Jenkins, John

views updated May 21 2018

Jenkins, John

Jenkins, John, eminent English composer; b. Maidstone, 1592; d. Kimberley, Norfolk, Oct. 27, 1678. He most likely was the son of the carpenter Henry Jenkins, who at his death (1617) bequeathed his son a bandora. Jenkins was active as a music teacher and as a performer on the lute and lyra viol in various households. He spent the Commonwealth years at country estates. After the Restoration, he was made theorbo player in the King’s Musick (1660), and during his last years, lived in the home of Sir Philip Wodehouse in Kimberley, Norfolk. Jenkins was the foremost master of consort music in his day. Among his more than 800 known instrumental pieces are fantasias, fantasia- suites, airs, and solo works; he also composed sacred and secular vocal music. See H. Sleeper, ed., John Jenkins: Fancies and Ayres, Wellesley Edition, I (1950), A. Dolmetsch, ed., John Jenkins: 7 Fantasien, Hortus Musicus, CXLIX (1957), R. Warner, ed., John Jenkins: Three-part Fancy and Ayre Divisions, Wellesley Edition, X (1966), A. Ashbee, ed., John Jenkins: Consort Music of Four Parts, Musica Britannica, XXVI (1969; 2nd ed., rev, 1975), R. Nicholson, ed., John Jenkins: Consort Music in Five Parts (London, 1971), R. Nicholson and A. Ashbee, eds., John Jenkins: Consort Music in Six Parts (London, 1976), and D. Peart, ed., John Jenkins: Consort Music of Six Parts, Musica Britannica, XXXIX (1977).

Bibliography

R. Warner, The Fantasia in the Work of J. J. (diss., Univ. of Mich., 1951); A. Ashbee, The Four-part Instrumental Compositions of J. J. (diss., Univ. of London, 1967); A. Ashbee and P. Holman, eds., J. J. and His Time: Studies in English Consort Music (Oxford, 1996).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

Jenkins, John

views updated May 29 2018

Jenkins, John (b Maidstone, 1592; d Kimberley, Norfolk, 1678). Eng. composer. Musician in service of Charles I and Charles II but mainly in private service in Norfolk. Wrote over 800 instr. works, incl. Fancies for viols or org., 12 sonatas for 2 vns., str. bass, and continuo (org. or theorbo) (1660), light pieces called rants, and songs, catches, etc.

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