Page:Pratt - The history of music (1907).djvu/220

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Many other names perhaps equally deserve record, such as Felipe da Cruz, twice choirmaster at Lisbon; Andre da Costa (d. 1685), singer in the Royal Chapel; and Antonio Marques Lesbio (d. 1709), royal choirmaster at Madrid from 1698 (works, 1660-1708).


99. In England.—English church music in this century passed through varied vicissitudes. Under James I. (1603-25) the heavy harmonic style was replaced for a time by a return to the old counterpoint, the ablest composer being Orlando Gibbons. But with the overpressure of prelatical authority after 1630 came the Puritan reaction and the Civil War, daring which a fanatical onslaught was made on choirs, organs and all the apparatus of 'curious music,' not because it was music, but because associated with a hated system (see sec. 88). This crusade made a gap in sacred music till the Restoration in 1660, when cathedral choirs and the Chapel Royal were reinstated. Services and anthems now began to adopt French and Italian features, such as dramatic solos and generally homophonic treatment. The widespread lack of interest in religion reduced the popular power of all sacred music, though the genius of Humphrey and Purcell was respected.


Among the madrigalists (see sec. 69) were many good church composers, like Morley, Weelkes, Este, Ravenscroft and O. Gibbons. With them are to be named Nathaniel Giles (d. 1633), from 1597 in the Chapel Royal; Thomas Tomkins (d. 1656), organist at Worcester; John Amner (d. 1641), from 1610 organist at Ely; Martin Pearson (d. 1650), choirmaster at St. Paul's from 1604; John Milton (d. 1647), the father of the poet; and Adrian Batten (d. 1637), from 1614 singer at Westminster and from 1624 organist at St. Paul's.

Many musicians who were prominent after 1660 began their activity before the Civil War, like William Child (d. 1697), organist at Windsor from 1636 and in the Chapel from 1660; Benjamin Rogers (d. 1698), from 1639 at Dublin, from 1641 at Windsor, and from 1664 at Magdalen College, Oxford; and Christopher Gibbons (d. 1676), son of Orlando and pupil of Edward, from 1638 organist at Winchester and from 1660 of the Chapel, as well as of Westminster in 1660-5. During the political turmoils, what interest there was in church music centred at Oxford and Cambridge.

Of the many church composers after 1660, besides Humphrey and Henry Purcell (see sec. 89), may be noted Henry Cooke (d. 1672), the famous Master of the Chapel Royal from 1660; Matthew Locke (d. 1677), royal composer from 1661 and later in the service of Queen Catherine; Michael Wise (d. 1687), organist at Salisbury from 1668 and in the Chapel from 1676—one of the best of the series; John Blow (d. 1708), organist at Westminster in 1669-80 and from 1695, preceding and following Purcell, besides being organist to the Chapel from 1674 and royal composer from 1699, an able player and a