George Jeffreys (ca. 16104 or 5 July 1685) was an English composer during the period that saw the introduction of the Italian '' seconda pratica'' to northern Europe.

Life

Jeffreys was organist to Charles I at Oxford in 1643. From about 1648 till his death he held the post of steward to the Hattons of

Kirby, Northamptonshire Kirby Hall is an Elizabethan country house, located near Gretton, Northamptonshire, England. The nearest main town is Corby. One of the great Elizabethan houses of England, Kirby Hall was built for Sir Humphrey Stafford of Blatherwick, beginn ...

. Many of Jeffreys's letters are preserved in the Hatton-Finch correspondence; they cover a period of nearly forty years. From 1648 Jeffreys resided at Little Weldon. He died before 12 July 1685.

Work

Jeffreys's anthem "Erit gloria Domini" is printed in the ''Cantica Sacra'' of 1672. He composed numerous anthems and motets, many of which are in manuscript in the Aldrich collection, Christ Church, Oxford. The library of the

Royal College of Music The Royal College of Music is a music school, conservatoire established by royal charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, UK. It offers training from the Undergraduate education, undergraduate to the Doctorate, doctoral level in a ...

also has music by this composer, as does British Library Addit. MS. 10338.

Family

Jeffreys's son, Christopher Jeffreys (d. 1693) was also a musician. He was elected as a king's scholar of

Westminster School (God Gives the Increase) , established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560 , type = Public school Independent day and boarding school , religion = Church of England , head_label = Hea ...

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniqu ...

, in 1659, proceeded B.A. in 1663 and M.A. in 1666. Christopher and his wife Anna continued to live in his father's house at Little Weldon, Northamptonshire, up to the latter's death in July 1685. Christopher died in 1693. His son George Jeffreys was known for verse. A sister was privately married in 1669 to Henry Goode, rector of Weldon in 1684.

References

*Peter Aston, ''Jeffeys, George'' in

The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language ''Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'', it is one of the largest reference works on the history and theo ...

Notes

External links

*
Digitised copy of Peter Aston's thesis 'George Jeffreys and the english baroque' (University of York, 1970)
;Attribution 1610s births 1685 deaths English classical composers English Baroque composers 17th-century classical composers English male classical composers 17th-century male musicians {{UK-composer-stub