Paul's, London, in 1542 became organist at Magdalen College, Oxford, and from 155I was in the Chapel Royal. He left services, motets and anthems (from 1550). John Merbecke (d. 1585?), born in 1523, was a choirboy at St. George's, Windsor, and later organist there. In 1550 he issued his famous Plain-Song settings of the Prayer Book services, besides leaving a mass and a few anthems, In 1544 he was almost martyred for his Protestant views, and in later life he was more theologian than musician.
Richard Edwards (d. 1566), also born in 1523, was both a poet and a musician of high order. From 1561 he was Master of the Chapel Royal, a post then involving dramatic as well as musical gifts. His madrigals are famous. Robert Whyte (d. 1574) was highly esteemed in his time, but strangely forgotten afterwards. He succeeded Tye at Ely in 1562, removing to West minster in 1567. He is supposed to have been Tye's son-in-law. He left numerous motets and anthems, with some instrumental fantasias, all showing great ability.
Richard Farrant (d. 1580) was in the Chapel Royal from 1564. His services and anthems (some possibly by other Farrants), with 20 organ-pieces, show him a worthy contemporary of Tye and Tallis. William Byrd (d. 1623), born in 1543 and a pupil of Tallis, became organist at Lincoln in 1563, was in the Chapel Royal from 1570 and later Its organist, and was joint-publisher with Tallis from 1575, succeeding to the monopoly in 1585. He was often in trouble because of his strong Catholic sympathies. Though perhaps not absolutely unexcelled at every point, his works (from 1575) are so many, varied and superior that he is counted not only the greatest English composer of the century, but a compeer of Palestrina and Lassus. The list includes masses, motets, anthems, psalms, madrigals, songs and remarkable virginal-pieces, including some true variations.
As an instrumental writer he was long unrivaled. John Bull (d. 1628), born .about 1562, was organist at Hereford from 1582, soon entered the Chapel Royal and in 1591 became its organist, and in. 1597-16°7 was the first professor of music at Gresham College. In Ioor he traveled on the Continent as a virtuoso, and in 1613 migrated to Brussels, becoming in 1617 organist at Antwerp Cathedral. He was a remarkable performer, an expert: contrapuntist and a prolific composer of keyboard-pieces of decided historic importance. Italian madrigals began to be reprinted in England in r 588 and strengthened the national interest in secular composition. Under this stimulus a long series of further composers appeared (see sec. 69), though the earlier of them were immediately connected with those here mentioned.
The Prayer Book and Music
