Master of the Children of the Chapel Royal facts for kids
The Master of the Children of the Chapel Royal was like the main music teacher and director for the choir of the King's Chapel in England. They were in charge of all the music for the choir, which included adult singers called Gentlemen of the Chapel and young boy singers known as Children of the Chapel. This job was often seen as one of the most important music roles in the country. The person holding this position even had the power to choose talented boys from other big church choirs to join the Chapel Royal.
What the Master Did
Besides singing for church services in the chapel, during the Tudor times, the Masters of the Children also helped put on plays. At first, these plays were just for the King's family and friends at court. But by the time Queen Elizabeth I was ruling, the plays were being performed in public theaters for people who paid to watch.
This led to some problems, like the Clifton Star Chamber Case. In this case, Nathaniel Giles, who was the Master of the Children at the time, used his power to recruit choir boys to get a nobleman's son to act in a theater where Giles had a financial interest. After this event, the practice of using choir boys for public plays became much less common.
A New Start for the Choir
When the monarchy was brought back in 1660, Henry Cooke, who was known as Captain Cooke, was chosen to be the new Master of the Children. He had been a soldier before and helped to rebuild the choir. This started a very successful time for the Chapel Royal choir. Many of the boys he taught became famous musicians, such as Pelham Humfrey, Henry Purcell, John Blow, and Michael Wise.
Masters of the Children of the Chapel Royal
- 1444 John Plummer
- 1455 Henry Abyngdon
- 1478 Gilbert Banester
- 1486 Lawrence Squier
- 1493 William Newark
- 1509 William Cornysh
- 1526 William Crane
- 1545 Richard Bower
- 1561 Richard Edwardes
- 1566 William Hunnis
- 1569 Richard Farrant
- 1597 Nathaniel Giles
- 1633 Thomas Day
- 1654 Vacant
- 1660 Henry Cooke
- c1672 Pelham Humfrey
- 1674 John Blow
- 1708 William Croft
- 1727 Bernard Gates
- 1757 James Nares
- 1780 Edmund Ayrton
- 1805 John Stafford Smith
- 1817 William Hawes
- 1846 Thomas Helmore
