Albertus Bryne
Encyclopedia
Albertus Bryne (c. 1621 – 2 December 1668) was an English
organist
and composer
.
, a role in which he succeeded his teacher in 1638. He was dismissed from the post by the Puritans and, during the Commonwealth
, taught the harpsichord
. He returned to St Paul's at the Restoration
but was not granted a request to be made organist of the Chapel Royal
, Whitehall
. He took up a post at Westminster Abbey
after the Great Fire of London
, and was succeeded by John Blow
upon his death in 1668. According to Anthony Wood
, he was buried in the cloisters at Westminster Abbey, but his grave has not been found.
He was respected in his time as 'that famously velvet
fingered Organist' (J. Batchiler, The Virgin’s Pattern, 1661) and 'an excellent musitian' (Wood). He was one of the finest English harpsichord
composers of the time and exerted a significant influence on later composers. His suite
s are among the earliest surviving English examples with four movements.
until January 1671, and was organist at Dulwich College
from 1671 to 1677. It was probably he who was organist of All Hallows-by-the-Tower
from 1676 until his death in 1713, though he was referred to as 'Mr Bryan'. His son is not known to have composed.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
organist
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Biography
His teacher was John Tomkins, organist of St Paul's CathedralSt Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
, a role in which he succeeded his teacher in 1638. He was dismissed from the post by the Puritans and, during the Commonwealth
Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
, taught the harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
. He returned to St Paul's at the Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
but was not granted a request to be made organist of the Chapel Royal
Chapel Royal
A Chapel Royal is a body of priests and singers who serve the spiritual needs of their sovereign wherever they are called upon to do so.-Austria:...
, Whitehall
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
. He took up a post at Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
after the Great Fire of London
Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman City Wall...
, and was succeeded by John Blow
John Blow
John Blow was an English Baroque composer and organist, appointed to Westminster Abbey in 1669. His pupils included William Croft, Jeremiah Clarke and Henry Purcell. In 1685 he was named a private musician to James II. His only stage composition, Venus and Adonis John Blow (baptised 23 February...
upon his death in 1668. According to Anthony Wood
Anthony Wood
Anthony Wood or Anthony à Wood was an English antiquary.-Early life:Anthony Wood was the fourth son of Thomas Wood , BCL of Oxford, where Anthony was born...
, he was buried in the cloisters at Westminster Abbey, but his grave has not been found.
He was respected in his time as 'that famously velvet
Velvet
Velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed,with a short dense pile, giving it a distinctive feel.The word 'velvety' is used as an adjective to mean -"smooth like velvet".-Composition:...
fingered Organist' (J. Batchiler, The Virgin’s Pattern, 1661) and 'an excellent musitian' (Wood). He was one of the finest English harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
composers of the time and exerted a significant influence on later composers. His suite
Suite
In music, a suite is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral pieces normally performed in a concert setting rather than as accompaniment; they may be extracts from an opera, ballet , or incidental music to a play or film , or they may be entirely original movements .In the...
s are among the earliest surviving English examples with four movements.
Albertus Bryne II
His son, also called Albertus, worked with him at St Paul's CathedralSt Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
until January 1671, and was organist at Dulwich College
Dulwich College
Dulwich College is an independent school for boys in Dulwich, southeast London, England. The college was founded in 1619 by Edward Alleyn, a successful Elizabethan actor, with the original purpose of educating 12 poor scholars as the foundation of "God's Gift". It currently has about 1,600 boys,...
from 1671 to 1677. It was probably he who was organist of All Hallows-by-the-Tower
All Hallows-by-the-Tower
All Hallows-by-the-Tower, also previously dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, is an ancient Anglican church located in Byward Street in the City of London, overlooking the Tower of London.-History:...
from 1676 until his death in 1713, though he was referred to as 'Mr Bryan'. His son is not known to have composed.
Choral
- Short Service in G, SATBSATBIn music, SATB is an initialism for soprano, alto, tenor, bass, defining the voices required by a chorus or choir to perform a particular musical work...
and organPipe organThe pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass... - 3 full anthemAnthemThe term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music , or more generally, a song of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a distinct group of people, as in the term "national anthem" or "sports anthem".-Etymology:The word is derived from the Greek via Old English , a word...
s, SATB and organ - 2 verse anthems
Harpsichord
All published in Albertus Bryne – Keyboard Works for Harpsichord and Organhttp://homepage.ntlworld.com/terence.charlston/Bryne_Interactive_Edition.htm Edited by T. Charlston (Oslo, 2008)- 5 dance movements, (1678)
- 3 suiteSuiteIn music, a suite is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral pieces normally performed in a concert setting rather than as accompaniment; they may be extracts from an opera, ballet , or incidental music to a play or film , or they may be entirely original movements .In the...
s - 2 suites
- 1 suite
- 2 movements
- 4 suites published in Recent Researches in the Music of the Baroque Era LXXXI (Madison, Wisconsin, 1997)
- VoluntaryVoluntary (music)In music a voluntary is a piece of music, usually for organ, which is played as part of a church service. In English-speaking countries, the music played before and after the service is often called a 'voluntary', whether or not it is titled so....
for organPipe organThe pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
(doubtful)
Further reading
- A. Clark, editor: The Life and Times of Anthony Wood (Oxford, 1891–1895)
- B. Cooper: Albertus Bryne’s Keyboard Music, in Musical Times CXIII (1972)
- B. Hodge: English Harpsichord Repertoire: 1660–1714 (dissertation, University of ManchesterUniversity of ManchesterThe University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
, 1989) - C. Bailey, editor: Late Seventeenth-Century English Keyboard Music (Madison, Wisconsin, 1997)
- S. Boyer: The Cathedral, the City and the Crown: a Study of the Music and Musicians of St Paul’s Cathedral, 1660 to 1697 (dissertation, University of Manchester, 1999)
Sources
- B.A.R Cooper: 'Bryne [Bryan, Brian], Albertus [Albert]', Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 2007=07-05), http://www.grovemusic.com/