Gibbons was Organist at the Chapel Royal and Westminster Abbey. He was recognised as the leading choral composer and organist of his generation at a time when England dominated the musical landscape of Europe.
The celebration of faith evolved significantly in England after Henry VIII split from the Catholic Church in the 16th century. The services of mattins and evensong took pride of place over the mass. The music for these services became the compositional focal point of a generation of English sacred musicians. Gibbons’ Short Service is a set of interlocking movements that provide polyphony for the main texts of the mattins and evensong services. The Short Service is a fine example of English choral writing of the early 17th century.