Redford, John (EN)

Redford John, †October or November 1547 London, English composer, organist and poet. In 1534, as a vicar of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, he signed the Act of Supremacy of Henry VIII. He probably also performed the duties of organist in the cathedral, and in the last months of his life, he became choirmaster and almoner.

Redford is considered the most outstanding representative of the first generation of English organists whose works were recorded (previously, organists limited themselves to improvisation). His compositions – both vocal and organ – are based on the cantus firmus, appearing in the lowest or middle voice. The fixed melody is presented either in long, equal values or else in part or in whole – as in monumental offertories – is subject to ornamentation. However, the cantus firmus sounds woven into the figuration occur regularly every one semibrevis. As a cantus firmus, Redford used either a chorale or – in its place – a melody led most often parallel to the appropriate liturgical chant in the lower sixths or upper thirds. This procedure allowed for an unconventional reference to the chorale, especially in longer pieces intended for alternatim performance (16-part Te Deum, 3–4-part arrangements of several other hymns). The number of voices in Redford’s compositions varies from two to four, but 3-voice structures predominate. Contrapuntal arrangements dominate, with occasional imitations and even canons. Compositions in which the cantus firmus is accompanied by 1- or 2-voice figurations or an ostinato accompaniment in the highest voice are more instrumental in character. In these latter pieces, the repeated motif is usually rhythmically contrasted and may appear in transposition and pass to other voices. The fruit of Redford’s literary interests is the play Wyt and Science, containing remarks indicating the use of music in it. The work was written in manuscript with several of his organ pieces and poems by himself, probably intended to be sung but preserved without melodies.

Literature: C.F. Pfatteicher John Redford. Organist and Almoner of St. Paul’s Cathedral in the Reign of Henry VIII, Kassel 1934; J. Caldwell Keyboard Plainsong Settings in England, 1500–1660, “Musica Disciplina” XIX, 1965; G. Cox English organ music to c1700, in: The Cambridge companion to the organ, ed. N. Thistlethwaite, G. Webber, Cambridge 1998; L. Rayment A New Context for the Manuscript of ‘Wit and Science’, “Early Theatre” XVII, 1, 2014.