Michael East

Composer picture desired

Biography

Michael East (or Easte, Est, Este) (ca. 1580–1648) was an English organist and composer.

In 1601, East wrote a madrigal that was accepted by Thomas Morley for publication in his collection The Triumphs of Oriana. In 1606, he received a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Cambridge, and in 1609 he joined the choir of Ely Cathedral, initially as a lay clerk. By 1618 he was employed by Lichfield Cathedral, where he worked as a choirmaster, probably until 1644, when the Civil War brought an end to sung services. Elias Ashmole was a chorister at Lichfield, and later recalled that "Mr Michael East … was my tutor for song and Mr Henry Hinde, organist of the Cathedral … taught me on the virginals and organ".

East was one of the most published composers of his era; he published seven groups of compositions: His most highly regarded works are his five-part fantasies for viols: Thurston Dart is quoted as saying, "despite some slipshod part-writing, they are among the best five-part consorts of the time".

Works for Winds

• English Madrigal Suite 1 (arr. Dunker) (1994)
• English Madrigal Suite 2 (arr. Dunker) (1994)

Resources

• Michael East (composer), Wikipedia Accessed 29 October 2020