The British Musical Biography

[E] Bull, John, composer and organist, was
born in Somersetshire [1563] . He studied
under William Blitheman, and became organ-
ist and master of the children of Hereford
Cathedral, 1582. Gentleman of the Chapel
Royal, January, 1585. Bac. Mus. Oxon.,
1586. Doc. Mus. Oxon., 1592. Organist to
Chapel Royal, 1591. Professor of Music at
Gresham College, 1596. Travelled on the
continent, 1601-5. Married to. Elizabeth
Walter, 1607. Musician to Prince Henry,
1611. Quitted England without leave from
his employer, 1613. Organist at Notre Dame
Cathedral, Antwerp [1617] . He was organist
in service of the Archduke of Austria. He
died at Hamburg, Liibeck, or Antwerp,
March 13th. 1628.

[+] The productions of this composer are men-
tioned by nearly every writer as having been
voluminous, but comparatively few of them
appear to have been printed. Specimens of
his style can be seen in Barnard's Collection,
Boyce, Leighton's " Teares," the Fitzwilliam
music, " Parthenia," Queen Elizabeth's Vir-
ginal Book, etc. A motet for five voices is
preserved in Burney's Musical Extracts,

[+] British Museum. E. Pauer gives specimens,
of his virginal music in " Old English Com-
posers." The extraordinary celebrity which
this musician obtained during his lifetime
must have been grounded on some uncommon
degree of merit, either in his compositions or
performance. A list of his works is contained
in Ward's "Lives of the Gresham Professors,"
and in addition he wrote a great number of
pieces of sacred vocal music. " The strength
of this composer's talents lay in the production
and execution of pieces fully harmonized, and
comprising fugues, double-fugues, and the
various species of canon ; and fortunately, for
himself, he lived in an age that listened with
pleasure to music of that description

[+] He surmounted old and invented new difficul-
ties ; and disdaining to be embarassed, aimed,
in the province of polyphonic fabrication, at
a species of onmipotence." — Busby.

[+] The question as to the composition of the
English national anthem remains undecided
in a general way, though Carey appears to
have been strongly accredited with the com-
position. See writings of Chappell, Cummings,
Clark, etc. In connection with Gresham
College, Dr. Bull delivered " The Oration of
Maister John Bull, Doctor of Musicke, and
one of the Gentlemen of hir Majesty's Royal
Chappell, as he pronounced the same, before
divers worshipful persons, the Aldermen and
Commoners of the citie of London, with a
great multitude of other people, the 6th day
of October, 1597, in the new erected Colledge
of Sir Thomas Gresham, Knt. deceased : made
in the commendation of the founder, and the
excellent science of Musicke," London, este
1597.

entry id: 68-L-38