13 Facts About Richard Leveridge

Richard Leveridge was an English bass singer of the London stage and a composer of baroque music, including many popular songs.

Richard Leveridge was born in the parish of St Martin-in-the-Fields, London, in 1670, and in 1695 became the leading bass singer in the United Company managed by Christopher Rich at Drury Lane, after the defection of several leading singers from Rich's company.

Purcell himself remained loyal to the company, and for several months Leveridge worked closely with him.

At various times between 1697 and 1728 Richard Leveridge published volumes of his own songs, and numerous single items including his popular theatre songs appeared as separate printed sheets throughout his career.

Richard Leveridge sang the role of Hecate in this work for nearly 50 years, and the music remained popular for more than a century after his death.

Richard Leveridge participated in the introduction of opera in the Italian style from 1705, appearing in Arsinoe, Camilla, Rosamond, Thomyris, and Love's Triumph.

Some productions had mixed English and Italian singers, but when the fashion became entirely Italian Richard Leveridge was replaced in the bass roles by the Italian basso Giuseppe Maria Boschi.

Richard Leveridge then began a short association with Handel, in 1713 to 1714, and acted in the first performances of Il pastor fido and Teseo and played Argantes in a revival of Rinaldo.

However Rich drew him back, and Richard Leveridge scored a success in 1726 in Apollo and Daphne with Silenus's song Tho' envious old age seems in part to impair me, composed by Johann Ernst Galliard.

Richard Leveridge's repertoire exploited his firm and powerful voice, and several of his songs became popular favourites.

Richard Leveridge enjoyed good health and reduced his performances only in the last few seasons before retiring in 1751.

Richard Leveridge died aged 87 at his lodgings in High Holborn, London, in 1758.

Richard Leveridge was not only a celebrated singer of convivial songs, but the writer and composer of many that were in great favour with singers and hearers of a certain class, who more piously performed the rites of Comus and Bacchus, than those of Minerva and Apollo.