Ellis Gibbons
Ellis Gibbons (
Life and career
Ellis Gibbons was born to William (c. 1540 – 1595) and Mary (d. 1603) Gibbons in
Cambridge
At the age of 28 he became the only composer, other than the editor
Music
Other than two madrigals for The Triumphs of Oriana,[18] no works by Gibbons survive.[17] He was the only composer to contribute two madrigals to The Triumphs of Oriana other than the editor, Morley.[17] American musicologist Joseph Kerman furthers this oddity by noting that prominent English composers like William Byrd and Giles Farnaby are excluded, which he explains by speculating that one of the madrigals may be by Ellis Gibbons' older brother Edward.[20] Kerman even goes so far as to describe Ellis Gibbons as a "non-entity".[20] Based on stylistic evidence, Fellowes suggests that both madrigals are by the then 19 year old Orlando, but notes there is no valid evidence to support this claim.[21][n 6]
The pieces Ellis Gibbons contributed to The Triumphs of Oriana were the 5 part madrigal Long live fair Orianae and a six part madrigal entitled Round about her Charret. The latter is considered by Fellowes and musicologist John Harley to be more sophisticated, although Harley notes that it is still demonstrated "at best an unpracticed composer". Long live faire Oriana has been criticized by Fellowes and Harley as being dull,[17] and having "the appearance of being written at the keyboard".[14]
Works
External audio | |
---|---|
Long live fair Oriana performed by The King's Singers | |
Long live fair Oriana |
Title | Voices | Genre | Collection: No. |
---|---|---|---|
Long live fair Oriana | 5 | Madrigal | The Triumphs of Oriana: 3 |
Round about her Charre | 6 | Madrigal | The Triumphs of Oriana: 19 |
No other works by Ellis Gibbons survive[17] |
References
Notes
- ^ The maiden name of Ellis's mother is unknown.[3]
- ^ The first son, Richard, died as an infant.[5]
- ^ The High ward consists of modern day Trinity Street.[12]
- ^ The Market ward consists of modern day parishes of St Mary, St Edward's and St Bene't's[13]
- ^ Although most of these biographies probably based this claim on Wood's initial account.[12]
- ^ Fellowes previously noted that the inclusion of two madrigals by Ellis Gibbons was to honor his early death in 1603,[17] but this is not possible since The Triumphs of Oriana was compiled and originally published with both madrigals in 1601, two years before his death.[18]
Citations
- ^ Fellowes 1951, pp. 28–29.
- ^ a b Harley 2008.
- ^ Harley 1999, p. 5.
- ^ Rayner & Rayner 1970, p. 151.
- ^ Harley 1999, p. 7.
- ^ Harley 1999, p. 8.
- ^ Thewlis 1940, p. 32.
- ^ a b Harley 1999, p. 17.
- ^ Britannica.
- ^ Fellowes 1951, p. 33.
- ^ Thewlis 1940, p. 33.
- ^ a b c d e Harley 1999, p. 15.
- ^ Roach 1959, pp. 111–113.
- ^ a b c d e f Harley 1999, p. 16.
- ^ a b c d e Fellowes 1951, p. 29.
- ^ Scholes 1970, pp. 483, 908.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Fellowes 1951, p. 30.
- ^ a b c Oxford Reference.
- ^ Fellowes 1951, pp. 29–30.
- ^ a b Kerman 1962, p. 199.
- ^ Fellowes 1951, pp. 30–31.
Sources
- Books
- ISBN 978-0-208-00848-0.
- Harley, John (1999). Orlando Gibbons and the Gibbons Family of Musicians. London: ISBN 978-1-840-14209-9.
- ISBN 978-1878528063.
- ISBN 978-0712902434.
- ISBN 978-0193113060.
- Journals and articles
- "Orlando Gibbons". Encyclopædia Britannica. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. 2020.
- Harley, John (2008) [2004]. "Gibbons, Edward (bap. 1568, d. in or before 1650), musician". ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. (subscription or UK public library membershiprequired)
- Rayner, Clare G.; Rayner, Sheila Finch (1970). "Christopher Gibbons: "That Famous Musician"". JSTOR 20532058.
- Thewlis, George A. (January 1940). "Oxford and the Gibbons Family". JSTOR 727619.
- "Triumphs of Oriana". Oxford Reference. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (subscription required)
External links
- Free scores by Ellis Gibbons at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
- Free scores by Ellis Gibbons in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
- Radio talk on BBC Radio 3 about the Gibbons family. Includes music from Ellis