William Tisdale also written Tisdall (born circa 1570) was an English musician and composer of the virginal school

Virginalist

Virginalist denotes a composer of the so-called virginalist school, and usually refers to the English keyboard composers of the late Tudor and early Jacobean periods. The term does not appear to have been applied earlier than the 19th century...

. No conclusive evidence about him has yet been discovered. Two William Tisdales have been found in London at the turn of the 16th century: one died in 1603 and the other in 1605.

All Tisdale's known music is represented by five pieces in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book

Fitzwilliam Virginal Book

The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book is a primary source of keyboard music from the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean periods in England, i.e., the late Renaissance and very early Baroque. It takes its name from Viscount Fitzwilliam who bequeathed this manuscript collection to Cambridge University in 1816...

 and two pieces in the so-called John Bull Virginal Book which was bound for the English composer John Bull

John Bull (composer)

John Bull was an English composer, musician, and organ builder. He was a renowned keyboard performer of the virginalist school and most of his compositions were written for this medium.-Life:...

.

From his inclusion in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book, Tisdale was doubtless a friend of the Tregian

Francis Tregian the Younger

Francis Tregian the Younger was the son of the Catholic exile Francis Tregian the Elder .He was educated in France, and in 1592 obtained a position in Rome as chamberlain to Cardinal William Allen...

 family of Cornwall. Also indicative of his relationship with this recusant

Recusancy

In the history of England and Wales, the recusancy was the state of those who refused to attend Anglican services. The individuals were known as "recusants"...

 family is the inclusion in this anthology of his rich chromatic

Chromaticism

Chromaticism is a compositional technique interspersing the primary diatonic pitches and chords with other pitches of the chromatic scale. Chromaticism is in contrast or addition to tonality or diatonicism...

 piece, Mrs Katherin Tregians Paven, possibly written on the death of Francis Tregian the Elder

Francis Tregian the Elder

Francis Tregian the Elder was the son of Thomas Tregian of Wolvenden of Probus, Cornwall and Catherine Arundell. A staunch Catholic, he inherited substantial estates on the death of his father, including the manors of Bedock, Landegy, Lanner and Carvolghe, and the family home, 'Golden', in the...

's mother, Katherine Arundell.

Music

From the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book:

• Almand (213)
• Pavana Chromatica: Mrs Katherin Tregians Paven (214)
• Pavana: Clement Cotton (219)
• Pavana (220)
• Galiarda (295)

From the John Bull Virginal Book:

• [Coranto] (3)
• [Coranto] (4)