Introduction
Though little-known today, Charles Avison (1709-1770) led a busy life composing, teaching and giving daily concerts in North East England, justly gaining a reputation as the 18th-century’s finest English-born composer.
WHILE in the employment of Ralph Jenison, MP for Northumberland, Charles Avison found time to develop an interest in music, encouraged at home by his father Richard; and on March 20, 1734, he was rewarded with a concert in Hickford’s Room, London, and time to study in the capital with Francesco Geminiani.
He returned home a year later to become choirmaster of St John the Baptist’s Church in Newcastle, and then St Nicholas’s Church.*
Although offered many prestigious posts from York to Edinburgh and Dublin, Avison remained in Newcastle, giving Sunday and midweek concerts there and in Durham, teaching private pupils each Monday and Friday, and serving as Director of the Newcastle Musical Society.
Avison admired Scarlatti, Corelli, Marcello, and his German-born but now English contemporary, Handel, yet he always preferred the music of his mentor, Geminiani.
His own music, chiefly concertos and some chamber music, was highly-regarded, and praised for its tunefulness.
Later, it was raised to the status of Newcastle Cathedral.
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Précis
But for a short period in London studying with Francesco Geminiani, Charles Avison lived his whole life in the North East, teaching, giving concerts and working as choirmaster in the Parish Church of St Nicholas in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He wrote several concertos, and his tuneful music earned him a reputation as the foremost English-born composer of his day. (57 / 60 words)
But for a short period in London studying with Francesco Geminiani, Charles Avison lived his whole life in the North East, teaching, giving concerts and working as choirmaster in the Parish Church of St Nicholas in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He wrote several concertos, and his tuneful music earned him a reputation as the foremost English-born composer of his day.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: besides, despite, just, may, must, since, whereas, whether.
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Word Games
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Concert. Interest. Its.
2 But. Encourage. His.
3 Capital. Teaching. Tune.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Opposites Find in Think and Speak
Suggest words or phrases that seem opposite in meaning to each of the words below. We have suggested some possible answers; see if you can find any others.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
Variations: 1.instead of opposites, suggest words of similar meaning (synonyms). 2.use a word and its opposite in the same sentence. 3.suggest any 5 opposites formed by adding in-.
Adjectives Find in Think and Speak
For each word below, compose sentences to show that it may be used as an adjective. Adjectives provide extra information about a noun, e.g. a black cat, a round table, the early bird etc..
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 High. 2 Private. 3 Late. 4 Developed. 5 Latest. 6 Interesting. 7 Prestigious. 8 Higher. 9 Musical.
Variations: 1.show whether your adjective can also be used as e.g. a noun, verb or adverb. 2.show whether your adjective can be used in comparisons (e.g. good/better/best). 3.show whether your adjective can be used in attributive position (e.g. a dangerous corner) and also in predicate position (this corner is dangerous).
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
dss (6+2)
daisies. disease. diss. disuse. doses. douses.
daises. doss.
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