John Wilbye

Hengrave Hall

Bastion of Catholic Recusancy

Baptized on 7 March 1574 in Brome, England, little is known about John Wilbye's early life but that he was conceived during the reign of Protestant Queen Elizabeth I. Born to a tanner, it isn't known when he acquired employment at Hengrave Hall in Suffolk, manor of merchant, Sir Thomas Kitson, who kept a town house in London as well. This was essentially the hire of Kitson's wife, Lady Elizabeth Kitson, an amateur lute player who inherited Hengrave Hall upon Thomas' death in 1603 and would be Wilbye's patroness for another quarter century from that time. During that time he composed secular vocal madrigals nigh exclusively. That he wrote no sacred music while with the Kitsons is likely relevant to the fact that Hengrave Hall was a seat of Catholic recusancy, that is, refusal to attend Anglican church services. He might have authored Catholic works in secret like his contemporay, William Byrd, did, but it seems that Lady Kitson was content with madrigals.

Wilbye published his first book of madrigals at age 24 in 1598 titled 'The First Set of English Madrigals'. His second book of madrigals, 'The Second Set of Madrigales', arrived in 1609. These two books of madrigals were his only, though he wrote a handful of other pieces published otherwise or copied into manuscript. Most notable among them was 'The Lady Oriana' which is No.15 of Thomas Morley's assemblage of madrigals in 'The Triumphs of Oriana' which had been published in 1601. Wilbye also wrote a harpsichord version of John Dowland's earlier lute galliard, 'Frogge' (MS circa 1590), published as No.12 of 12 in 'A Treasury of English Keyboard Music' in 1612. Wilbye further contributed two songs to William Leighton's 'The Tears or Lamentations of a Sorrowful Soul' of 1614. Those were No.27 'I am quite tired with my groans' for three parts and No.49 'O God, the rock of my whole strength' for four parts.

Titles below descend by publishing dates. Wilbye is thought to be the poet of at least most his madrigals. Texts ascribed to Wlibye below are of multiple sources ranging from certain ('Lady, When I Behold the Roses Sprouting') to tentative. Without noting instances lending doubt which could be my own of Wilbye's authorship, it bears mentioning, that Peter Billam [below] leaves the author of the text to 'Draw on Sweet Night' unidentified, because Billam would probably know. That is, credits for texts below should be read as assumed to be correct failing this mention of Billam in particular.

'Lady, When I Behold'   Madrigal a 4 by John Wilbye

No. 10 of 'The First Set of Madrigals'   Pub 1598

Ensemble Pap Canto

'Lady your words do spite me'   Madrigal a 5 by John Wilbye

No. 18 of 'The First Set of Madrigals'   Pub 1598   Text by Wilbye

The King's Singers   Album: 'All at Once Well Met: English Madrigals' 1987

'Flora Gave Me Fairest Flowers'   Madrigal a 5 by John Wilbye

No. 22 of 'The First Set of Madrigals'   Pub 1598   Text by Wilbye

The Vocal Consort of Singapore   2021

'Lady, When I Behold the Roses Sprouting'   Madrigal a 6 by John Wilbye

No. 24 of 'The First Set of Madrigals'   Pub 1598   Text by Wilbye

University of Louisville Collegiate Chorale

'The Lady Oriana'   Madrigal a 6 by John Wilbye

No. 15 of 'The Triumphs of Oriana'   Pub 1601   Text by Wilbye

I Fagiolini / Robert Hollingworth

'Draw on Sweet Night'   Madrigal a 6 by John Wilbye

No. 31 of 'The Second Set of Madrigals'   Pub 1609   Text by Wilbye?

The Hilliard Ensamble

'Frogge'   Arrangement by John Wilbye of Dowland's 'Frogge' of c 1590

No. 12 of 'Clement Matchett’s Virginal Book'   Pub 1612

Harpsichord: Colin Tilney

Wilbye remained at Hengrave Hall until the death of Lady Kitson in 1628, She having been his patroness probably above thirty years, Wilbye then retired in Colchester until his own passing ten years later in September of 1638. Having lived beneath the umbrella of Elizabeth I until her death in 1603, his life encompassed the complete reign of Protestant King James I (1603-25) and entered that of Protestant King Charles I.