A Sad Pavan for these distracted times
Thomas Tomkins (1572–1656) was a Welsh-born composer of Cornish origins of … Read Full Bio ↴Thomas Tomkins (1572–1656) was a Welsh-born composer of Cornish origins of the late Tudor and early Stuart period. In addition to being one of the prominent members of the English Madrigal School he was a skilled composer of keyboard and consort music.
He was born in St David's in Pembrokeshire. His father was also a musician, a vicar choral of the cathedral of St Davids, and organist there; his three half-brothers were musicians as well, but none attained the fame of Thomas. In 1596 he was appointed as a choral instructor at Worcester Cathedral. He almost certainly studied with William Byrd for a time in London, as he dedicated a madrigal to him as his teacher. While in London he probably met Thomas Morley, as Morley included one of Tomkins' madrigals in his important collection The Triumphs of Oriana in 1601.
He became a Gentleman Ordinary of the Chapel Royal some time before 1620, and became senior organist there in 1625. He appears to have withdrawn from the post in about 1628. Apparently he was still employed by Worcester Cathedral for the next two decades, but when the city was captured by Parliamentary forces in 1646, during the Civil War, he lost his job, though he was allowed to continue living near the cathedral. Music (with the exception of the singing of metrical psalms) was abolished in all churches, and the Worcester Cathedral organ (which Tomkins had commissioned in 1614) was destroyed and the choir disbanded. Tomkins moved in with his son, and lived with him until his death on 9th June 1656.
He was born in St David's in Pembrokeshire. His father was also a musician, a vicar choral of the cathedral of St Davids, and organist there; his three half-brothers were musicians as well, but none attained the fame of Thomas. In 1596 he was appointed as a choral instructor at Worcester Cathedral. He almost certainly studied with William Byrd for a time in London, as he dedicated a madrigal to him as his teacher. While in London he probably met Thomas Morley, as Morley included one of Tomkins' madrigals in his important collection The Triumphs of Oriana in 1601.
He became a Gentleman Ordinary of the Chapel Royal some time before 1620, and became senior organist there in 1625. He appears to have withdrawn from the post in about 1628. Apparently he was still employed by Worcester Cathedral for the next two decades, but when the city was captured by Parliamentary forces in 1646, during the Civil War, he lost his job, though he was allowed to continue living near the cathedral. Music (with the exception of the singing of metrical psalms) was abolished in all churches, and the Worcester Cathedral organ (which Tomkins had commissioned in 1614) was destroyed and the choir disbanded. Tomkins moved in with his son, and lived with him until his death on 9th June 1656.
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A Sad Pavan for these distracted times
Thomas Tomkins Lyrics
No lyrics text found for this track.
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
@paulcaswell2813
Well, I admit I came here to laugh at a non-HIP performance of Tomkins. How wrong I was! An absolutely superb performance - and within seconds one forgets that we're listening to modern strings. I've heard many an 'authentic' keyboard performance that has failed to get the piece across. A glorious surprise: many thanks for the upload.
@cornelisbom3902
Past geweldig in onze Corona-tijd .
Heel mooi gespeeld , zo had Thomas Tomkins het ook graag willen horen !
Hartelijke groet ,Cornelis Bom .
@mrscellomuse9730
Tole barvanje pa res umiri...beautiful music, beautiful sound of Badke Quarttet !
@deladouceur
sometimes i just listen to this on loop. beautiful!
@SuperMelvyn
Works SO well as a string quartet. A gloriously expressive piece which demonstrates that emotional music existed long before Berlioz, Tchaikovsky and the other "Romantics". Too many "early music" and "authentic" performances destroy such feelings so I am pleased to find them intact here.
@paulcaswell2813
If one takes the history of the piece into consideration, it's possibly the blackest piece of music ever written - at any period. Written just a couple of weeks after Charles I's murder, Tomkins had seen his livelihood destroyed (he was organist of Worcester Cathedral, the organ of which had been destroyed by Cromwell's troops). What we are listening to is the mind of a broken man. The tragedy is that if he had lived just another four years, he would have seen the Restoration and all that came with it. Sorry for waffle.
@charlesturner1079
Gorgeous. One of my favorite pieces. General I don't care for transcriptions but this is exceptional. beautiful phrasing and impeccable intonation.
@bizjakboris
This is so beautiful...a massage for ears - like sound healing :)
@willawes
Superb. The best musicians that I have played early baroque with came from classical music and string quartet, and unlike baroque specialists appreciated this little bit extra that music so superb needs.
@kkallebb
Gorgeous!