John Christopher Smith

Biography

John Christopher Smith (born Johann Christoph Schmidt; 1712 – 3 October 1795) was an English composer who, following in his father's footsteps, became George Frideric Handel's secretary, student and amanuensis.

Life

John Christopher Smith was the son of Johann Christoph Schmidt (John Christopher Smith Sr.) (died 1763), Handel's first copyist in London. His father, known to Handel from Halle, was summoned from Germany in 1716. He brought his family to London around 1720.
John Christopher Smith Jr. had a few lessons from Handel and Johann Christoph Pepusch but studied mostly with Thomas Roseingrave. He later became Handel's secretary, musical assistant and amanuensis, when blindness prevented Handel from writing or conducting in his later years. The last year when Handel conducted performances of his oratorios was 1752.
Handel fell out with Smith Sr. in the 1750s, but remained on good terms with the son. From 1753 to the composer's death in 1759, Smith conducted Handel's oratorios that were to be performed in those years. Handel bequeathed to Smith the keyboard instruments in his house at 25 Brook Street and his manuscripts.
There was interest in reproducing Handel's music mechanically, using clocks for example. After Handel's death Smith was involved with John Langshaw in a project to transcribe pieces by the composer for barrel organ.
In 1760, he married Martha Coxe, through whom he became step-father to William Coxe.
After the success of his oratorio Paradise Lost in 1760, he became artistic director of the Covent Garden Royal Theatre, a position that he was forced to relinquish for health reasons in 1772. When granted an annual pension by the King in 1774, Smith retired to Bath.
When his wife died in 1785, he moved to Carlisle Street in London's Soho district, where he died in 1795. A blue plaque stands on the site in commemoration.