John Amner

Who was John Amner?

John Amner was an English composer.

A composer of sacred works, Amner was born at Ely, Cambridgeshire and had a close association with Ely Cathedral, even before his employment there as Informator choristarum, through his relatives, Michael and Ralph Amner, who were both lay clerks there. He received his Bachelor of Music from Oxford with the support of the Earl of Bath in 1613, and also from Cambridge in 1640. He was employed as both an organist and clergyman at the Cathedral after he obtained his first degree. He was subsequently ordained to the diaconate, later becoming vicarius. In 1615, he published a collection entitled Sacred Hymnes of 3, 4, 5 and 6 parts for the Voyces and Vyols, which represents most of his known works. His other works include Preces, four settings of the daily canticles, several simple four-part anthems, slightly more complex five-part anthems, and verse anthems.