William Holder

William Holder (1616 - January 24, 1698) was an English music theorist of the 17th century. His most notable work was his widely knownref|1|1 1694 publication "A Treatise on the Natural Grounds and Principles of Harmony".

He was a fellow of Pembroke Hall, Cambridge in 1640, and married Susanna Wren in 1643. In 1660 at Bletchingdon he taught a deaf mute, Alexander Popham to speak ‘plainly and distinctly, and with a good and graceful tone’.cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7511446.stm|title=Find could end 350-year science dispute |last=Elliott |first=Jane
date=2008-7-26|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2008-07-27] In 1662 he received a D.D. Oxon., and was a fellow of the Royal Society in 1663. He became a Canon of St. Paul's in 1672, and served as sub-dean of the Chapel Royal from 1674 until 1689 when he resigned. In 1687 he had been preferred to the rectory of Therfield. A few of his musical compositions survive in the British Library in the Harleian MSS 7338 and 7339. ref|2|2

See also

* Holdrian commaWilliam Holder is also the name of a New Zealand man residing in Masterton.

References

* Poole, H. Edumund. "The Printing of William Holder's 'Principles of Harmony'," Proceedings of the Royal Music Association, vol. 101, 1974. pp. 31-43. p. 31.
* Holder, William, "A Treatise on the Natural Grounds, and Principles of Harmony", facsimile of the 1694 edition, Broude Brothers, New York, 1967.
* Johnson, Jane Troy. "The rules for 'Through Bass' and for tuning attributed to Handel", Early Music, February 1989. "...well-circulated and copied about in the first part of the 18th century." footnotes p. 77.