John Maynard

Who is John Maynard?

John Maynard was an English composer at the time of James I of England, with an idiosyncratic sense of humour.

His best known work is the musical setting of The Twelve Wonders of the World by Sir John Davies, possibly written for a banquet arranged by the poet Thomas Sackville, 1st Earl of Dorset on the eve of Epiphany served on trenchers, large wooden plates, in sets of twelve, the underside of which were found epigrams or verses for the guests to share. The twelve verses were set by Maynard after the poems had already gained popularity.