Anthony Holborne (c. 1554-1602)
The Fairie Round (Recorders)
Anthony Holborne (c. 1545 – November 29, 1602) was a composer of English consort music during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Holborne entered Cambridge University in 1562. He was admitted to the Inner Temple Court in 1565. Holborne married Elisabeth Marten on June 14, 1584. On the title page of both his books he claims to be in the service of Queen Elizabeth. In the 1590's he entered the service of Sir Robert Cecil, the 1st Earl of Salisbury. His patron was the Countess of Pembroke, Mary Sidney.
He died of a "cold" in November 1602.
He was held in the highest regard as a composer by contemporaries. John Dowland dedicated the very first song I saw my lady weepe in his Second Booke to Holborne.
His brother was William Holborne. Six of William's madrigals were included in the Cittarn Schoole.
Anthony's first known book was The Cittarn Schoole of 1597, consisting of compositions for the cittern. The preface indicates the pieces were composed over a number of years. He writes that the musical compositions are "untimely fruits of my youth, begotten in the cradle and infancy of my slender skill."
The Pavans, Galliards, Almains and other short Aeirs, both grave and light, in five parts, for Viols, Violins, recorders or other Musicall Winde Instruments was published in 1599 and consisted of 65 of his own compositions. It is the largest surviving collection of its kind. Most are of the pavan-galliard combination. Other pieces are of the allemande style. The rest are unclassified.
The Fairie Round from this collection was included on the Voyager Golden Record, copies of which were sent into space aboard the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 space probes in 1977, as a representation of human culture and achievement to any who might find it.
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The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University), located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world. It is regarded as one of the world's premier academic institutions. The name is sometimes abbreviated as Cantab. in post-nominals, a shortened form of Cantabrigiensis (an adjective derived from Cantabrigia, the Latinised form of Cambridge).
The University grew out of an association of scholars in the city of Cambridge that was formed, early records suggest, in 1209 by scholars leaving Oxford after a dispute with local townsfolk there.
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It has traditionally been an academic institution of choice of the Royal Family (King Edward VII, King George VI, Prince Henry of Gloucester, Prince William of Gloucester and Edinburgh and Prince Charles were all undergraduates) and has produced 82 Nobel Laureates to date.
[8556 Caroubel / Holborne 8554 / 8553 G. Gabrieli]