John Sheppard (composer) facts for kids

John Sheppard (also known as Shepherd, born around 1515 – died December 1558) was a famous English composer from the Renaissance period.

Biography

Sheppard was likely born around 1515. We know this because in 1554, he said he had been writing music for twenty years. We don't know much about his early life. The first time we are sure about him is when he was in his late twenties. He worked as a music teacher and choir director (called informator choristarum) at Magdalen College, Oxford. He held this job from 1541-1542 and again from 1544-1548.

Sheppard left Magdalen College in March 1548. Next, he appeared on a list of "Gentlemen of the Chapel Royal". These were musicians who sang for the King or Queen. He sang at the funeral of King Edward VI in August 1553. He might have joined the Chapel Royal right after leaving Magdalen. However, records from 1547 are missing, so we can't be sure. He probably kept working there until he died.

In 1554, he tried to get a special music degree (Doctor of Music) from Oxford University. He said he had studied music for twenty years and "composed many songs." He didn't get the degree that time. In March 1556, he was a witness for a friend's will. On New Year's Day 1557, he gave three rolls of songs to Queen Mary I. In July 1558, he and another musician from the Chapel Royal were given a special right to rent a manor in Kent.

Sheppard died in December 1558 during a widespread flu sickness. He wrote his will on December 1st and was buried on December 21st at St Margaret's, Westminster. Even though he had died, he was still listed to receive special clothes for Queen Mary's funeral on December 13th and for Elizabeth I's coronation on January 15th, 1559.

Works

John Sheppard wrote many different kinds of music. Most of his surviving music is for church services.

Masses

Sheppard wrote five Masses. A Mass is a long piece of music for a church service.

• His six-part Mass, Cantate, is a grand and rich piece. It uses many voices singing together (called polyphony).
• One of his four-part Masses, Western Wynde, is based on a popular tune of the time. Other famous composers like John Taverner and Christopher Tye also used this tune.
• Two other Masses, Be not afraid and The Frences Mass, are complex and freely made. Be not afraid is special because it's only for men's voices.
• His Playnsong Masse for a Mene is a simpler work. It was written in a special, easy-to-read musical style. This allowed people who could read simple church chants (called 'plainsong') to sing more complex music. This Mass also includes a Kyrie and uses an "alternatim" style. This means some parts were sung as simple chants, and other parts were sung with many voices.

Other Latin Music

When Queen Mary I became queen in 1553, she wanted to bring back the Catholic faith in England. This meant bringing back church services in Latin. Sheppard helped create new music for her royal chapel.

Responsories

Sheppard wrote 20 responsories. These are long, important songs sung during church services, especially in the evening (Vespers) and early morning (Matins). Sheppard often set these to music for five or six voices. He would use a main chant tune (called a cantus firmus) in one voice, while other parts sang around it. The parts sung by solo singers were often left as simple chants.

A great example is his six-part Verbum caro, sung on Christmas Day. Another grand responsory is Gaude, gaude, gaude Maria. For some songs, he did the opposite: he wrote complex music for the solo parts and left the choir parts as simple chants.

Other Church Works

Sheppard also wrote "alternatim" hymns. For these, he would set the even-numbered verses to complex music, while the odd-numbered verses were chanted or played on the organ. In his hymns, the main chant tune was usually in the highest voice.

He also wrote special music for important church holidays, like Easter. For example, he composed parts of the processional psalms for Easter Day. He finished Laudate pueri Dominum, but another composer, William Mundy, and a young William Byrd had to finish In exitu Israel.

Media vita

One of Sheppard's most famous pieces is Media vita in morte sumus (meaning "In the midst of life, we are in death"). This is a special song for the Lenten season. In this piece, he uses the main chant tune in a very slow way, which creates a serious and grand sound.

We don't know exactly when or why he wrote this piece because the original music sheets are lost. It might have been for the funeral of another composer who died in the same flu sickness in 1557. Even though one of the six singing parts is missing from the copies we have, it can be put back together. Media vita is still very popular today and has been recorded many times.

English Music

Many of Sheppard's English songs have been lost. Since he died just a month after Queen Mary, his music for Protestant services must have been written during the time of King Edward VI. King Edward introduced the first Book of Common Prayer in 1549, which changed church services to English. Some of Sheppard's English songs, like his setting of the Lord's Prayer, might have been for home use rather than church.

About ten "services" (music for the new English Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Communion services) have been found, but many are incomplete. His Second Service was so good that it influenced William Byrd's famous Great Service. Sheppard also wrote fifteen English anthems. These were simpler, with clear words, as the Protestant reformers wanted.

Sheppard's only known non-religious songs are O happy dames and Vain, vain, all our life we spend in vain.

Editions

• Chadd, David, ed. John Sheppard: I: Responsorial Music. London: Stainer & Bell, 1977.
• Sandon, Nicholas, ed. John Sheppard: II: Masses. London: Stainer & Bell, 1976.
• Mateer, David, ed. The Gyffard Partbooks, I. London: Stainer & Bell, 2007.
• Mateer, David, ed. The Gyffard Partbooks, II. London: Stainer & Bell, 2009.
• Williamson, Magnus, ed. John Sheppard: III: Hymns, Psalms, Antiphons, and other Latin Polyphony. London: Stainer & Bell, 2012.

Recordings

• John Sheppard: Gaude, gaude, gaude Maria, Choir of St. John's College, Cambridge, Andrew Nethsingha, Chandos Records
• John Sheppard: Sacred Choral Music, Choir of St. Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, Duncan Ferguson, Delphian Records
• John Sheppard, Christopher Tye, The Clerkes of Oxenford, David Wulstan, Proudsound Records
• Church Music by John Sheppard, Vol. 1, The Sixteen, Harry Christophers, Hyperion Records
• Church Music by John Sheppard, Vol. 2, The Sixteen, Harry Christophers, Hyperion Records
• Church Music by John Sheppard, Vol. 3, The Sixteen, Harry Christophers, Hyperion Records
• Church Music by John Sheppard, Vol. 4, The Sixteen, Harry Christophers, Hyperion Records
• Ceremony and Devotion, The Sixteen, Harry Christophers, CORO
• Media vita, Stile Antico, Harmonia Mundi
• Music for Compline, Stile Antico, Harmonia Mundi
• John Sheppard: Media vita, The Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillips, Gimell Records
• The Tallis Scholars sing Tudor Church Music, Volume Two, The Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillips, Gimell Records
• Western Wind Masses, The Tallis Scholars, Peter Phillips, Gimell Records
• Audivi Vocem, The Hilliard Ensemble, ECM Records
• John Sheppard: Media vita & other sacred music, Westminster Cathedral Choir, Martin Baker, Hyperion Records