Farnaby, Giles

1560-

English composer and player on the spinnet, who was born at Truro Cornwall, about the middle of the Sixteenth Century, about 1560, according to the best authorities. The date of his death is not known. Farnaby began the study of music when quite young. Little is known of his life, except that he lived in London, and that he received the degree of Bachelor of Music from Oxford in 1592. He wrote canzonets for four voices, with a song of eight parts which was published in London in 1598, also madrigals. Some of his psalms are in Ravenscroft's collection, published in London about 1633, and Farnaby assisted Ravenscroft in putting parts to some of the psalm tunes. There are twenty lessons in Queen Elizabeth's Virginal Book by Farnaby. This book is preserved in the Fitzwilliam Museum at Cambridge. In this book there are also four pieces by Richard Farnaby, believed to have been a son of Giles. A madrigal in manuscript, entitled Come Charon, Come, is preserved in the library of the Royal College of Music, London.