Thomas Robinson

Biography

Thomas Robinson (c. 1560 – c. 1610) was an English Renaissance composer and music teacher, who flourished around 1600. He taught and wrote music for lute, cittern, orpharion, bandora, viol, and voice.

Biography

Very little is known about Robinson's life, but it is possible to draw conclusions from the dedicatory pages of his works. He and his father were in service of the Cecil family: Robinson's father worked for the 1st Earl of Salisbury, Robert Cecil, and Robinson was in the service of the 1st Earl of Exeter, Thomas Cecil, who was Robert Cecil's brother. The Cecil family fostered several artists in these days, amongst others William Byrd and Orlando Gibbons.
It was before 1589 that Robinson became Princess Anne's (1574–1619) and Queen Sophie's (1557–1631) private music teacher at Elsinore, Denmark. Princess Anne was the daughter of the King of Denmark, Frederick II (1559–1588). It is presumed that Robinson must have been in his twenties then, so that his birth can be dated back to around 1560.
The Court of Denmark, like other courts, employed many well-recognized musicians from Denmark and other countries, like England, France, Germany and the Netherlands. It is known that John Dowland – the most famous Renaissance lutenist nowadays – worked as a court lutenist in Denmark from 1598 to 1606. Besides Robinson's own mention of his employment there, no official record of it exists.
In 1603, Robinson published his first book, Medulla Musicke, of which no copy survived. It was even suggested (Ward JM, see "Literature"), that it was never published at all, although Robinson seems to be referring to it in the first pages of his second book: "Right courteous Gentlemen, and gentle Readers, your fauourable acceptance of my first fruits from idlenesse, hath eccited mee further to congratulate your Musicall endeauours." From: "The Schoole of Musicke", 1603
Also in 1603, Robinson brought out his second book, The Schoole of Musicke, a tutor for lute and other instruments. It displaced John Alford's book A Briefe and Easye Instruction from 1574 (an English translation of Adrian Le Roy's Briefve et facile instruction pour apprendre la tabulature) as the most important lute tutor in England from then on.
In 1609 Robinson's third book, New Citharen Lessons, was published. It was a cittern tutor for beginners and advanced learners.
Robinson's works for the most part consist of his own compositions. But there are also arrangements of other pieces of music, some of which are still rather popular: for instance "My Lord Willoughby's Welcome Home" (in: The Schoole of Musicke) or "Can she excuse my wrongs?" (in New Citharen Lessons) – both originally composed by John Dowland.
There is no further information available about Robinson's life after 1609.

Medulla Musicke

Medulla Musicke (The Stationer's Company, London, 1603) was a music tutor now presumably lost. It is supposed to have included 40 canons on the then popular plainsong Miserere after arrangements by William Byrd and Alfonso Ferrabosco.

The Schoole of Musicke

The Schoole of Musicke, (Tho. Este, London, 1603), was a tutor for lute, bandora, orpharion, viol, and singing.

Contents

The Queenes good Night (for two lutes)
Twenty waies upon the bels (for two lutes)
Row well you Marriners
A Galliard
A Galliard
A Plaine Song for 2 lutes (for two lutes)
Grisse his delight
Passamezzo Galliard (for two lutes)
A Fantasie for 2 lutes (for two lutes)
A Toy for 2 lutes (for two lutes)
A Galliard
Merry Melancholie
Robinson's Riddle
Goe from my Window
A Toy
A Gigue
An Almaigne
An Almaigne
A Toy
A Toy
Robin is to the greenwood gone
A Toy
The Queenes Gigue
Ut re mi fa so la: 9 sundry ways
My Lord Willobies Welcome Home
Bell Vedere
The Spanish Pavin
A Gigue
A Gigue
Walking in a country town
Bony sweet boy
A Gigue
Lantero
Three parts in one upon a[n old]ground
Sweet Jesu who shall lend me wings
A Psalme
O Lord of whom I do depend
O Lord thou art my righteousness
Furthermore, The Schoole of Musicke contains eight short pieces, seven of them called "A Psalme" in the chapter "Rules to instruct you to sing".

New Citharen Lessons

New Citharen Lessons, (London, 1609), was a cittern tutor for beginners and advanced learners. It included 53 compositions, the first 47 for four-course cittern (tuned e' d' g b), pieces 48 to 53 for fourteen-course cittern (tuned e' d' g bb f d G F E D C BBb AA GG).

Contents

My Lord Treasurer his Paven
The Galliard to the Pavin before
A Fantasie
Wades Welfare
Powles Carranta
O Cupid looke about thee
For two Citherens in the unison (A Jigge for two Citherens)
A Ground
Pipers Galiard
A Psalme
Philips Pavin
A Galiard
A Galiard: Can she excuse my wrongs
A Galiard
A Psalme
Passamezzo Paven
Oft I have forsworne her company
Galliard to the Quadron Pavin
An Almaine
A French Toy
Excuse me
Robinson Idelsbie
Shepard shoot home
Ioan come kisse me now
A Psalme
Passamezzo Galiard
The new Hunts up
Souches March
Whetelies wheat-sheafe
O Hone
An Almaine
An Almaine
Robinsons modicum
An Almaine
Farewell deare love
Alexander Chezum his Curranta
Robarts Request
The Quadro Pavin
For two Citharens
What if a day
Ah, alas, thou God of Gods
Now Cupid looke about thee
Pauuana Passamezzo
Mr. North his Novell
Fantasia
Fantasia 2
Fantasia 3
Fantasia 4

Others

There are some further pieces and arrangements from Thomas Robinson in other manuscripts:

Spanish Pavan (in Add. MS 3056 (Cozens Lute Book), ca. 1595, Cambridge University Library) – a version in major
Hay (in Dd. 9.33, 1600, Cambridge University Library)
Pipers Galliard Jo Dowland. Tho. Robinson (in Ms. Dd. 4.23, Cambridge University Library)
Galliard T. R. (in Ms. Dd. 4.23, Cambridge University Library)
[The Hunt's Up] T: R. (in Ms. Dd. 4.23, Cambridge University Library)