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Tier 3 · vertical & regional
Anthony Holborne
Person · male · Kingdom of England · born 1545 · died 1602 · recording since 1980
British composer
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Also known as Anthony Holbourne · Anthony Holburn · Antony Holborne · Antony Holbourne · Holborne · Holborne, Anthony (C.1550-1602) · +1 more
Timeline
10 events▣ Album 7◦ Birth 1† Death 1★ Debut release 1
1540s
1600s
1980s
· Debut release
Debut release: Pavans & Galliards 1599
First documented Album in the MusicBrainz discography.
source: musicbrainz
1990s
2000s
· Album
Album: The teares of the Muses 1599 (Elizabethan Consort Music vol. II)
Album
source: musicbrainz
2010s
Biography
English biography358 words · 3 sectionssource: wikipedia-en · licence CC BY-SA 4.0 · revision 1376432204
Biography
Anthony [Antony] Holborne [Holburne] (c. 1545 – 29 November 1602) was a composer of music for lute, cittern, and instrumental consort during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Life
An "Anthony Holburne" entered Pembroke College, Cambridge in 1562, and it is possible that this person is the same as the composer. A Londoner of the same name was admitted to the Inner Temple Court in 1565, and again this may have been the same person. It is certain, however, that the composer was the brother of William Holborne and that he married Elisabeth Marten on 14 June 1584. On the title page of both his books, he claims to be in the service of Queen Elizabeth. He died of a "cold" in November 1602.
He was held in the highest regard as a composer by his contemporaries. John Dowland dedicated the first song I saw my lady weepe in his Second Booke to Holborne. His patron was the Countess of Pembroke, Mary Sidney. In the 1590s, he entered the service of Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury.
His brother was William Holborne. Six of William's madrigals were included in the Cittarn Schoole.
Music
His first known book was the Cittarn Schoole of 1597, consisting of compositions for the cittern. The preface indicates the pieces were composed over a number of years. He writes that the musical compositions are "untimely fruits of my youth, begotten in the cradle and infancy of my slender skill."
The Pavans, Galliards, Almains and other short Aeirs, both grave and light, in five parts, for Viols, Violins, or other Musicall Winde Instruments was published in 1599 and consisted of 65 of his own compositions. It is the largest surviving collection of its kind. Most are of the pavan-galliard combination. Other pieces are in the allemande style. The rest are unclassified.
The Early Music Consort of London's 1976 recording of "The Fairie Round" from this collection was included on the Voyager Golden Record, copies of which were sent into space aboard the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 space probes in 1977, as a representation of human culture and achievement to any spacefaring civilisations who might find it.
Discography & profile
Normalised profile
Percentiles are computed over every artist in the database, so a tier-3 artist can still sit in the 95th percentile on a single axis.
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 11 | 61.8th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 8 | 81.1th |
| Studio albums | 7 | 87.5th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 10 | 86.7th |
| Recording span (years) | -378 | 0.8th |
| Genres | 5 | 88.3th |
Percentiles are computed at render time; missing values mean the artist has no data on that axis.
Discography (8 release groups · 7 studio albums)
Albums · 7
1980 · studio album
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Tracklist · 18 tracks · 42:09
1Pavan (11)3:262Galliard (12)0:593Heres paternus (33)4:474Muy Linda (34)1:115Infernum (21)3:586Galliard (22)1:117Paradizo (17)2:358Sighes (18)1:329The Image of Melancholy (27)4:4410Ecce quam bonum (28)1:2011Pavana ploravit (49)5:0112Sic semper soleo (50)1:2313The Funerals (31)4:3214Galliard (32)1:1515Almayne (56)1:0316The Honiesuckle (60)1:1317As It Fell on a Holie Eve (64)0:5718Heigh Ho Holiday (65)1:021998 · studio album
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Tracklist · 32 tracks · 1:13:56
1The night watch2:022Almayne (56)0:583Almaine (57)1:144The widowes myte1:425Bona Speranza3:506Muy linda1:047Wanton1:418Passion1:269Playfellow1:1110The Honie-suckle3:0711The fairie round2:2912The fruit of love1:2813The cradle3:0514The New-Yeeres Gift1:0515Lullabie3:3516Pavan (39)2:1217Galliard (40)1:0618Heigh ho holiday1:4419Il Nodo di Gordio5:4420Sicke, sicke, and very sicke1:2021The Funerals4:2622As it fell on a holie eve1:4723Last will and testament4:0424The Farewell2:0625Fantasia1:4526Galliard1:2427Paradizo3:0028The Sighes2:5929Posthuma3:1830Galliard (32)1:0531My selfe1:1132Spero4:481998 · studio album
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Tracklist · 27 tracks · 1:10:44
1Galliard: as it fell on a holie yve1:022Galliard: Holburns Passion1:493Almaine1:564Pavan: posthuma4:005Galliard: the teares of the muses2:386Praeludium1:357Sicke sicke and very sicke1:268A French toy1:139The Miller1:0310A Horne pype2:5411Almain: the choyce2:1312Galliard: the fairy-rownde1:3113Pavan5:1214Galliard to the same1:4315A Ground1:0716Almain: the night watch2:0017Fantazia4:4818Fantasia2:3019Pavan: sedet sola4:4220Galliard: responce2:2221Queenes Galliard2:3222Maister Earles Pavane4:0023Galliard1:4624Pavan: heres paternus5:5825Galliard: muy linda1:2326Variations: Il Nodo di gordio6:2727A Toy0:541998 · studio album
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Tracklist · 24 tracks · 59:42
1Heres Paternus5:402Muy Linda1:203Fantasia no. 32:004Galliard no. 171:405Cradle Pavan4:106Countess of Ormond's Galliard1:047Wanton1:068Pavan no. 23:509Galliard no. 21:2810A Toy for two lutes1:4111A Plaine song for two lutes1:2912Passamezzo Galliard2:2113A Toy2:1614A Galliard1:5015Bonny sweet boy1:2816Go from my window2:1917A Gigue2:4418Twenty ways upon the bells1:3419A Fantasy for two lutes2:3920The Queen's Goodnight2:4121Pavan no. 116:1222The Fairy Round1:2423The Night Watch1:3924Last Will and Testament5:07The teares of the Muses 1599 (Elizabethan Consort Music vol. II)
2000 · studio album
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Tracklist · 25 tracks · 1:06:13
1I: [Pavan:] Bona Speranza4:332I: [Galliard:] The teares of the Muses2:083I: [Almaine:] The Choise2:284I: [Galliard:] Heigh ho Holiday2:305II: [Pavan:] Infernum3:186II: Galliard2:047III: Pavan4:208III: Galliard1:479III: [Almaine:] The night watch2:1110III: [Galliard:] Lullabie1:5211III: Galliard1:5712IV: [Pavane:] The image of Melancholly4:4513IV: [Galliard:] Ecce quam bonum1:3414IV: [Galliard:] Sic semper soleo1:5415V: [Pavan:] Decrevi4:5616V: Galliard2:2317V: [Galliard:] My selfe2:1918VI: [Pavan:] Paradizo3:0919VI: [Galliard:] The Sighes2:3720VI: [Almaine:] The Honie-suckle2:3321VI: [Galliard:] The Fairie-round1:4922VII: [Pavan:] The Funerals4:0123VII: Galliard1:5824VII: [Almaine:] The fruit of love1:2925VII: [Galliard:] As it fell on a holie Eve1:382008 · studio album
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Tracklist · 27 tracks · 1:08:50
1Cradle Pavan4:292As it fell on a Holly Eve1:043Cradle of Conceites3:474Fantasia No.31:545Prelude1:176Tres Choses3:377Pavane No.23:578Galliard No.21:289Pearl1:2510Muy Linda1:2911Pavane Quadro3:1712What You Will1:2413The Oulde Almaine0:5614Pavane Passamezzo5:2315Galliard Passamezzo2:0516Heartes Ease2:0917Heigh Ho Holiday1:0218Jast1:3019Fantasia No.14:2820Last Will and Testament5:0121The New Yeare's Gift1:4222The Teares of the Muses2:0523Mr. D. Bond's Galliard1:3824Playfellow3:2925Responce Galliard2:1826Night Watch1:3927Lullaby4:172014 · studio album
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Tracklist · 22 tracks · 1:09:01
1The Fruit of Love1:492Galliard2:043Bona speranza4:314Galliard2:105The Night Watch1:476Last Will and Testament4:197Hermoza4:398Muy Linda2:099Infernum3:5510Galliard1:4711Pavana ploravit5:5412Ecce quam bonum2:3513The Choice1:0814The Teares of the Muses3:3315The Funeralls5:3016Almaine1:5817Pavan2:2318Galliard2:2519Paradizo4:3720The Honey-Suckle1:2621The Fairie-Round2:4722The Image of Melancholly5:35
Single · 1
| Cover | Year | Title | Notes | First release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Pavan & AlmainSearch SpotifySearch YouTube MusicTracklist · 2 tracks · 5:451Bona Speranza4:09 2The Choice1:36 | 30 September 2024 |
Stats & PK
Percentile within all 23,672 published artists.Put Anthony Holborne head-to-head →
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 11 | 61.8th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 8 | 81.1th |
| Studio albums | 7 | 87.5th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 10 | 86.7th |
| Recording span (years) | -378 | 0.8th |
| Genres | 5 | 88.3th |
Awards & honours
Where this record comes from
aliases/urls—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/33603b16-aec8-4507-b41f-a575343e4f18discography—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/33603b16-aec8-4507-b41f-a575343e4f18core—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1676220genre—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1676220seed-list—wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Holbornebiography—wikipedia-en · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Holborne
Why this artist is in the database
- List of composers by name
Tier rule: curated genre/region list
Image: no portrait (not displayed: the licence credit is missing)
Wikidata: Q1676220 · MusicBrainz: 33603b16-aec8-4507-b41f-a575343e4f18
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