Jeffreys, George

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Jeffreys, George

Jeffreys, George, English organist and composer; b. c. 1610; d. Weldon, Northamptonshire, July 1, 1685. He was a member of the Chapel Royal, and was made joint organist (with John Wilson) to King Charles I in Oxford (1643). From 1646 he was steward to Sir Christopher (later Lord) Hatton at Kirkby, Northamptonshire. He composed both Latin and English sacred music, including about 70 Latin works and about 35 English anthems and devotional songs. He also wrote six string fantasias for three parts (1629), music for plays and masques (1631), dialogues, Italian songs, etc.

Bibliography

P. Aston, G. J. and the English Baroque (diss., Univ. of York, 1970; includes performing eds. of all of his instrumental pieces, theater music, and secular songs, as well as 30 sacred works).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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