A County of Musical Minds

Worcestershire can be described as a musical County, especially with one of the greatest composers in history being born in a simple cottage in Lower Broadheath.

Sir Edward Elgar is one the Counties most famous sons. However, there is another composer that was on the scene before Elgar and, in some circles, said to be the more famous.

Thomas Tomkins is a name rarely mentioned in Worcestershire today. However he is one of the most distinguished Composers of Sacred and Secular Music and was also the organist at the prestigious Chapel Royal.

He was born in 1572 in Wales, but came to Worcester and lived in College Green, on what was land previously occupied by the Benedictine Monastery who served the Priory. The area changed dramatically following the dissolution, with some of the land becoming housing.

Music ran in the Tomkins family and it is believed he studied music under the famous William Byrd. He was made a member of the Chapel Royal and left Magdalen College, Oxford in 1607 as a Bachelor of Music.

In Worcester he became a Master of Choristers and played the Organ in the beautiful Cathedral. This led to him being given the responsibility of overseeing the building of a new organ in 1612. This new organ was built by Thomas Dallam and cost £381.2s.8d. An organ that was described as being one that would “rival any in the land”.

His fine anthems and coronation music, led him to becoming ‘Composer of (the Kings) music in Ordinary.’ Unfortunately this post had been promised to another and he was removed from this post almost straight away!

In 1627 Thomas lived at Number 9 College Green. A house described as having a “Hall, Kitchen, Buttery, 5 Chambers, a Garret and a High Turret or Study on the third floor, and the garden including a water pump, wood house and coal house’. This house still stands today but have seen some alterations. A blue plaque was erected on this building a few years ago to commemorate Thomas. In 1642 the English Civil Wars began. It started with a small skirmish, just over two miles from his home, at Powick Bridge. From the very beginning Worcester saw damage caused by the armies of both sides! At first the Parliamentarians ransacked the Cathedral and began vandalising the fine Organ, which grieved Thomas greatly!

A year later canon fire aimed at the soldiers on Castle Mound, behind Thomas’s house missed its target and hit his house destroying lots of his papers and newly composed music. Shortly after we see 4s and 4d was given ‘to the Mason for tiles, lime and work done in reparation of Mr Organist’s house, ruined by canon shot.’

The Civil Wars caused great sadness to Thomas, especially when the Cathedral was damaged numerous times. The Bell Tower that stood separately on the North side of the Cathedral was dismantled! The doors to the Cathedral were closed and during the long siege of 1646 Thomas tried to save the organ by dismantling it and hiding it, piece by piece. This work was not necessary when the City surrendered that summer.

The years that followed led to some great Compositions, including tributes to famous Royalists, included Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford, executed in 1640 and the former Archbishop of Canterbury, William Laud, executed in 1645.

‘A sad pevan for these distracted times’ was written after the execution of King Charles I in 1649.

However during the final years of the war and at the time of the Battle of Worcester in 1651, financial problems plagued his life. He was forced to leave Worcester and moved in with his son at Martin Hussintree.

He died in 1653, knowing only that the Monarchy was gone and this country was now a Republic, governed by Oliver Cromwell and his Generals. Oliver Cromwell died in 1658 and this pathed the way for the Restoration that took place in 1660. A time that Thomas would have rejoiced in and composed celebratory music for. n

By Paul Harding, Discover History Facebook and YouTube - Discover History Instagram and Twitter -DiscoverHISTPH www.discover-history.co.uk

Discover History is an award winning education and Living History Performance Company based in Worcester. They specialise in the local history of Worcestershire and deliver school workshops and history days, living history performances and talks across Britain.