Thomas Vautor (fl.1592 – 1619) was an English musician, known as a composer of madrigals.
Life
editVautor was a household musician in the family of Mary Beaumont, of Glenfield, Leicestershire; and held the same position to Sir George Villiers after his marriage with her in 1592. The couple were the parents of the future George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham.[1]
On 11 May 1616, Vautor supplicated for the degree of Mus. Bac. at the University of Oxford, which was granted on condition of his composing a choral hymn for six voices; he was admitted on 4 July. At this time the younger George Villiers, son of Vautor's patrons, was rising in the favour of King James I, and in 1619 was created Marquess of Buckingham, Vautor dedicated to the Marquess a collection of 22 madrigals, entitled The First Set; being Songs of diverse Ayres and Natures for Five and Sixe parts; Apt for Vyols and Voices. Nothing further is known of Vautor.[1]
Works
editA list of the 22 pieces was in Edward Francis Rimbault's Bibliotheca Madrigaliana.[1] They are diverse, and were composed over an extended period of time; they also run a gamut of styles from the Elizabethan period to the contemporary. Some commemorate Elizabeth I, Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, and Thomas Beaumont. One madrigal is based on a sonnet by Sir Philip Sidney.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b c Lee, Sidney, ed. (1899). . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 58. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
- ^ Brown, David. "Thomas Vautor". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/28157. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
External links
edit- Free scores by Thomas Vautor at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
- Free scores by Thomas Vautor in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
- Attribution
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Lee, Sidney, ed. (1899). "Vautor, Thomas". Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 58. London: Smith, Elder & Co.