Philip van Wilder

Full biography Philip van Wilder

Philip van Wilder (c.1500-1554) was a Dutch lutenist and composer who worked in England during the Tudor period. He is primarily known for his chansons, secular songs that were popular in France and the Burgundian Netherlands during the 15th and 16th centuries.

Van Wilder's exact birthdate is unknown, but he was likely born around 1500 in either the Duchy of Brabant or Flanders, both of which were part of the Burgundian Netherlands at the time. By the early 1530s, he had moved to England and was working as a musician at the court of King Henry VIII.

Van Wilder was highly regarded as a musician and composer, and he was known for his skill on the lute, which was a popular instrument in Renaissance Europe. He composed both sacred and secular music, but his surviving works are primarily secular chansons.

One of van Wilder's most famous chansons is "Je file quand Dieu me donne de quoy" ("I spin when God gives me the means"), which was written in honor of Anne Boleyn , the second wife of King Henry VIII. The lyrics are a play on words, as "filer" means both "to spin" and "to leave quickly."

Van Wilder died in 1554, and his music fell out of fashion in England after his death. However, his surviving works have been rediscovered in recent years, and his chansons are now performed by early music ensembles around the world.

Overall, Philip van Wilder was a highly influential composer and musician who played an important role in the development of Renaissance music in England.