Background
The son of John Welsh, by his wife, a daughter of Thomas Linley the elder, he was born at Wells, Somerset.
The son of John Welsh, by his wife, a daughter of Thomas Linley the elder, he was born at Wells, Somerset.
Welsh spent most of his life in London and is now particularly remembered for his light-hearted stage works. He became a chorister in Wells Cathedral, where his singing notice. Richard Brinsley Sheridan heard of him, and induced Linley to engage him for oratorio performances at the Haymarket Theatre, London, in 1796.
Engagements followed for the stage, in course of which he sang in many operas, some of which, such as Thomas Attwood"s Prisoner, were written specially to exhibit his powers.
He was also brought into notice as an actor, mainly through the influence of Kemble. Meanwhile he was completing a musical education under Karl Friedrich Horn, Johann Baptist Cramer, and Baumgarten.
He produced two farces at the Lyceum Theatre, and an opera, Kamskatka, at Covent Garden, and ultimately settled down to his main work, as a teacher of singing. He died at Brighton on 24 January 1848.
In addition to dramatic pieces, he wrote some sonatas for piano (1819), songs, part-songs, glees and duets, and a ‘Vocal Instructor,’ London.