Remember me
James Oswald is credited with writing the music for God Save the King
The little-known rags-to-riches story of the son of a town drummer from Fife who became chamber composer to King George III and is credited with writing the God Save The King national anthem is to be told in a new biography.
The book traces the life of James Oswald from his early days in the East Neuk to becoming a dancing master in Dunfermline and eventually, to a successful career as a composer and publisher of music in London.
Thank you for the Musick: The Life and Times of James Oswald has been written by retired journalist Tom Davison who lives in Ceres, Fife - just 15 miles from Crail, where Oswald was born.
“Oswald was one of the most prolific British composers of the 18th century and yet is story has been largely untold,” said Mr Davison.
“How someone from a small coastal community in Fife came to be a personal favourite of a king and a major influence on Robert Burns is a fascinating tale of ambition and ability. Hopefully, I’ve played my small part in giving James Oswald the recognition he deserves.”
Born in 1710, James Oswald lived in Crail as a child when the community was taken over by a hostile Jacobite force and, later, convulsed by food riots. As a young man, he left the East Neuk to set up business as a self-employed dancing master in Dunfermline.
Tom Davison came across James Oswald while preparing to give a talk on classical music. | Tom DavisonFrom Dunfermline he moved to Edinburgh where he embarked on a venture that was to shape his life – tracking down re-arranging and publishing Scots songs. He made a name for himself selling his song collections to leading players in Scots society, and in 1741 he moved to London, where his collections and his own compositions became hugely popular.
There, he found himself on the fringes of the royal court. In 1747 he was granted a royal warrant by King George II and 14 years later King George III made him his personal chamber composer.
“Other than a few lovers of music from this period few people today know of Oswald and yet in his lifetime he was well known in London society,” said Mr Davison. “The story of how he came to be master of Knebworth House, a stately home that today is perhaps better known as a rock music venue, is worth a little book in itself.
“As for ‘God Save the King’, no-one knows for certain who wrote the music to the national anthem, but in the beginning of the 20th century a leading music historian caused something of a media sensation by announcing that his research led him to the conclusion that it was Oswald.
“‘God Save the King’ is one of the most recognisable tunes in the world, and it would be nice to think that it came from the quill of a man from Fife.”
Mr Davison came across the story of James Oswald while preparing for giving a weekly talk on classical music through Cupar u3a, an organisation through which older people pass on their skills and interests to others.
He said: “I had never heard of him before then and when I found that the lovely little museum in his birthplace of Crail had nothing whatsoever on display about him I became determined to rescue James Oswald from obscurity.”
The book, published by The Hardie Press, will be launched on 27 March at a concert of Oswald’s music performed by Alastair Hardie and harpist Karen Marshalsay, in the recital room of the Edinburgh Society of Musicians.
A programme of his music is also to be presented at the East Neuk Festival in July, accompanied by a pre-recital talk on the composer’s life by Mr Davidson.