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John Maynard
b St Albans,Herts,bapt. 5.1 1577-d after 1614
English lutenist, composer and singer.
He was engaged as a bass singer by king Christian IV of Denmark in 1599 but absconded
in suspicious circumstances in 1601.He is best remembered for his The XII Wonders of the World
(London 1611), 12 satires on stock characters for voice, lute and bass viol, followed by six
"Lute Lessons", and seven pavans for lyra viol with optional bass viol.
In this publication
he described himself as "Lutenist at the most famous Schoole of St
Julians in Hertfordshire". St Julians, originally built as a leper hospital, is just outside
the old city of St Albans, in the parish of St Michael.
No other record has come to light
of its being a school, but the house was "in the occupation of John Maynard" in 1613
and 1614.
Maynard seems to have led an adventurous life. In 1600 he was appointed a Commissary
of Musters in Ireland, but this post may have been a sinecure, for "Johan Meinert" was
engaged as a bass singer
Joel Dugot