Thomas Attwood

Thomas Attwood was a composer and organist who enjoyed royal patronage from the time he was a young boy. He showed promising abilities in the art of composition and was a student under Mozart. Attwood's style takes on the attributes of Mozart and as a founding member and director of the Philharmonic Society (as well as the Royal Academy of Music) Attwood enjoyed the privilege of conducting his own works and the symphonies of Mozart. He enjoyed the friendship and influence of Mendelssohn who composed his A-mol "Kyrie elieson" in Attwood's home with a dedication to him. Mendelssohn's preoccupations and performance of Bach brought an admiration of the Baroque master to Attwood. Thomas was not an exceptional organ player and his reputation rests primarily on the dolce character of intimate hymns such as "Turn they face from my sins," and "Come, Holy Ghost." ~ Keith Johnson