Galliard, John Ernest

About 1687-1749

Composer; born in Hanover, studied under Steffnai and Fannelli. Galliard became an efficient oboe-player, and going to London in 1706, was appointed chamber musician to Prince George of Denmark, and later succeeded Draghi as organist at Somerset House, composing a Te Deum, Jubilate and several anthems. He composed the music for Hughes' opera, Calypso and Telemachus, in 1712, and from 1717 was commissioned by Rich to furnish music for his masques and pantomimes. In 1728 he set to music, in the cantata style, the Morning Hymn of Adam and Eve, in Milton's Paradise Lost. He published several translations and composed several cantatas, songs and pieces for various orchestral instruments. He also wrote the music for several plays and pantomimes as follows: Julius Caesar, Pan and Syrinx, Jupiter and Europa, Dr. Faustus, The Royal Chace, or Merlin's Cave (containing a well-known hunting song, With Early Horn), and music for Lee's tragedy, Oedipus.