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John Hilton (ca. 15991657) was an English early Baroque composer.Peter Le Huray; Ian Spink: ''Hilton, John (ii)'', 
HOASM: John Hilton (2)Catch That Catch Can (Pepys' Diary)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hilton, John 1590s births 1657 deaths English classical composers English Baroque composers Year of birth uncertain 17th-century classical composers English male classical composers 17th-century male musicians
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 the ...
, 1980 He is best known for his books ''Ayres or Fa-Las for Three Voices'' and ''Catch That Catch Can''.
Life
Hilton was born about 1599 inCambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge beca ...
. His father was probably the church musician and composer John Hilton the elder
John Hilton (the elder) (15651609(?)) was an English countertenor, organist and composer of mainly sacred works.
Works
Hilton is best known for his anthems "Lord, for Thy Tender Mercy's Sake" (which may actually be by one of the Farrants)Peter Le ...
, who died in Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge beca ...
in 1609. Hilton junior became organist at St. Margaret's Church, Westminster in 1628, having published his music book ''Ayres or Fa-Las for Three Voices'' in 1627. In 1635, Hilton was lutenist
A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted.
More specifically, the term "lute" can refe ...
to Charles I Charles I may refer to:
Kings and emperors
* Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings
* Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily
* Charles I of ...
. Some time in the 1630s, he composed ''The Judgement of Solomon'', ''The Judgement of Paris'', and ''The Temptation of Job''. These are all similar to small-scale oratorios and operas. His collection of glees and catches, ''Catch That Catch Can'', was published in 1652. He died in 1657 and was buried on 21 March 1657 at Westminster
Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster.
The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buck ...
.
Works
''Catch That Catch Can''
''Catch That Catch Can'' was published byJohn Playford
John Playford (1623–1686/7) was a London bookseller, publisher, minor composer, and member of the Stationers' Company, who published books on music theory, instruction books for several instruments, and psalters with tunes for singing in churc ...
in 1652 and featured experiments in the catch musical form. It was reprinted in 1658 "with large additions." It was again republished in 1667 with the sub-title "The Musical Companion"; and also in 1672–1673. The diarist Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys (; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English diarist and naval administrator. He served as administrator of the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament and is most famous for the diary he kept for a decade. Pepys had no marit ...
owned a copy of the 1667 edition and enjoyed it, writing on April 15, 1667, "Playford’s new Catch-book ... hath a great many new fooleries in it." A few days later, he wrote, " tried two or three grace parts in Playford’s new book, my wife pleasing me in singing her part of the things she knew, which is a comfort to my very heart."
''Ayres or Fa-Las for Three Voices''
This book of music is largely overlooked by scholars. Many think the pieces are of low quality, while others are surprised that they do not get more attention. It is not known who composed the texts to the ''Ayres or Fa-Las.'' Most of the songs are about love. Published in 1627, it represented one of the last publications of English song until John Playford's ''Musical Banquet'' of 1651 (the one exception beingWalter Porter
Walter Porter (c.1587–1659) was an English composer and church musician. He travelled to Italy to study under Monteverdi, and shows Italian influence in madrigals and his one surviving anthem.
Life
He was son of Henry Porter, who was musician o ...
's ''Madrigales and Ayres'' of 1632). Vincent Duckles, "The Gamble Manuscript as a Source of Continuo Song in England," Journal of the American Musicological Society (1948), p. 23.
Notes
References
HOASM: John Hilton (2)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hilton, John 1590s births 1657 deaths English classical composers English Baroque composers Year of birth uncertain 17th-century classical composers English male classical composers 17th-century male musicians