Minor composers of the period were James Kent (d. 1776), pupil and close imitator of Croft, organist at Cambridge from 1731 and at Winchester from 1737, with 23 anthems and 2 services; John Stanley (d. 1786), a famous blind organist in London from 1724 (at the Temple Church from 1734), a pupil of Greene and a warm admirer of Handel, with 6 anthems, 3 oratorios (1757-74), organ and chamber works; John Travers (d. 1758), pupil of Greene and Pepusch, organist in London from 1725 and at the Chapel Royal from 1737, with 25 anthems, a service, a Psalter, and a favorite set of part-songs; William Hayes (d. 1777), organist at Shrewsbury from 1729, at Worcester from 1731, at Magdalen College, Oxford, from 1734 and professor of music there from 1742, with 45 anthems and many secular pieces; James Nares (d. 1783), pupil of Pepusch, organist at York from 1734 and in 1756 Greene's successor at the Chapel Royal, with 53 anthems, 2 services, many harpsichord-pieces, etc.; and John Alcock (d. 1806), pupil of Stanley, organist in London from 1738, at Lichfield in 1748-60, etc., with 38 anthems, 3 services and considerable secular music.
William Boyce (d. 1779), pupil of King, Greene and Pepusch, began his active career as organist in 1734 in London, became composer to the Chapel Royal in 1736 and its organist in 1758, was conductor of the Three Choirs (West England) for several years from 1737, became increasingly deaf and turned much to editorial work. His compositions include about 70 anthems, 5 services, 2 oratorios, several masques and odes (from 1734) many songs and similar pieces, and some chamber music. His style was solid and noble, often with picturesque color and beauty. He is commonly ranked as the last of the older group of masters. He is gratefully remembered for a great collection of Cathedral Music (3 vols., 1760-78), the materials for which were partly collected by Greene and bequeathed by him to Boyce.
It is notable that none of these contemporaries of Handel showed a marked tendency to imitate his style.
