Callcott, John Wall (1766-1821)

English organist and composer. Having obtained a deputy organist's post, he found time to compose and in 1785 gained three of the four prizes offered by the Catch Club. Two years later he took part in founding the Glee Club. In 1809 he went insane, and died having reached letter P of a music dictionary, feeling unable to proceed further.

The son of a bricklayer, he had no regular music teaching, but picked up much knowledge from Samuel Arnold and Benjamin Cooke. When Haydn came to England, Callcott studied instrumental writing under him, but continued to write glees and catches with great success, and obtained a PhD from Oxford University in 1800.

Works the setting of Joseph Warton's Ode to Fancy (1785); anthem for Arnold's funeral; scena on the death of Nelson; a book of psalms edited with Arnold, with some new tunes; numerous glees, catches, and canons.