Michael Wise

Life

Born: c.1648

Died: 1687

Biography

Wise was one of the first generation of boy choristers to be trained by Captain Henry Cook at the Chapel Royal after the Restoration, a generation which also included John Blow and Pelham Humfrey.

The entry in Cathedral Music, Volume 2 (William Boyce) reads:

Michael Wise, was also of the first Set of Children of the King's Chapel, after the Restauration. His first Preferments were to be Organist, and Master of the Choristers to the Cathedral Church of Salisbury, which he succeeded to April the 29th, 1668; and on January the 6th, 1675-6, he was appointed a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal. He became Almoner, and Master of the Choristers in the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, London, on January the 27th, 1686, and died at Salisbury in August, 1687. He was one of the three great Geniuses produced from this first Set of Children: Humphrys had but a short Period, but Blow lived many Years after these his School-fellows, to cultivate with Success his uncommon Talent of Modulation.

View the Wikipedia article on Michael Wise.

List of choral works

Services, all with org

• Morning, Communion and Evening Service in d 2–4vv;
• Evening Service in E, 2–3vv;
• Communion Service in E, 3vv;
• Communion Service in f, 3vv

Anthems, all with org, for 3vv unless otherwise stated

• Arise, O Lord, inc.
• Awake, put on thy strength
• Awake up, my glory
• Behold, how good and joyful
• Behold, I bring you glad tidings, inc.
• Blessed is he that considereth the poor (The New Church Anthem Book)
• Blessed is the man
• By the waters of Babylon, 4vv
• Christ rising again, ed. M.J. Smith (Borough Green, 1973);
• Glory be to God
• Have pity upon me, 4vv
• Hearken, O daughter, inc.
• How are the mighty fallen (adapted by H. Aldrich as Thy beauty, O Israel)
• How long wilt thou forget me, inc.
• I charge you, O daughters, 2vv.
• I will arise (The Prodigal)
• I will sing a new song; My song shall be alway, inc.
• O be joyful in the Lord, inc.;
• O give thanks unto the Lord, inc.
• O God, when thou wentest, inc.
• Open me the gates of righteousness;
• O praise God in his holiness
• Prepare ye the way of the Lord, 4vv, ed. J.W. Parker, Sacred Minstrelsy (London, 1834);
• Sing we merrily, 4vv
• The days of man, inc.
• The Lord is my shepherd, 2vv, ed. M.J. Smith (Borough Green, 1975)
• The Lord said unto my Lord, inc.
• The ways of Sion do mourn, 2vv, ed. C.H. Kitson (London and Glasgow, 1917)
• Thou, O God, art praised in Sion, 2vv
• Thy beauty, O Israel [see How are the mighty fallen]

Songs, catches, etc.

• A Catch on the Midnight Cats
• Old Chiron

in 1685⁴, 1686⁴

 
Click here to search for this composer on CPDL

External links

• Works by Michael Wise in the Petrucci Music Library (IMSLP)