Michael East (composer) facts for kids

Michael East (born around 1580, died 1648) was an English musician. He was a talented organ player and a composer, which means he wrote music. Michael East was the nephew of a famous music publisher in London named Thomas East. For a while, people thought he was Thomas's son, but it was later found out he was his nephew.

Early Life and Musical Start

Michael East began his musical journey early. In 1601, he wrote a special type of song called a madrigal. This song was chosen by another famous composer, Thomas Morley, to be part of his important music collection called The Triumphs of Oriana. This was a big achievement for East.

In 1606, Michael East earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Cambridge. This showed he was a well-educated musician.

Working in Cathedrals

A few years later, in 1609, East joined the choir at Ely Cathedral. He started as a "lay clerk," which meant he was a singer who wasn't a priest.

By 1618, he moved to Lichfield Cathedral. Here, he became the choirmaster. This was a very important job, as he was in charge of all the singers and the music for church services. He likely stayed in this role until 1644. Around this time, the English Civil War made it difficult for sung services to continue.

One of his students at Lichfield was Elias Ashmole, who later became famous. Ashmole remembered that "Mr Michael East" was his teacher for singing. He also learned to play instruments like the virginals and organ from another musician there.

Later Life and Family

We don't know the exact day Michael East died, but it was in Lichfield in 1648. He wrote his will on January 7, 1648, and it was officially approved on May 9, 1648. His will mentioned his wife, Dorothy, his daughter, Mary Hamersly, and a son and grandson, both named Michael.

His Music

Michael East is best known for his "fantasies" for viols. Viols are old string instruments that look a bit like cellos. His fantasies were pieces of music written for five viols playing together. Music expert Thurston Dart said that even with a few small mistakes, these pieces were "among the best" of their time.

East was one of the most published composers of his era. This means a lot of his music was printed and shared. He released seven main collections of his compositions:

• His first two collections were madrigals, which are songs for three or five voices.
• The third and fourth collections included different types of music: anthems (church songs), madrigals, pastorales (songs about country life), napolitans (lively songs), and fancies (instrumental pieces). These were for four to six voices or instruments.
• His fifth collection had twenty pieces specifically for three viols.
• The sixth group contained more anthems and sacred songs for five and six voices. It also included a special song honoring Princess Elizabeth, who was the daughter of King James I.
• His final collection featured more viol works, written for two to four instruments.