William Flackton
Encyclopedia
William Flackton was an 18th-century bookseller
, publisher
, amateur organist
, viola player and composer. He is perhaps best known today for his compositions for the viola
.
Flackton was born in Canterbury
and was the eldest surviving son of John Flackton and Catharine Sharp. He demonstrated a talent for music from an early age and at the age of nine he was admitted as a chorister
at Canterbury Cathedral
.
He was apprenticed to the Canterbury bookseller Edward Burges until 1730 when he set up his own business as a stationer
and bookseller specialising in the second-hand and antiquarian book trade.
He was in partnership with his brother John from 1738 and later traded in partnership with two of his former apprentices, first as Flackton and Marrable from 1774 and as Flackton, Marrable and Claris from 1784. The ESTC
Database records over 60 books published by the firm.
In 1770, he published his Six Solos, Three for a Violoncello and Three for a Tenor
, Accompanied Either with a Violoncello or Harpsichord
, dedicated to Sir William Young
, Lieutenant-Governor of Dominica
. In the Preface, Flackton shows that he wanted to promote music for the viola.
Flackton was the organist at the church of St Mary of Charity
in Faversham
between 1735 and 1752. He had a particular interest in church music
which is demonstrated by his collection of music manuscripts, now held in the British Library
. One of the more significant of Flackton's church compositions is Hymns for Three Voices which was composed in support of the Sunday school movement. Non-church music composed by Flackton includes A Glorious Chase in F major for three voices and horn, which he composed for the Canterbury Catch Club. Some of his works are used as examination pieces by many music schools.
Bookselling
Bookselling is the commercial trading of books, the retail and distribution end of the publishing process. People who engage in bookselling are called booksellers or bookmen.-Bookstores today:...
, publisher
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
, amateur organist
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, viola player and composer. He is perhaps best known today for his compositions for the viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
.
Flackton was born in 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....
and was the eldest surviving son of John Flackton and Catharine Sharp. He demonstrated a talent for music from an early age and at the age of nine he was admitted as a chorister
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
at Canterbury Cathedral
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....
.
He was apprenticed to the Canterbury bookseller Edward Burges until 1730 when he set up his own business as a stationer
Stationery
Stationery has historically meant a wide gamut of materials: paper and office supplies, writing implements, greeting cards, glue, pencil case etc.-History of stationery:...
and bookseller specialising in the second-hand and antiquarian book trade.
He was in partnership with his brother John from 1738 and later traded in partnership with two of his former apprentices, first as Flackton and Marrable from 1774 and as Flackton, Marrable and Claris from 1784. The ESTC
English Short Title Catalogue
The English Short Title Catalogue or ESTC is a short title catalogue of works published between 1473 and 1800, mainly in Britain and North America, and primarily in English, from the collections of the British Library and other libraries....
Database records over 60 books published by the firm.
In 1770, he published his Six Solos, Three for a Violoncello and Three for a Tenor
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
, Accompanied Either with a Violoncello or Harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
, dedicated to Sir William Young
Young Baronets
There have been five Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Young, one in the Baronetage of England, one in the Baronetage of Great Britain and three in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. Four of the creations are still extant...
, Lieutenant-Governor of Dominica
Dominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
. In the Preface, Flackton shows that he wanted to promote music for the viola.
Flackton was the organist at the church of St Mary of Charity
Faversham Parish Church
St Mary of Charity, Faversham Parish Church is one of the most immediately recognisable buildings in the town of Faversham in Kent. The spire dominates the town skyline and is visible for some distance....
in Faversham
Faversham
Faversham is a market town and civil parish in the Swale borough of Kent, England. The parish of Faversham grew up around an ancient sea port on Faversham Creek and was the birthplace of the explosives industry in England.-History:...
between 1735 and 1752. He had a particular interest in church music
Christian music
Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely across the world....
which is demonstrated by his collection of music manuscripts, now held in the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
. One of the more significant of Flackton's church compositions is Hymns for Three Voices which was composed in support of the Sunday school movement. Non-church music composed by Flackton includes A Glorious Chase in F major for three voices and horn, which he composed for the Canterbury Catch Club. Some of his works are used as examination pieces by many music schools.