Richard Dering

Composer of the oldest known works to use the continuous bass. Dering played the organ for Queen Henrietta Maria and at a convent for English nuns in Brussels; he chose to live outside of England like many British Catholics of the time. While he was there he came into contact with both Bull and Philips. Periodically Dering's music can be divided into English and Italian categories. The former included fantasias (calm and melodic), anthems (conventinal), dances for viols and madrigals (pleasant and complex). The latter period included compositions (madrigals and canzonettas) which characteristically conveyed pathos and employed the basso continuo. ~ Keith Johnson