Jonathan Battishill (b. 1738, London; d. 1801, Islington, London)

Jonathan Battishill became a chorister at St. Paul's Cathedral in London at age 11. As a young adult he focused on musical theater, playing harpsichord for the Covent Garden theater and writing theatrical works. His most ambitious composition was a three-act opera, Almena, an English Opera, which he co-wrote with Michael Arne, Thomas Arne's illegitimate son.

In 1767 Battishill became organist at Christ Church, which is near St. Paul's Cathedral. Music historians believe he maintained a close relationship with the cathedral. It is easy to imagine that his anthem "O Lord, Look Down from Heaven" was intended for St. Paul's because the expressive music seems to demand the reverberant acoustics of such a building.

In addition to the compositions mentioned earlier, Battishill composed church music, part-songs, works for harpsichord, and a flute trio. His wife, a singer whom he met at Covent Garden, died in 1777. Extremely distraught over her death, Battishill never composed again. His dying wish was to be buried at St. Paul's Cathedral.