DICTIONARY OF MUSIC - El Atril

FAYRFAX
been of Bayford in Hertfordshire, and was probably
horn in the last half of the loth century,
but nothing is known of his early life. Anthony
Wood is no doubt correct in saying that he was
Organist or Informator Chori at the Abbey of
St. Albans, with which place he was evidently
closely connected. He was at St. Albans on
March 28, 1502, when he received 20s. from
Queen Elizabeth of York, ' for setting an Anthem
of oure lady and Saint Elizabeth.' At the
beginning of this year (1501-2) he took his
degree of Doctor of ilusic at Cambridge. The
words of the Grace for the degree, ' conceditur
Magistro Fayorfax erudito in musiea quod post
gradum bacallariatus sua erudieione possit stare,
etc., may imply that he was already a member
they certainly show that he
of the University ;
had made liis reputation as a musician at that
date [Abdy "Williams, Degrees in Music\. The
exercise ' for his forme in proceadinge to bee
Doctor ' was a live-part Mass, ' quam
glorifica,
which is still in existence [Lambeth, Cod. 1].
He was incorporated at O.xford in 1511, being
the first recorded Doctor of Music there.
Fayrfax seems to have enjoyed the favour of
Henry YIII., after whose accession he was
granted an annuity of £9 : 2 ; 6 (June 22, 1509),
being described as 'gentleman of the Chapel.'
At Christmas, 1510, and the two following
years, he was paid for the board and instruction
of two choir-boys, 'the King's scholars.' On
March 6, 1512-1-3, John Fyssher, gentleman of
the Chapel, received a Corrody in the Monastery
of Stanley, on its surrender by Robert Fayrfax.
In Nov. 151-3, Fayrfax resigned his annuity of
£9:2:6, which was granted afresh ' in suri-ivorship
' to Robert Fayrfax and Robert Bythcsee.
On Sept. 10, 1514, he was appointed one of the
Poor Knights of "Windsor, with 12d. a day.
Other entries in the State Papers between 1516
and 1519 relate to sums paid to Fayrfax ' for a
' book (£13 : 6 : 8) ;
' for a
'
book of anthems
(£20) ;
' '
for a prick songe book (£20) ;
' for a
balet boke limned ' (£20) ; showing that he
found emploj'ment as a writer ami illuminator
of MSS. : the celebrated Fayrfax MS. (Brit.
Mus. Add. MS. 6465) may well have been one
of these (see Diet. Xat. Biog. for reference to
State Papers). In 1520 Fayrfax, with the rest
of the Chapel, attended tlie King to the Field
of the Cloth of Gold, being named at the head
of the singing men. His death probably took
place before Jan. 1, 1525-26, as his name does
not then appear in the list of gentlemen of the
King's Chapel ; he was certainly dead before
Feb. 12, 1528-29, when Bythesee suri-endered
the annuity granted in 1513. He was buried
in St. Albans Abbey, his tombstone being afterwards
covered by the Mayoress's seat, according
to the Fayrfax MS.
Fayrfax was in his day (as Anthony "Wood
says) ' in great renowne and accounted the prime
musitian of the nation.' He is the chief repre-
FEIS CEOIL 19
sentative of the school of music whicli prevailed
in England ti'om the time of Edward lY., and
which may be said to have culminated in hiui.
His njusic was soon superseded by that of the
succeeding generation of composers headed by
Tye, and is now for the most part of purely
aiitit[uarian interest.
The Ibllowing is a list of his chief composi-
tions, mostly in MS. :
Muss a 5 : (1| ' Eegali.* ' ; |2| Alban»» ' ; (3| Tecum ppineipiuu,
(4) o bone Jheao nil ; in the Oxford Mu«lc Sehool Collection and
elscMhepe. ' (5) O
quom eloriflca,' Lambeth and Cambridee (61
Bponsam,' lute arrangement
i.J'°SS°„'^,/"*,'
in Epit. Man. Add.
Mb. jy,.J46. An iinnanied Maae at Peterhouse. Camhridce may
be identical with one of these.
Motets : (1) Ave Dei ' Patris,' a 5 ; Bodleian, etc. (2) Maria plena
Vjrtute, a 5i Bodleian, etc. |3| 'Salve Eegina,' a 6; Eton MS.
141 Lauda vivi Alpha et 0,' Peterhouse. etc. (5) ' Eternae laudis
hhum. a 5 ; Peterhouse, etc. (61 ' Maria Deo Grata,' Peterhouse.
O) Ave lumen gratiae.' a4; Brit. Mus. Addl. MS. 5054. (8) ' In Deo.'
K. Coll. Music. 'Ave eumme eternitjitis.' printed by Hawkins
inist. ii. 516), is an extract from Ko. (1) ' Ave Dei Patria.'
A Magnificat a 5, called 'Regalia, 'is at Peterhouse, and (without
coiuposer'B name) at Lambeth ;
a second Magnificat is at Lambeth.
Slagnificats at Cains Coll. and St. Michael's Coll., Tenbury may be
identical with one or other of these- IntheEton MS. wei-efornieriy
'Quid cantemns Innocentes.' 'Stabat Mater,' 'Ave lumen grade.'
.-ind 'Ave cujus coneepcio.' Lute veraiona of three of the abovenamed
compositions are in Brit. Mus. Add. MS. 29.246. An instrumental
piece o 3, appjirently a Canon, is in Add. MS. 31,9'22.
Two Bonga by Fayrfax were printed in Wynkyn de Worde's Songbook,
' 1530 ; Ut re mi fa aol la,' a 4, and ' My heartes luat,' a 3. A
fragment of a song, ' Welcome fortune.' is preserved at Ely Cathedral
In the Fayrfax MS., Brit. Mus. Add. MS. 5465, are (1) 'That was my
woo,' ' a 2 ; (2) Most '
clere of colour,' a 3; (3) 1 love, loved and lo\ ed
wolde ' I be,' a 3 ; (4) Alas for lak of her preaens,' a 3; (5) ' Sumwiiat
musyng.'a 3. The title-page also indicates two other songs ajj being
by Fayrfax, though his name is not written against them. (6)
' Benedicite, what dremyd J,' a 3; (7) ' To complayne me, alas.' a 3.
Burney printed 'That was my woo,' which
he thought (for no good reason) may have been
addressed to Henry YII. after the battle of
Bosworth (Hist. ii. 647) ; also extracts from
some of the Masses. The songs numbere'd 2, 3,
4, 6, and 7 were printed by Stafford Smith in
A Collection of Enejlish Songs. No. 3 is also
printed by the Plain-song and Medifeval Mu.sio
Society in Songs and Madrigals of the l(>lh
Century. c.. E. p. A.
FEEN, DIE. Opera in three acts: words
and music by Y'agner. AVritten at "Wiirzburg
in 1833 (the plot adapted from Gozzi's ' Donna
Serpente'), excerpts tried in the following ye:ir,
but never performed complete until it 'was
produced at Munich in 1888.
FEIS CEOIL, THE (Irish Musical Festival),
was inaugurated in Dublin on May 17-22, 1897.
The event takes place annually in May, and occupies
aweek. Itconsistsof concerts (orchestral and
ballad), and public competitions in choral and
solo singing, and in ensemble and solo instrumental
playing in all branches, which are adjudicated
upon by prominent musicians living out
of Ireland. Competitions also in various classes
of musical composition are held, previous to the
actual festival, the works which obtain prizes
being performed at the concerts. The objects
of the Association are, briefly : (1) To promote
the study and cultivation of Irish music. (2) To
promote the general cultivation of music iu
Ireland. (3) To hold an annual JIusical Festival,
or Feis Ceoil. (4) To collect and preserve by
luiblication the ancient music of Ireland. Tlie
Association lias its headquarters in Dublin.
The secoiiil and fourth festivals (1898 and