Cavendish Michael, *ca. 1565, †between 5 and 11 July 1628 Aldermanbury (present-day London), English composer. He came from an old noble family established in Suffolk. There are no detailed records of his life. At the time of his death, he was unmarried. Associated with the Stuart court, he served as a servant in the bedchamber to the Prince of Wales, the future Charles I. It is known that he collaborated with English publishers, including Th. East and Th. Ravenscroft, on the publication of several musical anthologies (The Whole Booke of Psalmes…), which also included his own compositions.
Alongside Th. Morley, Cavendish was one of the first English madrigalists. His madrigals are generally written in a simple style that draws on the Italian tradition, featuring diatonic melodies similar to those of Morley. Come Gentle Swains from the collection Ayres in Tabletorie… is the first English madrigal in the collection dedicated to Queen Elizabeth (the so-called Oriana madrigals). Cavendish’s ayres are also worthy of note as the first English solo works of this type. Some of his compositions for solo voice with lute accompaniment (or two voices with bass viol accompaniment) from the collection Ayres in Tabletorie… have been included in this volume in alternative versions by the composer for 4 or 5 voices.
Literature: E.H. Fellowes English Madrigal Verse 1588–1632, Oxford 1920, 31967; E.H. Fellowes The English Madrigal Composers, Oxford 1921, 21948; D. Greer The Part-Songs of the English Lutenists, “Proceedings of the Royal Musical Association” XCIV, 1967/68; L. Pike, Pills to purge melancholy: The evolution of the English ballet, Aldershot 2004.
Compositions:
secular:
14 ayres for 2 voices and bass viol or voice and lute, in Ayres in Tabletorie to the Lute…, published in London 1598
6 ayres for 4 voices and lute (alternatively, for voice and lute) in Ayres in Tabletorie to the Lute…, published in London 1598
8 madrigals for 5 voices in Ayres in Tabletorie to the Lute…, published in London 1598
1 madrigal in Th. Morley’s collection The Triumphes of Oriana…, published in London 1601
sacred:
psalms in Th. East’s collection The Whole Booke of Psalmes…, published in London 1592 and Th. Ravenscroft’s The Whole Booke of Psalmes…, published in London 1621
Editions:
20 ayres from the collection Ayres in Tabletorie to the Lute… in «The English School of Lutenist Song-Writers», ed. E.H. Fellowes, series 2, vol. VII, London 1926
madrigals in «The English Madrigal School», ed. E.H. Fellowes, revised edition «The English Madrigalists», ed. Th. Dart, vol. XXXVI, London 1961
14 Ayres in Tabletorie to the Lute…, facsimile edition D. Greer, «English Lute Songs 1597–1632» V, London 2nd edition 1980
Collected English Lutenist Partsongs I, ed. D. Greer, «Musica Britannica» LIII, London 1987
Choice Ayres, Songs and Dialogues. Originally Published by J. Playford…, facsimile edition I. Spink, «Music for London Entertainment 1660-1800», London 1989
