Nicholas Staggins
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Staggins was an English
composer
.
Staggins first studied music under his father. He was made Master of the King's Music by Charles II
in 1674. In 1682, he was granted a musical doctorate by Cambridge University, and from 1684 until his death was Professor of Music at Cambridge. Following his death on the night of 12-13 June 1700, he was succeeded by John Eccles.
From the few fragments of his compositions that survive, his musical ability is generally regarded to have been but slender. His most significant work was his music for John Crowne
's masque
Calisto, or The Chaste Nymph. His other works included ode
s for the birthdays of William III
(in at least 1693, 1694 and 1696). He also wrote incidental music
for John Dryden
's Conquest of Granada and Marriage à la Mode, George Etheridge's The Man of Mode, Nathaniel Lee
's Gloriana, and Thomas Shadwell
's Epsom Wells.
In Tom Brown
's Letters from the Dead to the Living, Staggins is described as 'bandy legged and contemptuously regarded'. Following his death he was buried in Woollon on 16 June 1700 at St. George's Chapel, Windsor.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Staggins first studied music under his father. He was made Master of the King's Music by Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
in 1674. In 1682, he was granted a musical doctorate by Cambridge University, and from 1684 until his death was Professor of Music at Cambridge. Following his death on the night of 12-13 June 1700, he was succeeded by John Eccles.
From the few fragments of his compositions that survive, his musical ability is generally regarded to have been but slender. His most significant work was his music for John Crowne
John Crowne
John Crowne was a British dramatist and a native of Nova Scotia.His father "Colonel" William Crowne, accompanied the earl of Arundel on a diplomatic mission to Vienna in 1637, and wrote an account of his journey...
's masque
Masque
The masque was a form of festive courtly entertainment which flourished in 16th and early 17th century Europe, though it was developed earlier in Italy, in forms including the intermedio...
Calisto, or The Chaste Nymph. His other works included ode
Ode
Ode is a type of lyrical verse. A classic ode is structured in three major parts: the strophe, the antistrophe, and the epode. Different forms such as the homostrophic ode and the irregular ode also exist...
s for the birthdays of William III
William III of England
William III & II was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland...
(in at least 1693, 1694 and 1696). He also wrote incidental music
Incidental music
Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, film or some other form not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as the "film score" or "soundtrack"....
for John Dryden
John Dryden
John Dryden was an influential English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who dominated the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the period came to be known in literary circles as the Age of Dryden.Walter Scott called him "Glorious John." He was made Poet...
's Conquest of Granada and Marriage à la Mode, George Etheridge's The Man of Mode, Nathaniel Lee
Nathaniel Lee
Nathaniel Lee was an English dramatist.He was the son of Dr Richard Lee, a Presbyterian clergyman who was rector of Hatfield and held many preferments under the Commonwealth...
's Gloriana, and Thomas Shadwell
Thomas Shadwell
Thomas Shadwell was an English poet and playwright who was appointed poet laureate in 1689.-Life:Shadwell was born at Stanton Hall, Norfolk, and educated at Bury St Edmunds School, and at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, which he entered in 1656. He left the university without a degree, and...
's Epsom Wells.
In Tom Brown
Tom Brown (satirist)
Tom Brown was an English translator and writer of satire, largely forgotten today save for a four-line gibe he wrote concerning Dr John Fell....
's Letters from the Dead to the Living, Staggins is described as 'bandy legged and contemptuously regarded'. Following his death he was buried in Woollon on 16 June 1700 at St. George's Chapel, Windsor.