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Scan 467
Grove's dictionary of music and musicians;, 1904
39 lines. Read by computer on 7 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 456. See the scan on archive.org.
1'Introduction' to the second edition of his Division Viol, 1667, when he thanks his patron—Sir Robert Bolles—for the 'Cheerful Maintenance' he had afforded him. This Sir Robert Bolles and his family were all fervent Royalists and ardent patrons of music, and at the end of the civil war Christopher Simpson enjoyed their hospitality at their residence, Scampton, Lincolnshire. To him was assigned the musical tuition of Sir Robert's son and heir, John Bolles and a certain Sir John Barber, and in this congenial musical atmosphere Simpson began to write his valuable book of instructions for the gamba, which he called The Division Viol. The excellence of this work is confirmed by Sir Roger L'Estrange, himself a distinguished gamba-player, who remarks in the preface to the second Edition that 'it is not only the Best but the only Treatise I find extant upon this argument.' Simpson's pupil, John Bolles, attained a high degree of perfection as a viol-da-gamba player, and a laudatory 'Ode' addressed to him while in Rome is inserted by Simpson, with pardonable pride, in the second edition of his Division Viol. On assuming the title at the death of his father John Bolles showed his regard for his old master by continuing the patronage which had previously been extended him by Sir Robert. This was fortunate; as was also the fact that Simpson's publications brought him in a good income, for Sir R. Bolles, whose will he witnessed, left him only the sum of £5. Before that event came to pass the eminent gambist had purchased a house and farm—'Hunt-house'—near Pickering, in Yorkshire, and settled this property, by deed, upon his nephew Christopher, the son of Stephen Simpson. According to evidence gained from Simpson's will, he died in the year 1669, between the 5th May and the 29th July. Apparently his demise took place at one of Sir John Bolles's residences, for although Hawkins (Hist. Mus.) states that he died at Turnstile, Holborn, where he had lived for many years, his contemporary Anthony & Wood records 'Anno 1669, Mr. Christopher Sympson, a famous musitian, died at Sir John Bolles house, whether in Lyncolnshire or London I know not.' Although nothing is definitely known as to whether Simpson married or not, it may be assumed, from his leaving all his property to his nephew, and all his 'musick-books or whatsoever is of that concernment,' to Sir John Bolles, that he was not.
3Simpson's skill was greatly respected by his contemporaries, and musicians such as Lock, Salmon, Mace, and Sir Roger L'Estrange have shown their esteem by their various complimentary allusions to him. He lived in an age when the gamba was much cultivated, both by professionals and amateurs; but besides being the best authority on that instrument he was a composer of talent, and Mace (Musick's Monument, 1676) ranks him with William Lawes and John Jenkins as a composer of 'Fancies.' The Oxford Music School possesses a portrait of Simpson.
5LIST OF PUBLISHED WORKS.
71. Annotations on Dr. Campion's Art of Discant, 1635.
8These remarks were introduced into the second edition of Playford's Brief Introduction, 1660, and in the other editions until 1684.
92. The Division Violist or an Introduction to the playing upon a ground: Divided into two parts. The first Directing the Hand with other Preparative Instructions. The second, Laying open the Manner and Method of playing Ex-tempore, or Composing division to a ground. To which are Added some Divisions made upon Grounds for the Practice of Learners, London, 1659. W. Godbid, for J. Playford. Fol. (with portrait). Dedicated to Sir Robert Bolles.
10Second Edition with title and text in Latin and English thus:—Chelys minuritionum artificio exornata: sive Minuritiones ad Basin, etiam Extempore Modulandi Ratio. In tres partes distributa. The Division Viol or the Art of Playing Extempore upon a Ground. Divided into Three Parts. London, 1665. Fol. with portrait. A further supply of this second Edition was published by W. Godbid for Henry Brome at the Gun in Ivy Lane in 1667. Fol. with portrait by Faithorne engraved from a painting by G. Carwarden. Dedicated to Sir John Bolles.
11Third edition published by Pearson, with portrait of Simpson engraved by Faithorne, appeared in 1712. With two Sonatas for the gamba.
123. The Principles of Practicall Musick… either in singing or playing upon an instrument, London, 1665. Dedicated to Sir John Beche—A compendium of Practicall Musick in five parts teaching by a new and easie method. 1. The rudiments of Song. 2. The principles of composition. 3. The use of discords. 4. The form of Figurate Discant. 5. The contrivance of Canon. W. Godbid for H. Brome, 1667. Dedicated to William Cavendish, Duke of Newcastle. The first part of this, the Rudiments of Song, was reprinted in a revised form.
13Third Edition. London, W. Godbid for Henry Brome, 1678.
14Fourth Edition. W. Pearson for T. Cullen, 1706.
15Fifth Edition. London, 1714.
16Sixth Edition. London, 1732.
17Seventh Edition. 1737.
18Eighth Edition. 1732. W. Pearson.
19Ninth Edition, with portrait.
20In Playford's 'Catch that Catch can,' 1672-73, there is a composition of Simpson's, and Hawkins (Hist. of Music) mentions a 'Division on the Ground' for viola da gamba by Simpson of the year 1665. one of two readings
21In Playford's 'Catch that Catch can,' 1672-73, there is a composition of Simpson's, and Hawkins (Hist. of Music) mentions a 'Divisio on the Ground' for viola da gamba by Simpson of the year 1665. one of two readings
22In Thomas Campion's Art of Setting or Composing of Music there is a composition by Simpson for the viola da gamba.
24MS. COMPOSITIONS.
26A Series of Suites in Three parts (British Museum Add. Mss. 18,940, 18,944).
27Months and Seasons, namely Fancies, Airs, Galliards for two Basses and a Treble (f. 31,436).
28Consorts of Parts for two Basses and two Trebles with figured Bass. (Heidelberg, MS. 3193.)
29Rules of Theory (British Museum, MS. 142).
30Fancies for a viola da gamba (Christ Church, Oxford).
31Fancies and Divisions (British Museum MS. 31,436 and Bodleian Library, Oxford).
32Musgrave, in his Obituary, mentions a MS. (music) under the date 1666, by Christopher Simpson.
34Hawkins, Hist. Music; Burney, Hist. Music; Mace, Musick's Monument; Lock, Observations; Hart, The Violin and its Music; Wasielewski, Die Violoncell; Quellen-Lexikon; Fétis, Biog. des Mus.; Simpson, The Division Viol; Anthony & Wood, Life.
36E. H.A.
38SIMPSON, JOHN, a London music-publisher and instrument-seller of some note. As may be gathered from one of his early engraved labels, he had been employed by Mrs. Hare of Cornhill, the widow of Joseph Hare (see vol. ii. p. 295), but about 1734 he began business on his own account at the 'Viol and Flute' in Sweeting's Alley, a street running out of Cornhill, at the back part of the Royal Exchange. In Simpson's early business career this was named 'Swithin's Alley,' but in 1741 references to Simpson give this address, indifferently, with 'Sweeting's Alley.' He first published sheet songs, which he afterwards gathered into the two volumes as Thesaurus Musicus (circa 1745-47), and had probably bought the stock and plates of both Mrs. Hare and B. Cooke. He was in business connection with the proprietors of the 'Printing.
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