John Wilbye was
probably born in
1574 (in
those days, a person's
date of birth was not considered
important, and one's
age was
reckoned from the
season, rather than the
day), and lived until
1638. He spent most of his
musical career at
Hengrave Hall in
Suffolk,
England, serving under the
Kytson family. The Kytson
family were members of the
nobility, and Wilby initially
served among their household
musicians, but was later elevated to the
position of
household retainer and given
land and
property of his own.
His work was only published twice, in books published in 1597 and 1609. Even with such a slim offering, he is often ranked as the greatest madrigal composer of all time. His works include many Italian influences, and is usually described as both subtle and introspective.