Thomas Augustine Arne , born around March 12, 1710 and died in London on March 5, 1778, is a British composer.
His date of birth is not known precisely (around March 12, 1710). The baby is baptized 11 weeks later, May 18, at St. Paul's Church.
He comes from a family of Catholic upholsterers whose fortunes have had ups and downs. When he was young, his father was well enough to occupy a large house in Covent Garden and send his son to study at Eton College; he wanted to make a lawyer.
But the boy was passionate and very talented for music; the future composer one day attends an Italian opera (disguised as a delivery man, it is true) and meets Michael Festing, who influenced the young man immensely. Studying the harpsichord, the violin more or less in secret, he managed to make it his profession after his father was convinced by one of his teachers. Nevertheless, his religion forbids him the official functions that his talent could have opened to him. He taught his sister and his brother to sing and all three began a musical career. It was with them that he created his first opera, Rosamond in 1733.
