Thomas Campion

Thomas Campion (1567-1520), English composer and poet, studied law and medicine, graduating in 1605, but, within two years, was supplying both the music and texts for James I’s extraordinarily lavish court entertainments. He is also known to have written a treatise on counterpoint.

He is most well-known for his lute songs, of which he wrote both music and verse for about 120. The best of them show a distinctive elegance and an instinctive marriage of words and music.