Biography
From 1603 onward Philip Rosseter served as lutenist to King James I of England, remaining in that royal post until his death. His 1609 collection Lessons for Consort gathered both his own pieces and those of fellow composers, presenting broken consorts whose surviving material nevertheless falls short of permitting full reconstruction. Between that same year and 1617 he also directed the boys’ company known as The Whitefriars, all the while maintaining his court duties, though the printed compositions he issued in this period attracted little notice. In 1621, however, he joined Campion in bringing out the Booke of Ayres; half of its contents are Rosseter’s own, notable for their idiomatic lute accompaniments and light, memorable melodies of considerable appeal. Earlier lute pieces by Rosseter adhere closely to convention, revealing his contrapuntal facility, whereas the later works demonstrate a clear advance in his compositional approach.