Morley, Thomas

Morley, Thomas, c.1557–1603, English composer; pupil of William Byrd. He was gentleman of the Chapel Royal to Queen Elizabeth I and organist of St. Paul's Cathedral. He set to music some of Shakespeare's songs. Morley's works include motets, music for Anglican services, madrigals that are among the most charming examples of this form. He wrote a unique guide to 16th-century English musical practice, A Plaine and Easie Introduction to Practicall Musicke (1597, new ed. 1952).

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Music: History, Composers, and Performers: Biographies