CROFT, WILLIAM (Mus. Doc.), who as a composer of cathedral music has no superior, was born in Warwickshire in 1677, and educated in the Chapel-Royal under Dr. Blow. His earliest preferment was to the place of organist of St. Anne's, Soho, when an organ was for the first time erected in that church. In 1700 he was admitted gentleman.extraordinary of the Chapel-Royal ; and in 1704 was appointed joint-organist of the same with Jeremiah Clark, on whose decease, in 1707, he obtained the whole place. In 1708 he succeeded Dr. Blow as Mestere( the Children and Composer to the Chapel-Royal, and also as organist of Westminster Abbey. In 1711 he published, but without his name, a volume containing the words of the anthems need by the three Londou choirs, with a preface, giving a brief history of English church.rnuale. In 1715 Croft was created Doctor iu Musio by the University of Oxford; his exercise consisted of a Latin and an Euglieh Ode, both of which were afterwards curiously engraved in score, and published under the title of Musicus Apparatus Acade micus.' In 1724 he published his noble work, 'Musics Sacra,' in two volumes, folio. Ile states in the preface that his work is the first
essay in music-printing of the kind, it being in score, engraved, and stamped on plates, and that for want of some such contrivance, tho music formerly printed in England was very iucorrectiy published ; as an instance of which be mentions Purcell's 'To Deem' and 'Jubilate.' Dr. Croft died in 1727, of an ilium produced by his attendance at the coronation of George IL, and was interred in West minster Abbey, where a monument, erected to his memory by his friend Humphrey W3rley Birch, Esq., records his high merits as is composer, and his amiable and excellent moral qualities as a member of society. As a composer of ecclesiastical music Dr. Croft has no superior. Besides his ecclesiastical music, Dr. Croft was the author of six sonatas for two flutes, six for a flute and a base, and numerous songs, which appeared in the various musical publications of his clay. (Hawkins and Burney, Histories of Music.)