A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Coperario, John

by William H. Husk

COPERARIO, John, was an Englishman named Cooper, who, having Italianised his name during a sojourn in Italy, continued the use of it after his return to England. He was a composer for and performer on the lute and viol da gamba, and the musical instructor of the children of James I. In 1606 he published 'Funeral Teares for the Death of the Right Honorable the Earle of Devonshire: figured in seaven songes, whereof sixe are so set forth that the wordes may be exprest by a treble voice alone to the Lute and Base Violl, or else that the meane part may be added, if any shall affect more fulnesse of parts. The seaventh is made in forme of a Dialogue and can not be sung without two voyces.' He composed the music to 'The Masque of the Inner Temple and Graye's Inn,' performed at Whitehall, Feb. 20, 1612 [App. p.597 "1612–13"]. In 1613 he published 'Songs of Mourning bewailing the untimely death of Prince Henry. Worded by Tho. Campion and set forth to bee sung with one voyce to the Lute or Violl.' He contributed three of the songs to the masque performed at Whitehall on St. Stephen's Night, 1614 [App. p.597 "1613"], and supplied the whole of the music in 'The Masque of Flowers' presented in the same place on Twelfth Night in the same year [App. p.597 "1613–14"], both masques being given in honour of the marriage of the Earl of Somerset and Lady Frances Howard. He composed a set of Fancies for the organ for Charles I, the manuscript of which is still extant, and numerous Fancies for viols. He contributed two vocal pieces to 'The Teares or Lamentacions of a Sorrowfull Soule,' published by Sir William Leighton in 1614. Coperario was the master of Henry and William Lawes. He died during the Protectorate [App. p.597 "He died in 1627"].

[ W. H. H. ]