Sir William Herschel

(b Hanover, 15 Nov 1738; d Slough, 25 Aug 1822). English musician and astronomer. Initially a regimental oboist and violinist, he settled in England in the 1750s and was active in Durham, Newcastle, Leeds, Halifax and (from 1766) Bath; he was a prominent concert director and teacher and played the violin and organ. From the 1770s he concentrated increasingly on astronomy (he discovered Uranus in 1781). He composed 24 symphonies, concertos and chamber works, organ music, many anthems etc and other vocal works. Much of his instrumental music shows north German influences, but his later concertos and accompanied keyboard sonatas (written in the 1760s) use the italianate galant style popularized by J. C. Bach. Several members of his family were musicians.