Reeve, William

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Reeve, William

Reeve, William , English organist and composer; b. London, 1757; d. there, June 22, 1815. He was a pupil of Richardson. He served as organist at Totness, Devon, from 1781 to 1783, then returned to London, where he composed operettas, pantomimes, and incidental music for plays, for Astley’s Circus, and for Covent Garden (1791–1812). In 1792 he became organist of St. Martin’s, Ludgate Hill, and from 1802 he was part-proprietor of Sadler’s Wells Theatre. Besides music to some 40 plays, Reeve composed glees and songs. His song “I am a friar in orders grey, in the play Merry Sherwood” was very popular.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire