Pilkington, Francis

Pilkington, Francis, English composer; b. c. 1570; d. Chester, 1638. He received a B.Mus. degree at Lincoln Coll., Oxford, in 1595. He became a lay clerk (or conduct) at Chester Cathedral in 1602, and then a minor canon in 1612. After taking Holy Orders, he was made a “full minister” on Dec. 18, 1614. He was active in the Cathedral choir, and was precentor there from 1623 until his death. He also held other curacies in Chester, including his principal charge at St. Bridget’s from 1616. See B. Jeffery, ed., Francis Pilkington: Complete Works for Solo Lute (London, 1970). In addition to the works below, he also contributed 2 songs to Sir William Leighton’s collection The Teares or Lamentacions of a Sorrowful Soule (1614).

Works

The First Booke of Songs or Ayres of 4. Parts: with tableturefor the lute or orpherian, with the violi de gamba (London, 1605; the versions for 4 voices with lute were publ. in The Old English Edition, XVIII-XX, London, 1897–98; the versions for voice and lute were publ. in E.H. Fellowes, ed., The English School ofLutenist Song Writers, London, 1920–32; rev. by T. Dart, 1971, in The English Lute-Songs); The First Set of Madrigals and Pastorals of 3. 4. and 5. parts (London, 1613–14; ed. by E.H. Fellowes in The English Madrigal School, A Guide to Its Practical Use, London, 1926; rev. by T. Dart, 1959, in The English Madri-galists); The Second Set of Madrigals, and Pastorals, of 3. 4. 5. and 6. Parts: apt for violls and voyces (London, 1624; ed. by E.H. Fellowes in The English Madrigal School.., London, 1926; rev. by T. Dart, 1958, in The English Madrigalists).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire