Humfrey, Pelham (b London, 1647 - d Windsor, 14 July, 1674)
Humfrey was a chorister in the Chapel Royal until 1664, and then he travelled to France and Italy where he probably had contact with Lully and Carissimi. In 1667, he became a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal, and in 1672 he was made composer for the royal band of violins and soon afterwards replaced Henry Cooke as Master of the Children and composer in the Private Musick. He was also a leading figure in the Corporation of Music. He probably taught Purcell composition. While he was not a prolific composer, Humfrey played a critical role in consolidating an English Baroque style. His 19 verse anthems combine modern influences from Lully's music (especially in the string writing), and from Italian music (in the vocal writing), and are distinctive for their powerful expressive language. A French influence in obvious in one of his two masques for The Tempest (1674), while the other shows Italianate features.