Francis Cutting facts for kids
Francis Cutting was an English musician and composer who lived during the Renaissance period (around 1550 to 1595 or 1596). He was a skilled lutenist, meaning he played the lute. The lute was a popular stringed instrument, a bit like a guitar, back then. Francis Cutting is most famous for his musical pieces "Packington's Pound" and a special version of "Greensleeves" called "Divisions on Greensleeves." Both of these were originally written for the lute.
Francis Cutting worked as a musician for the powerful Howard family. This family included Philip Howard, who was the earl of Arundel. We don't know much about Francis Cutting's early life. However, we do know he had ten children with his wife, Elizabeth. Records from the church in St. Clement Danes, Westminster, show that eight of their children were born there. This is the area where Arundel House, the London home of the Howard family, was located.
Francis Cutting's Music
Francis Cutting is one of the first English lute composers whose name we still remember today. About 40 of his musical works have survived. Some of his pieces were even printed in a music book called A New Booke of Tabliture in 1596 by William Barley.
His compositions include well-known pieces like "Sir Walter Raleigh's Galliard," "Sir Fulke Greville's Pavan," and "Mrs Anne Markham's Pavan and Galliard." A "galliard" and a "pavan" were popular types of dances and music during the Renaissance. Francis Cutting's music is considered very high quality. He wrote about 51 pieces for the lute, two solos for an instrument called a bandora, and one part for a bandora to play with other instruments. Only a few other composers like John Dowland, Daniel Bacheler, and Anthony Holborne wrote more music than him during that time. A diplomat named William Trumbull even collected some of Francis Cutting's music in a special book of lute pieces.
His Son, Thomas Cutting
Francis Cutting's son, Thomas Cutting, also became a very talented lutenist. He worked for a noblewoman named Arbella Stuart. In 1608, Anne of Denmark (the Queen), Prince Henry, and a courtier named John Elphinstone wrote to Arbella Stuart. They asked if Thomas Cutting could be sent to the Queen's brother, Christian IV of Denmark. Arbella Stuart agreed, even though she didn't really want to. After that, Thomas Cutting joined Prince Henry's royal household.
