CROTCH, WILLIAM, Doctor of Music, was born in 1775, in the city of Norwich. While yet is child, he exhibited faculties of musical perception and execution which were quite marvellous, and rival those of Mozart. An account of his precocious talents was given by Dr. Burney, author of the ' History of Music; and is printed iu the ' Philosophical Transactions' for 1779, when the infant prodigy was only four years of age. Some anecdotes are also extant, written by the Hon. Haines Barrington, who says, "I first heard little Crotch on the 10th of December 1778, when he was only three years tied a hall old." The following notices are extracted from the =moms& which be made on returning home : "Plays God save the King' and 'Minuet do Is Cour ' almost throughout with chords; reaches e sixth with his little finger; cries 'no,' when I purposely introduced wrong note; delights in chords and running notes for the bass; plays for ten minutes extemporary passages, which have a tolerable con nection with each other; seldom looks at the harpsichord, and yel generally hits the right intervals, though distant from each other Ills father Is an ingenious carpenter of Norwich, and had mule at organ. Ilis organ rather of a hard touch. Many of his passages hazarded and 'singular, some of which he executed by his knuckles tumbling Ida hands over the keys. The accurney of this child's ear I,
such that be not only pronounces immediately what note is struck but in what key the music la composer As Crotch advanced in years he became a profound theorist and skilful composer. In 1797, at the early age of twenty-two, Ito mu appointed Protestor of Muds, in the University of Oxford, and tin university also conferred on hint the degree of Doctor of Music. It 1822 ho was appointed Prii.cipal of the Royal Academy of Music Ile performed in public for the last time in 1831 in Westminster Abbey, during the royal festivnl, when he preaided at the organ on the third day. Dr. Crotch composed a very large number of pieces for the organ and pianoforte, the opera of Palestine; awl roue plenciQg vocal pieces, among which may be mentinned the fine ode for Live voices, Mona on Snowdon calla' Ho 11180 published ' Elements of Musical Composition and Thorough-Bass,' 1812, awl 'Specieseue of various Styles of Music of all Ages,' 3 vole.
Dr. Crotch, during the latter years of his life, resided at Taunton, Someractshire, with his son, the Rev.. W. R. Crotch, master of the free grammar-school. He died December 29, 1817, when eating sat the dinner-table.