SKU: A0.1298204

Giles Farnaby was an English composer and virginalist during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He is known for his contributions to Elizabethan and Jacobean music. He was born around 1560, and he lived during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I. He was a contemporary of other notable English composers such as William Byrd and John Dowland. Farnaby's compositions are known for their variety of styles. He wrote pieces that ranged from lively dance tunes to more intricate and introspective works. His music often featured elements of English folk melodies and dance rhythms.

Giles Farnaby's Fantasias are significant for their role in the development of keyboard music, their influence on later composers, and their historical documentation of musical practices in late Renaissance England. Farnaby's music often displays a lively and whimsical character, with syncopations, rapid passagework, and playful ornamentation. His style was influenced by the continental keyboard music of his time, especially that of the English virginalists like John Bull and William Byrd. However, Farnaby's compositions also have a distinct character, marked by their dance-like rhythms and catchy melodies.

Although Farnaby's music fell out of favor during the Baroque period, there has been a resurgence of interest in his works in the modern era. Musicians and scholars have rediscovered and recorded his compositions, helping to revive his legacy.