Thomas Brewer
Encyclopedia
Thomas Brewer was a 17th century composer best known for introducing the glee
form. Little is known of his life. However many of his compositions have survived. Most of them are catches, rounds and glees but three instrumental pieces are stored in the Oxford Music School collection.
, was born (probably) in the parish of Christchurch, Newgate Street in London. His father, Thomas Brewer, was a poulterer, and his mother's Christian name was True. On 9 December 1614 Brewer was admitted to Christ's Hospital
, although he was only three years old. Here he remained until 20 June 1626, when he left school, and was apprenticed to one Thomas Warner. He learnt the viol at Christ's Hospital from the school music-master. The date of Brewer's death is unknown.
and John Hilton
, published in the middle of the seventeenth century; nothing is known as to his biography. His printed works consist chiefly of rounds, catches, and part-songs, but in the Music School Collection at Oxford are preserved three instrumental pieces, consisting of airs, pavins, corrantos, &c., for which kind of composition he seems to have been noted. Two pieces by him are in Elizabeth Rogers's Virginal Book.
Glee (music)
A glee is an English type of part song spanning the late baroque, classical and early romantic periods. It is usually scored for at least three voices, and generally intended to be sung unaccompanied. Glees often consist of a number of short, musically contrasted movements and their texts can be...
form. Little is known of his life. However many of his compositions have survived. Most of them are catches, rounds and glees but three instrumental pieces are stored in the Oxford Music School collection.
Life
A celebrated performer on the violViol
The viol is any one of a family of bowed, fretted and stringed musical instruments developed in the mid-late 15th century and used primarily in the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The family is related to and descends primarily from the Renaissance vihuela, a plucked instrument that preceded the...
, was born (probably) in the parish of Christchurch, Newgate Street in London. His father, Thomas Brewer, was a poulterer, and his mother's Christian name was True. On 9 December 1614 Brewer was admitted to Christ's Hospital
Christ's Hospital
Christ's Hospital is an English coeducational independent day and boarding school with Royal Charter located in the Sussex countryside just south of Horsham in Horsham District, West Sussex, England...
, although he was only three years old. Here he remained until 20 June 1626, when he left school, and was apprenticed to one Thomas Warner. He learnt the viol at Christ's Hospital from the school music-master. The date of Brewer's death is unknown.
Works
His compositions are met with in most of the printed collections of John PlayfordJohn Playford
John Playford was a London bookseller, publisher, minor composer, and member of the Stationers' Company, who published books on music theory, instruction books for several instruments, and psalters with tunes for singing in churches...
and John Hilton
John Hilton (composer)
John Hilton was an English early baroque composer. He is best known for his books Ayres or Fa-Las for Three Voices and Catch That Catch Can.- Life :...
, published in the middle of the seventeenth century; nothing is known as to his biography. His printed works consist chiefly of rounds, catches, and part-songs, but in the Music School Collection at Oxford are preserved three instrumental pieces, consisting of airs, pavins, corrantos, &c., for which kind of composition he seems to have been noted. Two pieces by him are in Elizabeth Rogers's Virginal Book.