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Orlando GibbonsEnglish organist and composer
Date of Birth: 25.12.1583
Country:  Great Britain |
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Biography of Orlando Gibbons
Orlando Gibbons was an English composer, organist, and virginalist who lived during the late reign of Queen Elizabeth I and the beginning of the Jacobean era under King James I. He was considered the leading composer in England during his time.
Early Life and Education
Orlando Gibbons was born in Oxford, England. The exact date of his birth is unknown, but he was baptized on December 25, 1583. Between 1596 and 1598, Gibbons sang in the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, where his brother was the choirmaster. He enrolled in the university in 1598 and obtained a bachelor's degree in music in 1606.
Career
By the order of King James I, Gibbons was appointed as the organist of the Chapel Royal at St. James's Palace and held the position from at least 1615 until his death in 1625. In 1623, he became the senior organist of the Chapel Royal, and Thomas Tomkins, who was 11 years older than Gibbons, became the junior organist. Gibbons also served as a musician-virginalist in the personal salon of Prince Charles, the future King Charles I, and as an organist at Westminster Abbey.
Death and Legacy
Orlando Gibbons passed away from a stroke on June 5, 1625, at the age of 41, in Canterbury. His tombstone was erected in Canterbury Cathedral. After his death, there were suspicions that he died of the plague, which was widespread in England at the time. However, a report by two doctors who were present at his death confirmed that his body showed no signs of plague but had traces of a severe cerebral hemorrhage, which was the sole cause of his sudden death.
Gibbons' death shocked his colleagues, and there were questions about the haste of his burial in Canterbury instead of bringing his body back to London. His wife, Elizabeth, survived him for just over a year, despite being only around 35 years old. Their children became orphans, and their care was taken on by his elder brother, Orlando Edward Gibbons, who was also a member of the choir in which Orlando once sang. Of all the children, only their eldest son, Christopher Gibbons, became a musician, serving as an organist and composer.
To this day, a memorial service for Orlando Gibbons is annually held in the chapel of King's College, Cambridge.
Music and Legacy
Orlando Gibbons was one of the most versatile English composers of his time. He wrote numerous compositions for keyboard instruments, around 30 fantasias for viola, a number of madrigals, with the most famous being "The Silver Swan," and several highly popular polyphonic church hymns. His choral music is characterized by virtuosic counterpoint combined with an astonishing talent for creating melodies. Approximately 45 pieces for keyboard instruments have survived, with the majority being polyphonic fantasias and dance pieces.
