Henry Davey

“ WILBYE, JOHN (fl. 1598–1614) , musician, was probably a native of the eastern counties, where the name was common [cf. Tallis, Thomas] . A John, son of John Wilbye or Milbye, was baptised in St. Mary's, Bury St. Edmunds, 15 Jan. 1572–3; and another John, son of Thomas Wilbye, on 27 Sept. The musician's will is, however, is not to be found in any of the eastern probate courts. In 1598 he published his first set of madrigals; the work is dedicated (‘from the Augustine Fryers’) to Sir Charles Cavendish [see under Cavendish, Sir William, 1505–1557] . ”

“ Whithorne was an amateur with an inordinate belief in his own powers. His works are ignored in the theoretical treatises of Morley, Ravenscroft, and Campion; nor were they mentioned by any critic until Burney described the ‘Songes,’ dismissing both words and music as ‘truly barbarous.’ Rimbault, Rockstro, Husk, Davey, and Nagel all speak of them with contempt. ”

“ Playford advertised them for sale during the Commonwealth; they were on the repertory of the Academy of Ancient Music and the Ancient Concerts during the eighteenth century; Burney, writing in 1789, describes them as ‘much sung;’ the Madrigal Society, from 1741 to the present day, has specially kept them in remembrance. ‘Flora gave me fairest flowers,’ perhaps the very finest, is mentioned among the pieces sung at a Sussex harvest-home about 1830 (Luke Berrington, From my Boyhood) . Complete reprints of both sets, in score, were issued by the Musical Antiquarian Society (1841–1846) . ”

“ One of the missing contratenors, bound with a second copy of the supplement, has since been acquired by the British Museum (Addit. MS. 33933) ; it is, unfortunately, defective, but most of the psalter can now be completed by its help, and the result proves Peebles to have possessed great skill in pure diatonic harmony. ”

“ At this time George Villiers, the son of Vautor's patrons, was rising in the king's favour, and in 1619 he was created Marquis of Buckingham, upon which Vautor dedicated to him a collection of twenty-two madrigals, entitled ‘The First Set; being Songs of diverse Ayres and Natures for Five and Sixe parts ”

“ The baptism of their daughter Margery is recorded on 23 Dec. 1565 at Ely. He must have resigned his appointment in 1566, as John Farrant [see under Farrant, Richard] received a year's salary as master of the choristers at Michaelmas 1567. ”