GIBBONS, ORLANDO, who was not only "one of the rarest musi cians of time," as Anthony Wood styles him, but one of the finest geniuses that ever lived, was born at Cambridge in ]583. At the age of twenty-one he became organist of the Chapel-Royal. In 1622 he was honoured, at Oxford, with the degree of Doctor, on the recom mendation of his friend Camden, the learned antiquary. In 1625, atteuding officially the ceremonial of the marriage of Charles L, for which occasion he composed the music, he took the small-pox, and died on the Whit-Sunday following. He was buried in Canterbury Cathedral, where a monument, erected to his memory by his wife, is one of the objects, that attract the notice of visitors to that noble structure.
It is observed by the biographer of Gibbons in the ' Harmonicon; that "the sacred works of Gibbons are still fresh and in constant use. His service in F is indeed above all praise for novelty, and for richness and purity of harmony. His three anthems, ' Hosanna, to the Son of David," Almighty and everlasting God I' and '0 clap your hands together,' are masterpieces of the most ingenious and scientific writing iu fugue that musical skill ever brought forth. But next to hie service, we must avow our preference for his madrigals: 'Dainty sweet Bird,' and 0 I that the learned Poets,' are far above most other things of the kind; and ' The Silver Swan' is even superior to both of these— superior, not in elaborate contrivance, for it is comparatively simple, but in effect—the great and only true touchstone of art."
Dr. Gibbon. left a son, Christopher, who at the Restoration, besides being appointed principal organist to the king, and to Westminster Abbey, was created Doctor In Music by the University of Oxford, in consequence of a letter written by Charles II. himself, which is inserted in the 'Fasti Oxon.' Ho was celebrated for his organ-playing, and is said to have instructed Dr. Blow on this instrument. Orlando had also two brothers, Edward, organist of Bristol, and Ellis, organist of Salisbury. The former was sworn in a gentleman of the Chapel-Royal iu 1604, and was master to Matt. Lock. During the civil wars he assisted Charles I. with the sum of 3000t, for which be was afterwards deprived of a considerable estate, and, with his three grand-children, thrust out of his house, at a very advanced age. In the Triumphs of Oriana' aro two madrigals by Ellie Gibbons