John Balsir Chatterton

File:Tomb of John Chatterton, Kensal Green Cemetery, February 2024.jpg in 2024]]

John Balsir Chatterton was born at Portsmouth on 25 November 1804 the son of Mary née Callow and John Chatterton, a 'professor of music'. He was the third oldest of eight brothers and three sisters.{{cite web|url=http://chatterton.org.uk/jc180471.htm |title=John Balsir Chatterton |publisher=chatterton.org.uk |accessdate=27 September 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140619230944/http://chatterton.org.uk/jc180471.htm |archivedate=19 June 2014 }} He came to London, and studied the harp under Bochsa and Labarre, succeeding the former as professor at the Royal Academy of Music. His first appearance in London took place at a concert given by Aspull in 1824. Chatterton married Eliza Davenport Latham on 1 August 1835 and they had five sons. In 1842 he received the appointment of harpist to Queen Victoria. His last public performance at Windsor was on the occasion of the marriage of Princess Louise. He died after two days' illness in Portman Square, London on 9 April 1871 and was buried at Kensal Green. Chatterton wrote a considerable amount of harp music, mostly consisting of fantasias and arrangements. As a performer, his talents were overshadowed by those of his younger brother, Frederick Chatterton.

He came to London, and studied the harp under Bochsa and Labarre, succeeding the former as professor at the Royal Academy of Music. His first appearance in London took place at a concert given by Aspull in 1824. Chatterton married Eliza Davenport Latham on 1 August 1835 and they had five sons. In 1842 he received the appointment of harpist to Queen Victoria. His last public performance at Windsor was on the occasion of the marriage of Princess Louise. He died after two days' illness in Portman Square, London on 9 April 1871 and was buried at Kensal Green. Chatterton wrote a considerable amount of harp music, mostly consisting of fantasias and arrangements. He came to London, and studied the harp under Bochsa and Labarre, succeeding the former as professor at the Royal Academy of Music. His first appearance in London took place at a concert given by Aspull in 1824. Chatterton married Eliza Davenport Latham on 1 August 1835 and they had five sons. In 1842 he received the appointment of harpist to Queen Victoria. His last public performance at Windsor was on the occasion of the marriage of Princess Louise. He died after two days' illness in Portman Square, London on 9 April 1871 and was buried at Kensal Green. Chatterton wrote a considerable amount of harp music, mostly consisting of fantasias and arrangements.

His nephew F. B. Chatterton (1834-1886) was the lessee of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane from 1866 to 1879.

• "Brilliant Fantasia, introducing Italian Melodies"
• "God Save the Queen, with Variations"
• "Introduction and Variations on 'Cease Your Funning'"{{cite web | url=http://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Chatterton,_John_Balsir | title=John Balsir Chatterton | publisher=imslp.org | accessdate=27 September 2014}}
• "Recollections of the Enchantress, fantasia for harp"{{cite web | url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/harp-of-wild-and-dreamlike-strain-victorian-fairy-harp-music-mw0001385866 | title=Harp of Wild and Dreamlike Strain: Victorian Fairy Harp Music | publisher=allmusic.com | accessdate=27 September 2014}}
• "Souvenir de Mozart", medley for harp

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Attribution

• {{DNB|wstitle=Chatterton, John Balsir|first=William Barclay|last=Squire|authorlink=William Barclay Squire|volume=10}}

• {{Internet Archive author |sname=John Balsir Chatterton |birth=1805 |death=1871}}
• {{commonscatinline}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Chatterton, John Balsir}}

Category:1804 births

Category:1871 deaths

Category:English harpists

Category:Academics of the Royal Academy of Music

Category:Musicians from Portsmouth

Category:19th-century English musicians