Editing John Blow (section)

==Career==
In 1668, he was an organist at [[Westminster Abbey]].<ref name=choral/> He composed a two-part setting of [[Robert Herrick (poet)|Robert Herrick]]'s "Goe, perjur'd man", written at the request of [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] to imitate [[Giacomo Carissimi]]'s "Dite, o cieli".<ref name="EB1911"/> In 1674, he was made a gentleman of the Chapel Royal and [[Master of the Children of the Chapel Royal]].<ref name=choral/>

Blow, who by 1678 was a doctor of music, was named in 1685 one of the private musicians of [[James II of England|James II]]. Between 1680 and 1687, he wrote his only stage composition of which any record survives, the [[Masque]] for the entertainment of the King, ''[[Venus and Adonis (opera)|Venus and Adonis]]''. In this, [[Moll Davis|Mary Davis]] played the part of [[Venus (mythology)|Venus]]. [[Lady Mary Tudor]], her daughter by Charles II, appeared as [[Cupid]].<ref name="EB1911"/>

In 1687, Blow became choirmaster (or Master of the Choristers) at [[St Paul's Cathedral]].<ref name=choral/> In 1690 he built a house for himself in [[Hampton, London|Hampton]]. (Blow also owned eight other houses in the vicinity of Westminster Abbey). The Hampton house was demolished in 1799. It was on the site of the present-day house known as Beveree in the High Street.<ref>[http://www.twickenham-museum.org.uk/detail.php?aid=147&cid=18&ctid=1 'John Blow', Twickenham Museum]</ref>

[[File:John Blow attributed to Sir Peter Lely.jpg|thumb|left|''John Blow'' attributed to [[Peter Lely|Sir Peter Lely]] (Private Collection)]]

In 1695 he was elected organist of [[St. Margaret's, Westminster|St Margaret's, Westminster]], and is said to have resumed his post as organist of Westminster Abbey, from which in 1679 he had retired or been dismissed to make way for Purcell. In 1700, he was appointed to the newly created post of Composer to the Chapel Royal.<ref name="EB1911"/><ref name=choral/>