BOYCE, WILLIAM (1710-1779), English musical com poser, the son of a cabinet-maker, was born in London, on Feb. 7, 171o. As a chorister in St. Paul's he received his early musical education from Charles King and Dr. Maurice Greene. In having become organist of Oxford chapel, Vere street, Cavendish square, he set Lord Lansdowne's masque of Peleus and Thetis to music. In '736 he left Oxford chapel and was appointed organist of St. Michael's church, Cornhill, and in the same year he became composer to the Chapel Royal, and wrote the music for John Lockman's oratorio David's Lamentation over Saul and Jona than. In 1737 he was appointed to conduct the meetings of the three choirs of Gloucester, Worcester and Hereford. In 1743 was written the serenata Solomon, in which occurs the favourite song "Softly rise, 0 southern breeze." His next published work was the Twelve Sonatas for two Violins, with a bass, which long remained popular, and in 1745 he began to issue his Lyra Britannica, ulti mately extended to 6 vols., containing his songs and cantatas. In 1749 he received the degree of doctor of music from the University of Cambridge, and in this year he became organist of the churches of All-Hallows the Great and Less, Thames street. In 1750 he wrote songs for Dryden's Secular Masque and in he set a piece (The Shepherd's Lottery) by Mendez. He became master of the king's band in succession to Greene in 1757, composing each year the music to the new year and birthday odes provided by the poet laureate, and in 1758 he was appointed principal organist to the Chapel Royal. As an ecclesiastical composer Boyce ranks among the best representatives of the English school. His two church services and his anthems, of which the best specimens are By the Waters of Babylon and 0,W here shall Wisdom be found, are fre quently performed. He wrote additional accompaniments and choruses for Purcell's Te Deum and Jubilate. He resigned most of his work before 1770, and spent his last years in collecting and editing the material for his Cathedral Music of which the first volume had appeared in 1760. This work, the third and last volume of which appeared in 1778, was projected by Boyce's predecessor as master of the king's band, Dr. Greene; its sub-title, "a collection in score of the most valuable and useful compositions for that serv ice by the several English masters of the last 200 years," explains its scope. A new edition, by Joseph Warren, appeared in 1849. Boyce died on Feb. 7, 177g, and was buried under the dome of St. Paul's cathedral. Two volumes of his anthems and services were printed after his death under the supervision of his wife (1780) and of Dr. P. Hayes (1790).