A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Porter, Walter
PORTER, Walter, son of Henry Porter, Mus. Bac. Oxon. 1600, was on Jan. 5, 1616, sworn gentleman of the Chapel Royal without pay, 'for the next place that should fall void by the death of any tenor'; a contingency which happened on Jan. 27, 1717, in the person of Peter Wright, and Porter was sworn in his place on Feb. 1. In 1632 he published 'Madrigales and Ayres of two, three, foure and five voyces, with the continued bass, with Toccatos, Sinfonias and Rittornelles to them after the manner of Consort Musique. To be performed with the Harpsechord, Lutes, Theorbos, Basse-Violl, two Violins or two Viols.' Both Hawkins and Burney mention a collection bearing the title of 'Airs and Madrigals for two, three, four and five voices, with a thorough bass for the organ or Theorbo Lute, the Italian way,' dated 1639, which may probably have been a second edition of the same work. In 1639 Porter was appointed Master of the Choristers of Westminster Abbey. After losing both his places on the suppression of choral service in 1644 he found a patron in Sir Edward Spencer. In 1657 he published 'Mottets of Two Voyces for Treble or Tenor and Bass with the Continued Bass or Score. To be performed to an Organ, Harpsycon, Lute, or Bass-Viol.'
Porter was buried at St. Margaret's Church, Westminster, Nov. 30, 1659. His work, 'The Psalms of George Sandys set to Music for two Voyces with a Thorough-bass for the Organ,' was published about 1670.[ W. H. H. ]