Gilles
Joye

Gilles Joye (1424?-1483) was a Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance. A member of the Burgundian school, he was known mainly for his secular songs which were in a lyrical and graceful style. He may have come from Kortrijk. Gilles seems to have had an excellent musical education, probably at either Kortrijk or Bruges, where he was hired as a singer in 1449. Documents from the cathedral archives show that he was often in trouble: engaging in street brawls, frequenting brothels, refusing to take part in regular singing events. In spite of these activities, he was made a priest, and became a canon at Cleves in 1453 and at St. Donatian in 1459.