William Inglott facts for kids

A close-up of William Inglott's memorial plaque at Norwich Cathedral.

William Inglott (born around 1553 or 1554, and buried on December 31, 1621) was an English musician. He was an organist and composer during the time of Queen Elizabeth I. Inglott is best known for his work at the cathedral in Norwich, England.

He moved from Norwich to Hereford Cathedral for a time. In 1611, he returned to Norwich Cathedral to become the organist, taking over from another famous composer, Thomas Morley. A special plaque at Norwich Cathedral remembers him. It was fixed up 90 years after he died. Not many of Inglott's musical pieces still exist today. Some of his keyboard music can be found in a collection called the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book. He also wrote a piece for four voices called a Short Service, which was put back together in 1989.

William Inglott's Life Story

Norwich Cathedral

William Inglott's father, Edmund, was also an organist at Norwich Cathedral. William had a strong connection to this cathedral throughout his life. He started there as a chorister (a choir singer) when he was young, working under his father from 1567 to 1568. Later, he became a lay clerk (a non-clergyman who sings in the choir) starting in 1576. Then, from 1587 to 1591, he became the cathedral's organist. In 1582, he was even paid to teach the choir boys when his father was too sick to work.

Inglott moved to Hereford Cathedral in 1597. There, he was the Master of the Choristers, meaning he was in charge of the choir boys. He stayed there until sometime after 1610. He then came back to Norwich in 1611 to be the organist again, replacing Thomas Morley. We don't know much about what he did during the years he was away. When he returned to Norwich, he received a payment on June 1, 1611. This payment was twice what Morley used to get, which might mean he had more important duties. He kept his job as organist until he died in December 1621, when he was 67 years old. His painted memorial plaque in the cathedral says he was buried on December 31 of that year. The memorial shows two choristers holding wreaths over his body. It also has a special poem:

Here Willyam Inglott Organist doth rest,
Whose arte in musique this cathedrall blest,
For descant most, for voluntary all
He past: on organ, songe and virginall:
He left this life at age of sixtie seaven;
And now 'mongst angells all sings saint in heaven;
His fame flies farr, his name shal never die;
See art and age here crowne his memory.

The famous composer William Croft paid to have Inglott's monument fixed up 90 years after Inglott passed away.

His Music Lives On

Not many of Inglott's musical pieces have survived to today. Two of his keyboard pieces are found in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book. These pieces are called The Leaves Bee Greene and A Galliard Ground. The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book is a large collection of keyboard music from the Elizabethan era and Jacobean era. It includes music by other composers who lived at the same time as Inglott, like Thomas Morley, William Byrd, and Martin Peerson. There is also an untitled keyboard piece by someone named 'Englitt' in another book called Will Forster's Virginal Book (around 1624). This piece might also have been written by Inglott. A music expert named Ian Payne said that Inglott's variations in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book are "well crafted" and "technically demanding." This means they were made with great skill and were challenging to play.

In 1989, a piece of music by Inglott called Short Service for four voices was put back together. This was done by Michael Walsh using notes from Richard Turbet.

Recordings of His Music

Some of William Inglott's music has been recorded. Here are a few examples: