| Irish lutenist, singer, and composer, one
of the greatest musicians of the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras. He held
musical posts in Paris and Germany, and from 1598 to 1606 he was lutenist
to Christian IV of Denmark. In 1612 he obtained a long-desired appointment
in England as one of the king's lutenists, a post he held until his death.
His lute songs display sensitive text declamation; the accompaniments are
subordinate, yet possess some melodic independence. His First Book of Songs
or Ayres (1597) was the most often reprinted music book of its time. |