A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Philipps, Peter

by William H. Husk

PHILIPPS, Peter, known also by his Latinised name of Petrus Philippus and his Italianised one of Pietro Filippo, an Englishman by birth, was an ecclesiastic, and in the latter part of the 16th century was canon of Bethune in French Flanders. He visited Italy and spent some time in Rome. Returning to Flanders he became one of the organists of the vice-regal chapel of the Archduke and Duchess, Albert and Isabella, governors of the Low Countries. On March 9, 1610 he was appointed a canon of the collegiate church of St. Vincent at Soignies. He composed many excellent motets and madrigals. His published works are 'Melodia Olympica di diversi Excellentissimi Musici a IV, V, VI, et VIII voci,' 1591, reprinted 1594 and 1611; 'Il Primo Libro di Madrigali a sei voci,' 1596; 'Madrigali a otto voci,' 1598 and 1599; 'Il Secondo Libro di Madrigali a sei voci,' 1603 and 1604; 'Cantiones Sacræ quinque vocum,' 1612; 'Cantiones Sacrse octo vocum,' 1613; 'Gemmulæ Sacræ, binis et ternis vocibus cum basso continuo ad organum,' 1613 and 1621; 'Litaniæ B.V.M. in Ecclesia Loretana cani solitse, 4, 5, 9 vocum,' 1623; and 'Paradisus Sacris Cantionibus consitu a 1, 2, 3 vocum cum Basso Continue,' 1628. Burney (History, iii. 86) says that the first regular fugue upon one subject that he had met with was composed by Peter Philipps. It is contained, with about 18 or 20 other compositions by Philipps, in the MS. known as Queen Elizabeth's Virginal Book, in the Fitzwilliam Museum at Cambridge. Hawkins has printed a 4-part madrigal by Philipps (from the Melodia Olympica) in his History.

[ W. H. H. ]