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John Keeble Biography

john-keeble
  • Born: in Islington, London, England
  • Genre: Easy Listening

As an English organist Keeble formerly studied with Kelway as a choirboy in Chichester Cathedral and went to London to study organ and Greek with Pepusch. His theoretical work," The "Theory of Harmonics," if nothing else, demonstrated Pepusch's influence on Keeble. The work rose to some interest during its time but is of little musical use -- with the noted exception of Pepusch. Keeble was an accomplished enough organist to replace Roseingrave as the organist of St George's in Hanover Square and added to his own occupation the organist position at Ranelagh Gardens. His other major work, "Select Pieces for the Organ" (in four volumes) illustrates the interest and prominence of the organ voluntary in the England of this time. Keeble's voluntaries characteristically finished with a fugue; he recognized that this particular compositional style was waning. Keeble employed lack-luster themes, as consistent with the style, but also knew his students could add various descants, harmonies and modulations to the themes to make them more intersting and innovative. ~ Keith Johnson, Rovi

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