English Madrigal School

The brief but intense flowering of the musical madrigal in England, mostly from 1588 to 1627, along with the composers who produced them, is known as the English Madrigal School. The English madrigals were a cappella, predominantly light in style, and generally began as either copies or direct translations of Italian models. Most were for three to six voices.

Composers

The following list includes almost all of the composers of the English Madrigal School who published works. Many of these were amateur composers, some known only for a single book of madrigals, and some for an even smaller contribution.

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• John Bennet (c1575- after 1614)
• John Bull (1562-1628)
• William Byrd (1543-1623)
• Thomas Campion (1567-1620)
• Richard Carlton (c1558-1638?)
• Michael Cavendish (c1565-1628)
• John Dowland (1563-1626)
• Michael East (composer) (c1580-c1648)
• John Farmer (c1565-1605)
• Giles Farnaby (c1560-c1620)
• Alfonso Ferrabosco (1543-1588) (He was Italian, but worked in England for two decades)
• Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625)
• Thomas Greaves (fl.c1600
• William Holborne (composer) (fl.1597)
• John Jenkins (1592-1678)
• Robert Jones (fl.1597-1615)
• George Kirbye (c1565-1634)
• Henry Lichfild (fl.1613), d. after 1620)
• Thomas Morley (1557-1603)
• John Mundy (c1555-1630)
• Peter Philips (c1560-1628) (Lived and published in the Netherlands, but wrote in an English style)
• Francis Pilkington (c1570-1638)
• Thomas Tomkins (1572-1656)
• Thomas Vautor (c1580-?)
• John Ward (1571-1638)
• Thomas Weelkes (1576-1623)
• John Wilbye (1574-1638)