Walter Lambe was an important transitional figure in English music of the late fifteenth century. He was an elected scholar of Eton college by 1467 and in 1479 became a clerk of the choir at St. George's Chapel in Windsor. Lambe replaced members of the chapel who had died from the plague and it is thought that he scored "Stella caeli" (Stars of heaven) at this time as an invocative prayer for relief from the plague. By 1479 he was appointed a full "infomrator" at Windsor until 1484 or 1485 when he left the chapel. He returned to Windsor and served from 1492 until at least 1499. As an advocate of the florid style, Lambe composed in as many as six parts with lively rhythms and beautiful sounds. He was adept at treating each voice as an individual melody in his polyphonic scoring. The range of his more elaborate works (more than four voices) extended to twenty three notes and he would contrast a full score of elaborate passages against two voices. Lambe's rendition of "O regina caelestis gloriae" (Glory to the Queen of Heaven) included double cantus firmus plainsongs simultaneously scored. This technique had not been done in England before this innovative work. Occasionally Lambe would use plainsongs in close correlation with the text, but on other occasions (as in "O Maria plena gratia" -- Oh Mary full of grace), Lambe used the contemporary technique of a plainsong cantus firmus unconnected with the textual material. As a composer and person Lambe was both popular and highly regarded. Along with Dunstable, Cornysh, Davy and Fayrfax, Lambe contributed a number of compositions to the Eton Choirbook. ~ Keith Johnson