Henry Carey

Background

Henry Carey was born in London on August 26, 1687. He was the son of George Savile. His mother is supposed to have been a schoolmistress.

Education

Henry Carey imself taught music at various schools. He owed his knowledge of music to Olaus Linnert, and later he studied with Roseingrave and Geminiani. He wrote the words and the music of The Contrivances.

Career

Henry Carey wrote the words and the music of The Contrivances or More Ways than One, a farce produced at Drury Lane in 1715. His Hanging and Marriage or The Dead Man's Wedding was acted at Lincoln's Inn Fields in 1722. Chrononhotonthologos (1734), described as "The most Tragical Tragedy that ever was tragedized by any Company of Tragedians, " was a successful burlesque of the bombast of the contemporary stage. The best of his other pieces were A Wonder; or the Honest Yorkshireman (1735), a ballad opera, and the Dragon of Wantley (1737), a burlesque opera, the music of which was by J. F. Lampe. He was the author of Namby- Pamby, a once famous parody of Ambrose Philips's verses to the infant daughter of the earl of Carteret. Carey is best remembered by his songs. " Sally in our Alley " (printed in his Musical Century) was a sketch drawn after following a shoemaker's 'prentice and his sweetheart on a holiday. The present tune set to these words, however, is not the one written by Carey, but is borrowed from an earlier song, " The Country Lasse, " which is printed in The Merry Musician (vol. iii. , c. 1716). It has been claimed for him that he was the author of " God save the King " .

Achievements

• Henry Carey is mostly known as an anti-Walpolean satirist and also as a patriot.

Works

• book

  • Amelia. A new English opera, as it is perform'd at the New Theatre in the Hay-market, after the Italian manner FACSIMILE
  • Chronohotonthologos;

Connections

Henry Carey was married to Elizabeth Pearks in September.

Spouse:

Elizabeth