Damett

(Thomas?) Damett (?1389–1390 — between 15 July 1436 and 14 April 1437) was an English composer during the stylistic transitional from medieval to Renaissance music.

Identity and career

The illegitimate son of a gentleman, he was a commoner at Winchester College until 1406–7 and became rector of Stockton, Wiltshire, in 1413. His name appears occasionally in the Royal Household Chapel accounts between 1413 and 1430–31.^[1] He was also prebendary of Rugmere in St Paul's Cathedral 1418–1436, was appointed to the fifth stall in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle in 1431 and held the canonry until 1436.^[1][2]

Music

Nine works by him survive in the Old Hall Manuscript and may be autographs: six mass movements (including a Gloria-Credo pair based on a Square) and three motets (one isorhythmic).^[1]

Works

List of compositions by Damett^[1]

Title	No. of voices	Genre	Manuscript source
Credo	3	Mass movement	OH No. 39
Gloria	3	Mass movement	OH No. 93
Gloria	3	Mass movement	OH No. 10
Gloria	3	Mass movement	OH No. 13
Gloria	3	Mass movement	OH No. 37
Credo	3	Mass movement	OH No. 72
Beata Dei genitrix	3	Psalm antiphon	OH No. 53
Salve porta paradisi	3	Sequence	OH No. 54
Salvatoris mater pia/O Georgi/Benedictus qui ve-	3	Sequence	OH No. 111
No other works by Damett survive

Editions

• Hughes, Andrew; Bent, Margaret, eds. (1969–1973). The Old Hall Manuscript. Corpus mensurabilis musicae 53. Cambridge: American Institute of Musicology. OCLC 80858118.
• Ramsbotham, Alexander, ed. (1933–1938). The Old Hall Manuscript. Vol. 3 volumes. Completed by H.B. Collins and Dom Anselm Hughes. Buckinghamshire: Plainsong and Medieval Music Society.