Robert Parsons

Robert Parsons (c. 1535-1572) was an English composer. Although little is known about the life of Robert Parsons, it is likely that in his youth he was a choir boy, as until 1561 he was an assistant to Richard Bower, Master of the Children Choristers of the Chapel Royal. Parsons was appointed Gentleman of the Chapel Royal on 17th October 1563. His work consisted of a number of sacred and secular vocal compositions, including his Ave Maria, as well as some instrumental pieces. He is believed to have died in January 1572 when he fell into the then swollen River Trent and was drowned. He may have been a teacher of, or at least an influence on, William Byrd at Lincoln Cathedral. Byrd succeeded him as Gentleman of the Chapel Royal. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.