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.

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View the Wikipedia article on Orlando Gibbons.

List of choral works (manually updated)

Sacred works

English service music

First Preces Second Preces Nicene Creed in F Sanctus in F Te Deum First Preces and Psalm for Whitsunday for Evensong on Whitsunday First Preces and Psalm for Easter for Evensong on Easter Day Awake up my glory Psalms 52 and 118, part of First Preces - Easter Second Preces and Psalm I will magnify thee Psalm 145, part of Second Preces

The Short Service Venite Te Deum (Short Service) Credo (Short Service) Kyrie Sanctus (an anonymous adaptation of part of the Te Deum) Benedictus Magnificat and Nunc dimittis (Short Service)

The Second Service (with organ) Te Deum (Second Service) Jubilate (Second Service) Magnificat Nunc Dimittis

Verse anthems

Almighty God, who by thy Son Behold, I bring you glad tidings Behold, Thou hast made my days Blessed are all they The eyes of all wait upon Thee Psalm 145 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 Deliver us, O Lord Blessed be the Lord - second part Hide not thy face Hosanna to the Son of David

Lift up you heads O clap your hands God is gone up – Second part 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 attrib. Loosemore

Hymn tunes

Gibbons contributed 17 tunes with a bass to G. Wither's The Hymnes and Songs of the Church (London, 1623)

Song	Metre	Hymn
1	10 10 10 10 10 10	And now, O Father, mindful of the love Eternal ruler of the ceaseless round O thou, who at thy Eucharist didst pray
3	CMD	Nunc dimittis
4	10x6	Lord, with what zeal
5	LM	Thy beauty, Israel, is gone
9	88 88 88	When Christ was risen from the dead
13		Jesu benignissime Jesu, grant me this I pray Oh thou Lord, thou God of might
14		Arise thou North-winde
18		Who's this, that leaning on her friend
20		Lord, I will sing to Thee
22		Love of the Father, love of God the Son O Lord of Hosts, and God of Israel
24		From Virgin's womb
31		Ye that do your Master's will
34		Forth in thy name, O Lord, I go Thus Angels sung (Es sangen Gottes Engel)
41		Oh all you Creatures of the Lord
44		Come Holy Ghost
46		Draw nigh and take the Body of the Lord Drop, drop, slow tears a 4
47		As on the night (Songs 47 and 34)
67		Give us the wings of faith to rise When one among the Twelve there was

Contrafacta and miscellaneous

• Drop, drop, slow tears a 5 – From First set of Madrigals and Motets; contrafactum of The silver swan
• Amen

Works at CPDL (automated lists)

Sacred works

Sacred works in English

Almighty and everlasting God Almighty God, who by thy Son And now, O Father, mindful of the love Arise thou North-winde (Song 14) As on the night Behold, I bring you glad tidings Behold, Thou hast made my days Benedictus (Short Service) Blessed are all they Blessed be the Lord Come Holy Ghost Deliver us, O Lord Draw nigh and take the Body of the Lord (Song 46) Drop, drop, slow tears a 4 Drop, drop, slow tears a 5 Eternal ruler of the ceaseless round (Song 1) The eyes of all wait upon thee First Preces Forth in thy name, O Lord, I go From Virgin's womb Give us the wings of faith to rise Glorious and powerful God Grant, O Holy Trinity

Great King of Gods Hosanna to the Son of David If ye be risen again with Christ Jesu, grant me this I pray Kyrie Lead us, O Father Lift up your heads Lord, grant grace Lord, I will sing to Thee (Song 20) Lord, with what zeal Love of the Father, love of God the Son Magnificat and Nunc dimittis (Short Service) Magnificat from the Second Service My God, accept my heart this day Nicene Creed in F Nunc dimittis (Song 3) Nunc Dimittis from the Second Service O clap your hands O God, the King of glory O Lord of Hosts, and God of Israel (Song 22) 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 O Thou the central orb O thou, who at thy Eucharist didst pray Oh all you Creatures of the Lord (Song 41) Oh thou Lord, thou God of might Out of the deep Sanctus Second Preces Second Service The secret sins See, see the Word is incarnate Short Service Sing unto the Lord Te Deum (Short Service) This is the record of John Thy beauty, Israel, is gone (Song 5) Venite (Short Service) We praise Thee, O Father When Christ was risen from the dead When one among the Twelve there was (Song 67) Who's this, that leaning on her friend (Song 18) Ye that do your Master's will

Sacred works in Latin Amen Jesu benignissime Te Deum (Short Service)

Sacred works in other languages Thus Angels sung (Song 34) (Orlando Gibbons) 2 German Dutch

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

 
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Publications

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

External websites:

• Works by Orlando Gibbons in the Petrucci Music Library (IMSLP)
• Orlando Gibbons Website
• Wikipedia page: List of compositions by Orlando Gibbons