John Reading

READING, John. b. probably Winchester, ca. 1685; d. London, 2 September 1764. He was probably the son of John Reading (ca. 1645–1692), organist of Winchester Cathedral and College, who composed the Winchester school song, ‘Dulce domum’. The younger Reading was a child of the Chapel Royal under John Blow until his voice broke in 1699. He served as organist of Dulwich College from 1700 to 1702. He became a vicar choral at Lincoln cathedral, then master of the choristers there (1703–7), then returned to London as organist of St John’s, Hackney in 1708, from where, after repeated complaints about the levity of his organ playing, he was dismissed in 1727. He became organist of another London...