Orlando Gibbons

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Orlando Gibbons

Orlando Gibbons (baptised

Baptism

In Christianity, baptism is the ritual act, with the use of water, by which one is admitted as a full member of the Christian Church and, in the view of some, as a member of the particular Church in which the baptism is administered....
25 December 1583 – 5 June 1625) was an English

England

Composer

A composer is a person who creates music, usually in the medium of musical notation, for interpretation and performance. The level of distinction between composers and other musicians varies, which affects issues such as copyright and the deference given to individual interpretations of a particular piece of music....
and organist

Organist

An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ . An organist may play organ repertoire, play with an musical ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumentalist....
of the late Tudor

Tudor period

The Tudor period usually refers to the period between 1485 and 1603, specifically in relation to the history of England. This coincides with the rule of the Tudor dynasty in England whose first monarch was Henry VII of England ....
and early Jacobean periods

Jacobean era

The Jacobean era refers to the period in England and Scotland history that coincides with the reign of King James I of England of England, who was also James VI of Scotland....
. He was a leading composer in the England of his day.

Gibbons was born in Oxford

Oxford

Oxford is a City status in the United Kingdom, and the county town of Oxfordshire, in South East England. It has a population of 151,000. The rivers River Cherwell and River Thames run through Oxford and meet south of the city centre....
. Between 1596 and 1598 he sang in the Choir of King's College, Cambridge

Choir of King's College, Cambridge

The world-famous Choir of King's College, Cambridge is one of today's most accomplished and renowned representatives of the great British choral tradition....
, where his brother was master of the choristers; he entered the university in 1598 and achieved the degree of Bachelor of Music

Bachelor of Music

Bachelor of Music is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or College or university school of music upon completion of program of study in music....
in 1606.

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Encyclopedia

Orlando Gibbons (baptised

Baptism

England

Composer

Organist

Tudor period

Jacobean era

Oxford

Choir of King's College, Cambridge

Bachelor of Music

Bachelor of Music is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or College or university school of music upon completion of program of study in music....
in 1606. James I

James I of England

James VI and I was List of monarchs of Scotland as James VI, and List of English monarchs and King of Ireland as James I. He ruled in Kingdom of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567, when he was only one year old, succeeding his mother Mary I of Scotland....
appointed him a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal

Chapel Royal

A Chapel Royal is a department of the Ecclesiastical Household of the Monarchy in right of each of the Commonwealth realms, formally known as the royal Free Chapel of the Household....
, where he served as an organist from at least 1615 until his death. In 1625 he became senior organist at the Chapel Royal

Chapel Royal

Thomas Tomkins

Thomas Tomkins was a Wales-born composer of Cornish origins of the late Tudor dynasty and early Stuart dynasty period. In addition to being one of the prominent members of the English Madrigal School, he was a skilled composer of keyboard and consort of instruments music....
as junior organist. He also held positions as keyboard player in the privy chamber of the court of Prince Charles (later King Charles I

Charles I of England

Charles I was List of English monarchs, List of monarchs of Scotland and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his capital punishment on 30 January 1649....
), and organist at Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey

The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to popularly and informally as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic architecture Church , in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster....
. He died at age 41 in Canterbury

Canterbury

Canterbury lies at the heart of the City of Canterbury, a local government district of Kent, in South East England. It lies on the River Stour....
of apoplexy

Apoplexy

Apoplexy is an out-dated medicine term, which can be used to mean 'bleeding'. It can be used non-medically to mean a state of extreme rage or excitement....
, and a monument to him was built in Canterbury Cathedral

Canterbury Cathedral

Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christianity structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
.

One of the most versatile English composers of his time, Gibbons wrote a quantity of keyboard

Keyboard instrument

A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include various types of organ s as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic musical instrument....
works, around thirty fantasia

Fantasia (music)

The fantasia is a musical composition with its roots in the art of improvisation. Because of this, it seldom approximates the textbook rules of any strict musical form ....
s for viol

Viol

The viol is any one of a family of bow , fretted, stringed instruments musical instruments developed in the 1400s and used primarily in the Renaissance music and Baroque music periods....
s, a number of madrigal

Madrigal (music)

A madrigal is a type of secular vocal music composition, written during the Renaissance music and early Baroque music eras. Throughout most of its history it was Polyphony and unaccompanied by instruments, with the number of voices varying from two to eight, but most frequently three to six....
s (the best-known being The Silver Swan
Silver Swan (music)

The silver swan is probably the most famous madrigal by Orlando Gibbons, and is scored for 5 voices . It is based on the legend that mute swans sing only just before death ....
), and many popular verse anthem

Verse anthem

The verse anthem is a species of religious choral music distinct from the motet or 'full' anthem .In the 'verse' anthem the music alternates between sections for a solo voice or voices and the full choir....
s. His choral music is distinguished by his complete mastery of counterpoint, combined with his wonderful gift for melody. Perhaps his most well-known verse anthem is This is the record of John, which sets an Advent text for solo countertenor

Countertenor

A countertenor is a male voice type whose vocal range is equivalent to that of a contralto, mezzo-soprano or a soprano, usually through use of falsetto, or more rarely the normal or modal voice....
or tenor

Tenor

The tenor is a type of male voice type and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between the C one octave below middle C to the A above in choral music, and up to high C in solo work....
, alternating with full chorus. The soloist is required to demonstrate considerable technical facility at points, and the work at once expresses the rhetorical force of the text, whilst never being demonstrative or bombastic. He also produced two major settings of Evensong

Evening Prayer (Anglican)

Evening Prayer is a liturgy in use in the Anglican Communion and celebrated in the late afternoon or evening. It is also commonly known as Evensong, especially when the office is rendered choir ....
, the Short Service and the Second Service. The former includes a beautifully expressive Nunc dimittis

Nunc dimittis

The Nunc dimittis is a canticle from a text in the second chapter of Gospel of Luke named after its first words in Latin language.Simeon the Righteous was a devout Jew who, according to the book of Luke, had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Saviour....
, while the latter is an extended composition, combining verse and full sections. Gibbons' full anthems include the expressive O Lord, in thy wrath, and the Ascension Day anthem O clap your hands together for eight voices. He contributed six pieces to the first printed collection of music in England, Parthenia
Parthenia (music)

Parthenia or the Maydenhead of the first musicke that ever was printed for the Virginalls was, as the title states, the first printed collection of music for keyboard in England....
(to which he was by far the youngest of the three contributors), published in about 1611.

Gibbons was the "favorite composer" of the Canadian pianist Glenn Gould

Glenn Gould

Glenn Herbert Gould was a Canadian pianist, noted especially for his recordings of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, his remarkable technical proficiency, his unorthodox musical philosophy, and his eccentric personality and piano technique....
. "Ever since my teen-age years his music has moved me more deeply than any other sound experience I can think of." To this day, his obit service is commemorated every year in King's College Chapel, Cambridge

King's College Chapel, Cambridge

King's College Chapel is the chapel to King's College, Cambridge of the University of Cambridge, and is one of the finest examples of late Gothic architecture English architecture....
.

Media

Recordings

CD "The Music of Orlando Gibbons" by The Choir of St. John's College, Cambridge. Available