Born c1674
Died in London, Dec 1, 1707
- Clarke was an English composer and organist of the generation before Purcell. Most of his music is written for the church or the theater.
- In childhood, Clarke was a chorister at the Chapel Royal, during the early reign of James II.
- Clarke was organist at Winchester College, then a choral director at St. Paul’s Cathedral and later co-organist of the Chapel Royal with William Croft.
- Clarke died by suicide when he was about 33 years old: according to contemporary reports, he suffered an episode of mental illness after an unhappy romantic relationship.1
Sources
- Christopher, H. Powell, Diack Johnstone, and Watkins Shaw, “Clarke [Clark, Clerk], Jeremiah (i),” Grove Music Online (2001), accessed February 19, 2021, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000005874.