William Boyce (1711-1779) was an English composer, organist and editor, and one of the most important native musical figures of eighteenth-century Britain. Born in London, he trained at St Paul’s Cathedral and became active in church, theatre and court music.

Boyce wrote anthems, odes, masques, theatre music, songs and instrumental works. His eight symphonies remain among his best-known pieces, while his editorial work on Cathedral Music preserved an important body of earlier English church repertory.

His music is direct, vigorous and tuneful, combining Handelian grandeur with a distinctly English clarity of phrase. He had a strong instinct for public occasion without losing freshness or charm.

Boyce became Master of the King’s Music in 1755 and remained a respected national figure despite increasing deafness. His work helped carry English music from the Baroque inheritance toward the Classical age.