Ellis Gibbons

Full biography Ellis Gibbons

Ellis Gibbons (baptized on November 30, 1573 - May 14?, 1603) was an English composer associated with the English Madrigal School. He was born in Cambridge, where his father William was a graduate of St. John's College, and his uncle Thomas was organist of King's College. Together with his brothers Orlando and Edward, Ellis grew up in a family with a strong musical background.

Ellis Gibbons was a promising composer who produced some notable works during his short life. He was almost certainly a pupil of his uncle Thomas Gibbons who taught many promising musicians of the time, including Orlando Gibbons. Ellis is known to have composed some madrigals in collaboration with Thomas Morley, Thomas Watson, and Michael Este, which are thought to have been performed at the Court of Queen Elizabeth I.

One of his most famous collaborations was as part of the group of 23 composers who contributed to The Triumphs of Oriana, a collection of madrigals dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I. Ellis Gibbons contributed a five-voice madrigal to this collection titled "Long live fair Oriana", which demonstrates his mastery of the form.

Ellis Gibbons died young at the age of 29, and little else is known about his life beyond his contributions to the musical world. However, his works show that he was a highly skilled composer, able to produce works of great beauty and expressiveness. His music provides a glimpse into the world of the English Madrigal School, and his untimely death is a loss to the musical world, which might have benefited from his further contributions had he lived longer.