Philips, Peter (b ?London, 1560/1 - d Brussels, 1628)
Philips was a choirboy at St Paul's Cathedral, London in 1574, and in 1582 he fled to the Continent because of his Catholic faith. He was organist of the English College, Rome, until 1585 when he travelled in Europe settling in Antwerp in 1590. In 1593 he was imprisoned for treason but was released. He moved to Brussels in 1597 serving as an organist in the vice-regal chapel of the Spanish Netherlands until he died.

Famous in northern Europe as a fine organist and a composer of great versatility, he was second only in his day to Byrd as the most published English composer. His keyboard, and instrumental music is mainly in the English style, while his Italian madrigals, and his motets show continental (notably Roman) influence.