... to Thomas Arne, composer of many things, but especially of Rule Britannia, and one of the first people to fight over copyright:
In 1741 Arne filed a complaint in Chancery pertaining to a breach of musical copyright and claimed that some of his theatrical songs had been printed and sold by Henry Roberts and John Johnson, the London booksellers and music distributors. The matter was settled out of court. Arne was certainly one of the very first composers to have appealed to the law over copyright issues.It seems impossible to put up this posting without a video of Rule Britannia from one of the many Last Nights of the Proms. Tory Historian is spoilt for choice. Perhaps this one from 2008 with Bryn Terfel singing the solo.
Baldwin67An underrated composer, but not, it would seem, a very nice man. Much mote to clebrate than Rule Britannia, however.