Richard Carlton facts for kids
Richard Carlton (born around 1558 – died around 1638) was an English composer and a church leader called a vicar. He is mostly known for his madrigals, which are a type of song. He lived at the same time as another famous composer, John Wilbye.
Richard Carlton's Life
Richard Carlton was born around 1558. He went to Clare College, Cambridge and finished his studies in 1577.
He worked in Norwich, England, at two places at the same time. He was a vicar at St Stephen's Church, Norwich. A vicar is a priest who leads a local church. He was also a minor canon at the Norwich Cathedral. A minor canon is a church official who helps with church services.
From 1591 to 1605, he was the Master of the Choristers at Norwich Cathedral. This meant he was in charge of the choir singers. In October 1612, he got a new church job in a place called Bawsey-cum-Glosthorpe in Norfolk. He stayed there until he died around 1638.
His Music
Richard Carlton wrote many pieces of music. In 1601, one of his madrigals, called Calm was the air, was published. A madrigal is a song for several voices, usually without instruments. This song was part of a famous collection called The Triumphs of Oriana, put together by Thomas Morley.
In the same year, 1601, Richard Carlton also released his own collection of madrigals in London. In this book, he was described as a "Priest: Bachelor in Music." This means he was a church leader who also had a music degree.
One of his madrigals, Come, woeful Orpheus, was a special song called an elegy. An elegy is a sad song or poem written to remember someone who has died. This elegy was for Sir John Shelton.
These two collections from 1601 were the only music he published during his lifetime. However, some of his other music still exists. You can find original copies of two of his unpublished anthems at the Bodleian Library. An anthem is a piece of music often sung in church. Another unpublished piece, a pavane, is kept at the British Library. A pavane is a slow, old-fashioned dance.
