Edmund Turges facts for kids

Edmund Turges (born around 1450, died around 1500) was an English composer from the Renaissance period. He might also be known as Edmund Sturges, who was active between 1507 and 1508. Turges came from Petworth and joined a group called the Fraternity of St. Nicholas in London in 1522. This group was a guild for parish clerks.

Many of Turges's musical pieces are found in important old collections. For example, some of his works are in the Eton Choirbook. This book is special because it survived the time when Henry VIII closed down many monasteries between 1536 and 1541. Turges also has a Magnificat (a type of song) in the Caius Choirbook. Other compositions by him are in the Fayrfax Boke. Some pieces, like a Kyrie and a Gloria, are believed to be by Sturges and are found in the Ritson Manuscript. Sadly, some of his music has been lost over time, including at least two masses and three Magnificat settings. Eight other pieces for six voices, listed in a 1529 inventory from King's College, are also missing.

One of his famous pieces is 'Gaude flore virginali'. It's thought that he wrote this song for the choir at New College, Oxford. This makes sense because a person named Sturges worked as a chaplain (a type of priest) with that choir from 1507 to 1508. The way this piece is written for voices is a bit unusual. It uses two treble voices (high boys' voices), an alto, a tenor, and a bass. This style suggests that the choir at New College had many boys (around 16) but fewer men (probably no more than four) at that time.

What Music Did Edmund Turges Write?

Here are some of the musical pieces by Edmund Turges:

• Gaude flore virginali
• Magnificat
• Kyrie
• Gloria