Reeve, William (1757–1815)

English composer. He was composer at Covent Garden and in 1802 part-owner of Sadler's Wells Theatre. In one of his more popular pieces, The Caravan (1803), a child was rescued from a tank of water by a well-trained dog; the music of his theatre pieces failed to gain as much attention.

He studied with Richardson, the organist at St James's Church, Westminster, and was organist at Totnes, Devon, 1781–83. After various engagements at London theatres, he joined the Covent Garden chorus, and there was asked to complete the ballet-pantomime Oscar and Malvina (after Ossian) left unfinished by William Shield in 1791 on account of differences with the management.

Works Stage music The Apparition (1794), Merry Sherwood (1795), Harlequin and Oberon (1796), Harlequin and Quixote (after Cervantes), Joan of Arc (1798), Paul and Virginia (with Mazzinghi, based on Saint-Pierre, 1800), Rokeby Castle (1813), and many others (some with Braham, Davy, Mazzinghi or Moorehead); music for Sadler's Wells pantomimes.