Bull

Bull, JOHN, musician, born in Somersetshire about 1563, was appointed organist in the Queen's Chapel in 1591, first music lecturer at Gresham College in 1596, and organist to James I. in 1607. A Catholic, he fled beyond seas in 1613, and at Brussels entered the archduke's service; in 1617 he became organist of Antwerp Cathedral, and there he died, 12th March 1628. Little of his music has been printed. The claim advanced for him to the authorship of 'God save the King' (see NATIONAL HYMNS) is better founded than the impossible story of his adding, within a few hours, forty parts to a composition already written in forty parts; but from the extreme difficulty of his instrumental music, it would appear that his great reputation as an organist was deserved.