William Lawes

William Lawes (1602-1645) was an English composer connected to the court of Charles I, and the music he composed for the king included works for voice, choir, and instrumental ensembles, as well as masques and other dramatic pieces. Lawes was also a member of the royal guard in Oxford, dying of a gunshot wound in the seige of Chester in 1645. Although none of Lawes' music was published in his lifetime, his brother, Henry Lawes, began printing his Psalms in 1648, and other editions appeared in the following years. Lawes was a transitional figure between the Renaissance and Baroque eras.