Weelkes's madrigals are often compared to those of John Wilbye (who the Dictionary of National Biography described as the most famous of the English madrigalists): it has been suggested that the personalities of the two men - Wilbye appears to have been a more sober character than Weelkes - are reflected in the music. , It has been suggested that his father was John Weeke, rector of Elsted,[2] although there is no documentary evidence of the relationship. His consort music is sombre in tone, contrasting with the often gleeful madrigals. Thomas Weelkes, (baptized October 25, 1576, Elsted, Sussex?, England—died November 30, 1623, London), English organist and composer, one of the most important composers of madrigals. As the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography puts it, he was not the only disorderly member of the cathedral establishment, though in due course he would become its most celebrated."[3]. M. Weelkes The traits of the boldest compositions of his 1600 madrigal collection dig surprisingly deeply into the baroque psyche without ever drawing on specific 'baroque' practices: impetuosity, restlessness, a love of bold and startling symbolism, concentrated gestures, and an ambition for large structural coherence - all characteristics which would have found a natural home fifty years later. Review: If Weelkes stands slightly apart from his contemporaries then it is because he was perhaps the nearest the English got to a 'dare-devil'. A number of Weelkes's church anthems were included in the Oxford Book of Tudor Anthems in 1978. J. He occasionally used chromatic progressions in harmony that were well in advance of his time. Only a small amount of instrumental music was written by Weelkes, and it is rarely performed. T. Weiss Nothing definite is known of Weelkes’s early life, but his later career suggests that he came from southern England. Find Thomas Weelkes composition information on AllMusic. He was never particularly responsive to words; as Hosanna to the son of David and Alleluia! Composers - Early Music | Classical | 20th Century | Modern. , Born: October 25, 1575; Elsted, Sussex, England Died: December 1, 1623; London, England Thomas Weelkes has been known as one of the great names in the flowering of the Elizabethan madrigal, in a class with Morley, Wilbye, and Gibbons. Nearly 100 of his madrigals survive, of which his finest work is in the two books of madrigals, of five and six parts, respectively, that appeared in 1600. The following year he married Elizabeth Sandham, from a wealthy local family. Most Popular Works. Degree from New College, Oxford in 1602, and moved to Chichester to take up the position of organist and informator choristarum (instructor of the choristers) at Chichester Cathedral at some time between October 1601 and October 1602. All people clap your … Review: Here is a fantastic resource for introducing the music of the Renaissance to developing ensembles or groups with limited male singers. He became organist of Winchester College in 1598, moving to Chichester Cathedral.