Jeremiah Clarke Biography

The English composer Jeremiah Clarke belongs to the generation following that of Henry Purcell. He was a member of the Chapel Royal and later a vicar-choral at St. Paul's Cathedral. In 1704 he became joint organist with Dr. Croft of the Chapel Royal, but went out of his mind and shot himself in 1707. He wrote a quantity of music for the church and songs and incidental music for the theatre, as well as various instrumental pieces.

Instrumental Music

Jeremiah Clarke's best known composition is his Trumpet Voluntary, once attributed to Purcell. It forms part of a suite for wind instruments with the original title of The Prince of Denmark's March.