Thomas Preston (composer)

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Thomas Preston († after 1559 in Windsor ) was an English organist and composer .

Little is known about his life. In the archives of Trinity College in Cambridge from 1542/43 a Mr. Preston can be found as the master of the choir . In 1543 he was organist at Magdalen College in Oxford, where he taught the choirs. In 1558 he became the organist of the George Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor. He had to quit the service because of his Catholic faith.

Preston was musically far ahead of his fellow organists living in London . His music is characterized by rhythmic ingenuity and contrapuntal agility. Probably the most important work is a setting of the Proprium Missae for Easter Sunday . Preston's ingenuity can be seen in the eight different versions of his play Felix namque . The anonymous composition Uppon la mi re , an English Ground , which appears in the collective manuscript Add.29996 of the British Library between works by Preston , is often ascribed to him. The piece features imaginative melodic twists via the catchy AED chord progression that is widely used in modern pop music .

Works (selection)

  • Organ verses :
    • Diffusa est gratia
    • Benedictus is Deus Pater
    • Felix namque
    • Confessio et pulchritudo
  • Proprium for Easter:

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Preston, Thomas
BRIEF DESCRIPTION English organist and composer
DATE OF BIRTH 15th century or 16th century
DATE OF DEATH after 1559
Place of death Windsor (Berkshire)