William Hayes

English composer William Hayes, a generation younger than Handel, was an important figure in Oxfordian musical life. He championed Handel's music and was certainly influenced by him, but tended to work in different genres and forms. Hayes' long residence in Oxford rather than in the capital of London has perhaps led to a certain neglect of his music among performers and historians. Some 20 of his works had been recorded by the mid-2020s, and a 2018 album, Ceremonial Oxford, was devoted exclusively to his music. In 2025, the album William Hayes: Instrumental Music was issued by the Corelli Orchestra. He wrote three books, including The Art of Composing Music by a Method Entirely New (1751). Hayes died in Oxford on July 27, 1777.