John Adson
Encyclopedia
John Adson was an English
musician
and composer
. Little is known about his early life; indeed, the first certain reference to him comes in 1604, when he was in service to Charles III, Duke of Lorraine as a cornett
player. Some time around February 1614 he married Jane Lannerie and at least two of their sons went on to become musicians themselves.
After relocating to London
, Adson joined the City Waits and remained a member until his death. He is also associated with theatre
music, being referenced in plays by the King's theatre company in 1634 and 1639. He became royal wind musician in November 1633.
His best-known work is his Courtly Masquing
Ayres (1621), a collection of 31 lively dances for a variety of instruments in five- and six-part consorts. It is uncertain how much of this collection is his original work, and how much is arrangements of existing masque dances. Besides this work, only four other pieces attributed to Adson are known.
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...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
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...
. Little is known about his early life; indeed, the first certain reference to him comes in 1604, when he was in service to Charles III, Duke of Lorraine as a cornett
Cornett
The cornett, cornetto or zink is an early wind instrument, dating from the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque periods. It was used in what are now called alta capellas or wind ensembles. It is not to be confused with the trumpet-like instrument cornet.-Construction:There are three basic types of...
player. Some time around February 1614 he married Jane Lannerie and at least two of their sons went on to become musicians themselves.
After relocating to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Adson joined the City Waits and remained a member until his death. He is also associated with theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
music, being referenced in plays by the King's theatre company in 1634 and 1639. He became royal wind musician in November 1633.
His best-known work is his Courtly Masquing
Masque
The masque was a form of festive courtly entertainment which flourished in 16th and early 17th century Europe, though it was developed earlier in Italy, in forms including the intermedio...
Ayres (1621), a collection of 31 lively dances for a variety of instruments in five- and six-part consorts. It is uncertain how much of this collection is his original work, and how much is arrangements of existing masque dances. Besides this work, only four other pieces attributed to Adson are known.