Chappell, WILLIAM, F.S.A.

Chappell, WILLIAM, F.S.A., the author of the most learned work on ancient English music, was born November 20, 1809. Most of his life he lived in London, where he was for some years a member of a great music publishing house. His first work of importance was A Collection of National English Airs, consisting of Ancient Song, Ballad, and Dance Tunes (2 vols. [1838-40]). This work, which contained 245 airs, ultimately grew into the greater and entirely rewritten work, containing over 400 airs, re-harmonised on a consistent plan by Macfarren, Popular Music of the Olden Time; a Collection of Ancient Songs, Ballads, and Dance Tunes, illustrative of the National Music of England (2 vols. 1855-59; new ed. by Wooldridge, 1893). The first volume, containing 200 airs, is a complete collection of English airs, so far as known, down to the reign of Charles I.; the second is rather a selection, containing, however, all the more interesting or important airs of later date. Mr Chappell took a principal part in the foundation in 1840 of the Musical Antiquarian Society and the Percy Society, and edited some of Dowland's songs for the former and several rare collections for the latter. He published a few papers in the Archæologia, contributed invaluable notes to Hales and Furnivall's reprint of the Percy Folio MS. (1867-68), and annotated the first three volumes (1869-79) of the Ballad Society edition of The Roxburghe Ballads (continued by his friend Mr Elsworth). Mr Chappell published in 1874 the first volume of a History of Music. He died in London, 20th August 1888.