Smart, (Sir) George (Thomas)

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Smart, (Sir) George (Thomas) (b London, 1776; d London, 1867). Eng. conductor, composer, organist, violinist, and teacher. Chorister in Chapel Royal. Violinist, Salomon's concerts. Org., Chapel Royal from 1822, composer to Chapel Royal from 1838. One of founders of Phil. Soc., London, 1813, and one of its conds. 1813–44. Cond. f.p. in England of Beethoven's 9th Sym., 1826. Weber died while staying at Smart's London home, 1826. Cond. many Eng. choral fests. Cond. f.ps. in England of Beethoven's Christus am Ölberge (London 1814) and Mendelssohn's St Paul (Liverpool, 1836). Was cond. at Manchester Fest. 1836 on occasion of Malibran's fatal collapse. Dir. of mus. for coronations of William IV (1830) and Victoria (1837). Notable singing teacher. Wrote church mus., ed. O. Gibbons's madrigals and Handel's Dettingen Te Deum. Knighted 1811.