Orlando Gibbons

Orlando Gibbons

Life

Born: 1583

Died: 5 June 1625

Biography

The entry in Cathedral Music, Volume 1 (William Boyce) reads:

Orlando Gibbons was Organist of King's-College Chapel, Cambridge; was appointed Organist of the Royal Chapels to King James the First, in 1604; and commenced Batchelor in Music at the above-mentioned University, in 1606. He was very skilful in his Profession, and approv'd himself not inferior to any of his Predecessors, in Genius or Knowledge.

He died at Canterbury, and was there buried.

On his Monument is the following Inscription:

To Orlando Gibbons of Cambridge, Born among the Muses and Musick; Organist of the Royal Chapel, emulating, by the Touch of his Fingers, the Harmony of the Spheres; Composer of many Hymns, which sound his Praise no less than that of his Maker; A man of integrity, whose manner of Life, and sweetness of Temper, vy'd with that of his Art; being sent for to Dover to attend the Nuptials of King Charles and Mary, he died of the Small-Pox, and was convey'd to the heavenly Choir on Whit-Sunday, Anno 1625. Elizabeth his wife, who bare him seven Children, little able to survive such a loss, to her most deserving Husband hath with Tears erected this Monument.

His Brother, Edward Gibbons, Organist of the Cathedral Church at Bristol, greatly distinguish'd himself by his Loyalty, in assisting King Charles the First with One Thousand Pounds in the Time of the Civil War; for which Service he was afterwards very severely treated by the victorious Party, who deprived him of a considerable Temporal Estate. He was more than Fourscore Years old when this Misfortune happen'd to him. Christopher Gibbons, the Son of Orlando, was Organist of the Royal Chapels, and one of the Band of Musicians to King Charles the Second. He also obtain'd the Degree of Doctor in Music at Oxford, 1664, by vertue of his Majesty's Letters. He was likewise Organist, and Master of the Choristers to the Collegiate Church of St. Peter, Westminster.

View the Wikipedia article on Orlando Gibbons.

Sacred works

English service music

First Preces Second Preces Nicene Creed in F The Short Service Venite (Short Service) Te Deum (Short Service) Credo Kyrie Sanctus (an anonymous adaptation of part of the Te Deum) Benedictus (Short Service) Magnificat and Nunc dimittis (Short Service) Second service (with organ) Te Deum Jubilate Magnificat Nunc Dimittis First preces and psalm for Evensong on Whitsunday The eyes of all wait upon Thee Ps CXLV First preces and psalm for Evensong on Easter Day (Preces as above) Awake up my glory (Pss. LVII & CXVIII) Second preces and psalm I will magnify thee Ps CXLV Sanctus in F Te Deum (there is a separate Latin version of the Short Service Te Deum as well)

Verse anthems

Almighty God, who by thy Son Behold, I bring you glad tidings Behold, Thou hast made my days Blessed are all they Glorious and powerful God Grant, O Holy Trinity Great King of Gods also Great Lord of Lords If ye be risen again with Christ

Lord, grant grace O God, the King of glory O Thou the central orb also O all true faithful hearts See, see the Word is incarnate Sing unto the Lord The secret sins This is the record of John We praise Thee, O Father

Full anthems

Almighty and everlasting God Blessed be the Lord Deliver us, O Lord God is gone up. Second Part Hide not thou thy Face Hosanna to the Son of David Lift up your heads

O clap your hands O Lord, how do my woes increase O Lord, I lift my heart to Thee O Lord, in Thee is all my Trust O Lord, in thy wrath O Lord, increase my faith (now attributed to Henry Loosemore) Out Of The Deep (possibly by William Byrd) Why art thou so heavy, O my soul? (now attributed to Henry Loosemore)

Hymn tunes (17 contributions to G. Wither's The Hymnes and Songs of the Church (London, 1623)

Song 1 And now, O Father, mindful of the love Eternal ruler of the ceaseless round (Song 1) O thou, who at thy Eucharist didst pray Song 3 Nunc dimittis (Song 3) Song 4 Lord, with what zeal Song 5 Thy beauty, Israel, is gone (Song 5) Song 9 When Christ was risen from the dead

Song 13 Jesu benignissime Jesu, grant me this I pray Oh thou Lord, thou God of might Song 14 Arise thou North-winde (Song 14) Song 18 Who's this, that leaning on her friend (Song 18) Song 20 Lord, I will sing to Thee (Song 20) Song 22 Love of the Father, love of God the Son O Lord of Hosts, and God of Israel (Song 22) Song 24 From Virgin's womb

Song 31 Ye that do your Master's will Song 34 Forth in thy name, O Lord, I go Thus Angels sung (Song 34) (Es sangen Gottes Engel) Song 41 Oh all you Creatures of the Lord (Song 41) Song 44 Come Holy Ghost Song 46/47 As on the night (Songs 47 and 34) Draw nigh and take the Body of the Lord (Song 46) Drop, drop, slow tears (Song 46) Song 67 Give us the wings of faith to rise When one among the Twelve there was (Song 67)

Contrafacta & misc.

• Drop, drop, slow tears (First set of Madrigals and Motets)   contrafactum of The silver swan
• Amen

Secular works

Ah, dear heart, why do you rise? The cries of London Dainty fine bird Fair is the rose Fair ladies that to Love captived are Farewell all joys How art thou thralled I feign not friendship where I hate I see ambition never pleas'd I tremble not at noise of war I weigh not fortune's frown

Lais now old Mongst thousands good Nay let me weep Ne'er let the sun Now each flowery bank of May O that the learned poets A silly sylvan The silver swan Trust not too much What is our life? Yet if that age

Other works not listed above (See Template:CheckMissing for possible reasons and solutions)

• Out of the deep

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Publications

• The First Set of Madrigals and Mottets (1612)
• The Hymnes and Songs of the Church (1623)

External links

• Works by Orlando Gibbons in the Petrucci Music Library (IMSLP)
• Orlando Gibbons Website