Avison,

Avison, CHARLES, a musical composer, was born at Newcastle about 1710, and after studying in Italy, became organist at Newcastle, where he died in 1770. He wrote an Essay on Musical Expression (1752), in which he ranked the French and Italian composers above the Germans; and he composed sets of concertos and sonatas which were very popular for a time. He figures in Browning's Parleyings with Certain People.