Composer: Alexander Robert Reinagle

From HymnsWithoutWords

Alexander Robert Reinagle (1799 - 1877) theatre manager and composer. The son of an Austrian musician, he was born and raised in Portsmouth, England, then at eighteen moved to Edinburgh where he studied with Raynor Taylor. Reinagle moved to North America in 1786 and settled in Philadelphia. By 1791 he was a respected composer and teacher with strong ties to local theatre and joined with the actor Thomas Wignell to build what became the Chestnut Street Theatre. The theatre opened in 1794 and for the remainder of his career Reinagle was active in its management. He adapted many English ballad operas for local audiences, composed incidental music for other plays, and wrote the score for several light operas, notably The Sicilian Romance (1795).