He was a composer and musician born in England who had very little known about him until the beginning of the 17th century.
He was a cornettist to Charles III, Duke of Lorraine, in 1604 and was known to have been a royal wind musician in 1633 leading to him becoming Charles I’s music instructor in 1634.
In London he became a member of the City Waits that was a group of wind musicians that would play on the streets, mainly through the winter months. He was associated with theatre music and was noted in plays performed by the King’s Theatre Company.
As a composer, his most famous work is Courtly Masquing Ayres which he wrote in 1621 and only four other pieces by him are known to exist.
Courtly Masquing Ayres Recordings
Courtly Masquing Ayres
Ludwig Guettler Brass Ensemble
Capriccio 10 146
Courtly Masquing Ayres Nos.4 and 5
Guitar – Richard Searles
Guitar – Gilbert Yslas
Sundown SUN-589D
Masquing Ayre
The American Brass Quintet
Summit DCD 181
Sources:
- http://www.luc.edu/publications/medieval/vol4/seitz.html
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Adson
- http://www.answers.com/topic/john-adson