Honoring 400 Years Since the Death of Orlando Gibbons

This year marks a meaningful milestone in music history, commemorating 400 years since the passing of Orlando Gibbons. Born in Oxford in 1583, Gibbons is celebrated as one of the last major English composers of madrigals and plays a crucial role in connecting Renaissance music with the Baroque period. Even though his contributions are ample, he frequently enough remains overshadowed by his more prolific contemporary, William Byrd,who may have even served as his mentor.

The Enduring Musical Heritage of Gibbons

Beyond his vocal compositions,Gibbons created a rich collection of chamber music for strings that features Fantasias for ensembles ranging from two to six instruments,alongside Pavan and Galliard pieces for six viols. A notable work within this collection is Nico Muhly’s My Days, which was commissioned by Fretwork along with the Hilliard Ensemble; this composition includes settings for four male voices accompanied by viols based on Psalm 39. Interestingly,it incorporates elements derived from an autopsy report conducted on Gibbons himself—an aspect that Muhly describes as “an act of ritualized remembrance for Orlando Gibbons.”

A study in Contrasts Between Past and Contemporary Works

Muhly’s composition is distinguished by its vibrant string motifs that contrast beautifully with the flowing imitative textures characteristic of gibbons’ fantasias. The vocal lines emerge from a singular descending melodic motif where a quartet comprising countertenor, two tenors, and baritone maintains radiant rhythmic unity throughout the psalm text before transitioning into responses reminiscent of⁢ styles employed during the autopsy segment—culminating with voices enveloped by plucked strings while echoing “my days,” all while viols gracefully flutter around them.

You can listen to it on Apple Music (above) or through Spotify .