Samuel Wesley (1766-1837) was the son of the hymn-writer Charles Wesley and the nephew of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. He was one of the leading composers in late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century England, and the finest organist of his day. He was also a misfit and a rebel, renowned for his outspoken views, his frequently wild behaviour, and his irregular personal life. He converted from Methodism to Roman Catholicism, and his controversial views on marriage led to the desertion of his wife and a long-term relationship with a woman 28 years his junior. His music has become increasingly well known in recent years, and these letters to his friends and fellow musicians, over 400 of which are gathered together here for the first time, present both a witty, perceptive, and unparalleled portrait of Wesley the man, and an insider's view of life in the music profession in London in the early nineteenth century.
