Music for Mercer's: the Mercer's Hospital Music Collection and Charity Music in Eighteenth-Century Dublin
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Technological University Dublin ARROW@TU Dublin Dissertations Conservatory of Music and Drama 2012 Music for Mercer's: The Mercer's Hospital Music Collection and Charity Music in Eighteenth-Century Dublin. Tríona O'Hanlon Technological University Dublin Follow this and additional works at: https://arrow.tudublin.ie/aaconmusdiss Part of the Audio Arts and Acoustics Commons, and the Music Performance Commons Recommended Citation O'Hanlon, T. "Music for Mercer's: The Mercer's hospital music collection and charity music in eighteenth- century Dublin." Thesis submitted for the degree of Ph.D.to the Technological University Dublin, February 2012. This Theses, Ph.D is brought to you for free and open access by the Conservatory of Music and Drama at ARROW@TU Dublin. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ARROW@TU Dublin. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License Music for Mercer’s: The Mercer’s Hospital Music Collection and Charity Music in Eighteenth-Century Dublin Tríona O’Hanlon Conservatory of Music and Drama, Dublin Institute of Technology, Rathmines, Dublin Volume 1 of 4 Ph.D. 2012 Music for Mercer’s: The Mercer’s Hospital Music Collection and Charity Music in Eighteenth-Century Dublin TRÍONA O’HANLON B.A., M.A., DipABRSM Thesis submitted for the degree of Ph.D. to the Dublin Institute of Technology Lead Supervisor Dr Kerry Houston Advisory Supervisor Prof. Barra Boydell Conservatory of Music and Drama, Dublin Institute of Technology, Rathmines, Dublin February 2012 ABSTRACT This thesis examines and analyses the contents of the Mercer’s Hospital Music Collection. The collection includes fifty manuscript and seven printed volumes of music containing works by Handel, Greene, Boyce, Purcell, Corelli, Humfrey, Avison, Barsanti, Stanley and Festing. Selected works were performed at the Mercer’s Hospital benefit concerts, established in April 1736 to provide important financial support to the hospital, which opened on Stephen Street, Dublin in 1734. Mercer’s was the first voluntary Dublin hospital to initiate a series of benefit concerts. The Mercer’s benefit concerts attracted the participation of a wide range of Dublin-based performers, both singers and instrumentalists. The surviving contents of the hospital’s eighteenth- century music collection raise several questions in terms of source studies. The Mercer’s Hospital Music Collection is one of the most significant eighteenth-century music collections surviving in Ireland and its examination reveals important information about musical life and performance practice in eighteenth-century Dublin, setting the contents of the collection within the wider context of extant sources for works by George Frideric Handel, Maurice Greene and William Boyce. i DECLARATION I certify that this thesis which I now submit for examination for the award of Ph.D., is entirely my own work and has not been taken from the work of others, save and to the extent that such work has been cited and acknowledged within the text of my work. This thesis was prepared according to the regulations for postgraduate study by research of the Dublin Institute of Technology and has not been submitted in whole or in part for another award in any other third level institution. The work reported on in this thesis conforms to the principles and requirements of the DIT’s guidelines for ethics in research. DIT has permission to keep, lend or copy this thesis in whole or in part, on condition that any such use of the material of the thesis be duly acknowledged. Signature _____________________________ Date _____________________ ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to express my thanks and appreciation to a number of individuals and institutions who assisted me throughout the course of my research. Firstly, I would like to thank the Conservatory of Music and Drama at the Dublin Institute of Technology, Rathmines, which facilitated this funded project, thus enabling me to undertake this research. I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr Kerry Houston, whose advice and guidance have been invaluable throughout the course of this project. I have been facilitated at every stage of the work with his immense support and encouragement. I would like to acknowledge the guidance given by my advisory supervisor, Professor Barra Boydell and I greatly value his generous assistance in this regard. I wish to acknowledge the courteous assistance of Dr Bernard Meehan and the staff at the Manuscripts and Archives Research Library at Trinity College Dublin, Brian Donnelly and the staff at the National Archives of Ireland and Sandra Tuppen, Curator and Editor of the RISM UK Music Manuscript database. I greatly appreciate the generous assistance I received from Professor Donald Burrows, whose help and guidance at various stages of this project has been most valuable. I also wish to acknowledge the kind assistance received from Sue Hemmens, Music Librarian at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, from Dr Harry Johnstone, Dr Ian Bartlett, Dr David Hunter, Denise Neary, Rachel Talbot, Stuart Kinsella, Dr Maria McHale, Dr Catherine Ferris, Dr Lisa Parker-Fitzpatrick and Marion Doherty. I greatly value the assistance I received from staff at the following libraries and institutions: Sharon Sutton and Tim O’Keefe, Digital Imaging Department, Trinity iii College, Dublin; Sharon Hoefig, Music Library, Conservatory of Music and Drama, Dublin Institute of Technology, Rathmines, Dublin; Dr Susan Hood, Representative Church Body Library, Dublin; Dr Charles Benson, Keeper of Early Printed Books and Special Collections, Trinity College, Dublin; staff at Early Printed Books and Special Collections, Trinity College, Dublin; staff at Marsh’s Library Dublin; Kate Manning, Archivist, University Archives Service, UCD Archives, James Joyce Library, University College Dublin; Aisling Dunne, Archivist, Irish Architectural Archive, Merrion Square Dublin; Christopher Scobie, Fiona McHenry and Ian Davis Music Collections, The British Library; Sally Chestnutt, Bodleian Library Oxford; Rosalind Caird, Hereford Cathedral Library; Michael Mullen and Amelie Roper, Royal College of Music Library, London; Colin Coleman and Nick Castell, Foundling Museum, London; Mary O’Doherty, The Mercer Library, Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin; Robert Mills, Librarian, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, Dublin; Melaine Kirton, Information Officer, London Metropolitan Archives; Valerie Hart, Rosie Eddisford and Jane Ruddell, Guildhall Library London; staff at Durham Cathedral Library and Brigitte Geyer, Musikbibliothek, Leipzig Städtische Bibliotheken. Finally, I wish to acknowledge the immense support and encouragement that I received from my family throughout this project. iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS A alto Apr. April attrib. attributed Aug. August B bass bap. baptised Blessed is he Blessed is he that considereth the sick, orchestral anthem composed 1741 by William Boyce Bs bassi bsn bassoon c. circa CA Chapter Acts CAL Choir Attendance List CC Christ Church, Dublin CCCA Christ Church, Dublin, Chapter Acts CCCAL Christ Church, Choir Attendance List CCM Country Craftsman CHE The Cambridge Handel Encyclopedia CJ The Country Journal cor horn, French horn Ct countertenor Cp canto primo d. pre-decimalisation pence, e.g. 4d. is 4 pence d died db double bass D–B Berlin Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Preussischer Kulturbesitz Musikabteilung, Germany DC Dublin Courant diss. dissertation Dec. December DHR Dublin Historical Record D–Hs Hamburg, Staats-und Universitätsbibliothek, Musikabteilung, Germany DG Dublin Gazette DJ Dublin Journal (Faulkner’s Dublin Journal) D–LEm Leipzig, Leipziger Städtische Bibliotheken, Musikbibliothek, Germany DM Dublin Mercury DNL Dublin Newsletter ed., eds. editor, editors Esq. Esquire f., ff. folio, folios Feb. February Fig. Figure v fl flute fl. floruit fn. footnote GB–Cfm Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, Great Britain GB–Ckc King’s College, Cambridge, Great Britain GB–CRr Cheshire and Chester Archives, Chester, Great Britain GB–Cu Cambridge University Library, Cambridge, Great Britain GB–Drc Durham Cathedral Library, Durham, Great Britain GB–EXcl Exeter Cathedral Library, Exeter, Great Britain GB–GL Gloucester Cathedral Library, Gloucester, Great Britain GB–H Hereford Cathedral Library, Hereford, Great Britain GB–Lbl British Library, London, Great Britain GB–Lcm Royal College of Music, London, Great Britain GB–Lg Guildhall Library, London, Great Britain GB–Lfom Gerald Coke Handel Collection, Foundling Museum, London, Great Britain GB–Mp Manchester Public Libraries, Manchester, Great Britain GB–Ob Bodleian Library, Oxford, Great Britain GB–Och Christ Church Library, Oxford, Great Britain g.fl German flute GHB Göttinger Händel-Beiträge GSJ Galpin Society Journal HHA Hallische Händel-Ausgabe Hon. Honourable hpcd harpsichord IARY Irish Arts Review Yearbook IMS 1 Irish Musical Studies Volume 1 IMS 4 Irish Musical Studies Volume 4 IMS 10 Irish Musical Studies Volume 10 incl. including/inclusive IRL–Dm Marsh’s Library, Dublin, Ireland IRL–Dmh Mercer’s Hospital Music Collection, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland IRL–Dn National Library of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland IRL–Dna National Archives of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland IRL–Drcb Representative Church Body Library, Dublin, Ireland IRL–Dtc Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland Jan. January JISA Journal of the Irish Society for Archives Jub Jubilate L. pre-decimalisation