Biographical account of the life and works of the 16th-century composer Thomas Campion.

Thomas Campion (Campian) (1567-1620) Born Feb. 12, 1567, London Died March 1, 1620, London Thomas Campion, also spelled Campian, was an English poet, composer, musical and literary theorist, physician, and one of the outstanding English songwriters of the late 16th and early 17th centuries. His poetry, with its musical intonations of rhythm and melody, also reflects his outstanding musical abilities. Little is known about Thomas Campion's early life. Thomas was the son of the attorney and diplomatic courier John …

…in terms of sound, music, movement, or change rather than using visual imagery. Campion's ability to personalise with his song subjects and his interesting rhythms and song structure established him as one of the great English composers of the 16th century. His unconventional approach to old-fashioned subject matter and his irregular verbal and syllabic rhythms gave freshness to age-old song subjects, and suggested the immediate personal experience that makes his works so expressive and memorable.