About William Shelbye
Lived 1541 – 1584 (aged 42–43). William Shelbye was a composer and organist.
William Shelbye, also referred to as Selby, Selbie or Selbye (died 1584) was an English organist and composer.
Shelbye was organist and master of the choristers at Canterbury Cathedral (c.1541–1584). He was the composer of two keyboard works that appear in The Mulliner Book, a commonplace book compiled between about 1545 and 1570. They were the antiphon Miserere and Felix namque, an offertory setting the Sarum plainchant. The Miserere anticipates techniques later used by Thomas Tallis, William Byrd and Thomas Tomkins. He died in Canterbury.
Joseph Payne recorded the Miserere.
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Important facts
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Frequently asked questions
Who was William Shelbye?
English organist and composer
When was William Shelbye born?
William Shelbye was born in 1541.
When did William Shelbye die?
William Shelbye died in 1584.
What was William Shelbye's occupation?
William Shelbye was a composer and organist.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). William Shelbye. https://biography.guide/william-shelbye/
MLA: "William Shelbye." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/william-shelbye/.
Chicago: "William Shelbye." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/william-shelbye/.
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