Richard Davy facts for kids

Richard Davy (born around 1465, died 1507) was a very skilled musician from the Renaissance period. He was a composer, which means he wrote music. He also played the organ and led choirs as a choirmaster. Many of his musical pieces are found in an important old book called the Eton Choirbook.

Richard Davy's Life Story

We don't know a lot about Richard Davy's early life. He was probably born in a place called Devon, England, around the year 1465. His name was quite common in that area.

He studied at Magdalen College, Oxford, which is a famous university. While he was there, from about 1490 to 1492, he worked as a choirmaster and organist. This means he taught and led singing groups and played the organ for them.

Later, from 1493 to 1495, records show a 'Dom. Richardus Dave:' in Ashburton, Devon. He might have been a chaplain (a type of priest) or a teacher at a nearby school. After that, he may have moved to Exeter Cathedral to be a vicar choral from 1497 to 1506. A vicar choral was a priest who helped with the church's singing services.

Richard Davy's Music

Richard Davy is one of the most important composers in the Eton Choirbook. This special book contains nine of his musical pieces. His most famous work is called Passio Domini in ramis palmarum, which means Passion of the Lord on Palm Sunday. It's also known as the Passion according to St Matthew.

His music is thought to be more "florid" or decorative than the music of other composers from his time, like Robert Fayrfax and William Cornysh. This means his music had more fancy notes and complex melodies. His unique style might have had a big impact on later famous musicians, such as John Taverner.