave
Octave
In music, an octave is the interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referred to as the "basic miracle of music", the use of which is "common in most musical systems"...
s, from D below the bass staff to the D above it. The dates of very few of these sacred compositions are known; perhaps the most notable example is the anthem "They that go down to the sea in ships". In thankfulness for a providential escape of the King from shipwreck, Gostling, who had been of the royal party, put together some verses from the Psalms
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
in the form of an anthem, and requested Purcell to set them to music. The work is a very difficult one, including a passage which traverses the full extent of Gostling's voice, beginning on the upper D and descending two octaves to the lower.
Gostling Manuscript
One of the important sources for Purcell's music is the Gostling Manuscript, a collection made by Gostling in 1706, which contains sixty-four anthems: seventeen by Purcell, twenty-three by John BlowJohn Blow
John Blow was an English Baroque composer and organist, appointed to Westminster Abbey in 1669. His pupils included William Croft, Jeremiah Clarke and Henry Purcell. In 1685 he was named a private musician to James II. His only stage composition, Venus and Adonis John Blow (baptised 23 February...
, three by Matthew Locke
Matthew Locke (composer)
Matthew Locke was an English Baroque composer and music theorist.-Biography:As a boy, Locke was trained in the choir of Exeter Cathedral, under Edward Gibbons, the brother of Orlando Gibbons...
, four by Pelham Humfrey
Pelham Humfrey
Pelham Humfrey was the first to prominence of the new generation of English composers at the beginning of the Restoration....
, four by William Turner, and one by William Child
William Child
William Child was an English composer and organist.Born in Bristol, William Child was a chorister in the cathedral under the direction of Elway Bevin. In 1630 he began his lifetime association with St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, becoming first a lay-clerk and, from 1632, Master of the...
, one by Henry Aldrich
Henry Aldrich
Henry Aldrich was an English theologian and philosopher.-Life:Aldrich was educated at Westminster School under Dr Richard Busby. In 1662, he entered Christ Church, Oxford, and in 1689 was made Dean in succession to the Roman Catholic John Massey, who had fled to the Continent. In 1692, he...
, three by Thomas Tudway, four by Jeremiah Clarke
Jeremiah Clarke
Jeremiah Clarke was an English baroque composer and organist.Thought to have been born in London around 1674, Clarke was a pupil of John Blow at St Paul's Cathedral. He later became organist at the Chapel Royal...
, Isaac Blackwell
Isaac Blackwell
Isaac Blackwell was a composer and English Cathedral organist, who served at St. Paul's Cathedral.-Background:His compositions are not well known.Amongst his madrigal output are:*“Give me thy youth”*I saw fair Cloris walk alone....
and a few others.