Jeremiah Clarke: The Baroque Composer Behind the Famous Trumpet Voluntary

English Baroque composer and organist, best known for his popular keyboard piece commonly called the 'Trumpet Voluntary'.Jeremiah Clarke (c.1674–1707) was an English composer and organist during the late Baroque period. He began his career as a chorister at the Chapel Royal under John Blow. Clarke later held significant positions, including organist at Winchester College and jointly at St Paul's Cathedral with William Croft. He composed church music, odes, incidental music for plays, and keyboard works. His life ended tragically by suicide in 1707, reportedly due to an unhappy love affair. His most famous work, the 'Prince of Denmark's March' (often misattributed to Henry Purcell and known as the 'Trumpet Voluntary'), remains widely recognized.
  • Clarke's most famous piece, the 'Prince of Denmark's March' (commonly known as the 'Trumpet Voluntary'), was for centuries mistakenly attributed to his more famous contemporary Henry Purcell. This misattribution persisted well into the 20th century.
  • Clarke died by suicide on December 1, 1707, in the churchyard of St Paul's Cathedral. According to historical accounts (primarily from Sir John Hawkins' 'A General History of the Science and Practice of Music', 1776), he shot himself. The motivation is often cited as despair over a forbidden love affair with a woman of higher social standing. He reportedly flipped a coin to decide between suicide and drowning in a shallow pond; the coin landed in the mud, so he chose the pistol.
  • There is some scholarly debate surrounding the authorship of the hymn tune 'St. Magnus', widely attributed to Clarke. While he is the traditional composer, definitive proof is lacking, leading to occasional questions about its origin.