Farnaby, Giles
Farnaby, Giles
Farnaby, Giles, significant English composer; b. c. 1563; d. London (buried), Nov. 25, 1640. He was a joiner by trade. After taking his B.M. at the Univ. of Oxford in 1592, he spent most of his life in London. He excelled as a composer of keyboard music. More than 50 of his virginal pieces were included in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book (c. 1612–19; 54 pieces [1 doubtful] were ed. in Musica Britannica, XXIV, 1965). He publ. 20 Canzonets to Foure Voyces with a Song of Eight Parts (London, 1598; ed. in The English Madrigalists, XX, 2nd ed., 1962). Other vocal works, including madrigals and Psalms, appeared in various collections of his day. His son, Richard Farnaby (b. London, c. 1594; d. place and date unknown), was also a composer. Some 52 of his keyboard pieces were included in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book.
Bibliography
R. Marlow, The Life and Music ofG. F. (diss., Univ. of Cambridge, 1966).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire