Nicolas Gombert (ca.1495 - ca.1557), a Flemish composer could have been born in the southern part of Flanders probably La Gorgue, around 1495. He belongs to the fourth Flemish generation. Unfortunately nothing is known about his youth. It is supposed he was one of the pupils of Josquin Desprez (c.1440-1521) in Condé sur l’Escaut. It could be since Josquin was settled there in 1504. It is a fact he composed an in memoriam to Josquin published collectively with two others from Appenzeller (c.1480-c.1558) and Vinders (c.1510-c.1550), by Tylman Susato “Le septième livre ……..aevcq trois Epitaphes dudict Josquin, composez par divers auteurs” in 1545. From 1526 Gombert is singer at the court chapel of Charles V and starting from 1529-1537, Gombert was master of the children “Magister puerorum”. He accompanies the court in its voyages to Spain (Toledo, Sevilla, Granada, Valladolid, Valencia, Madrid). Further he travelled from 1530 tot Italy (Bologna, Mantova), Austria (Innsbruck) and Germany (Munich and Augsburg). In 1531 Gombert travelled to Cologne. Gombert acts as composer for great ceremonies. In 1532 he travelled again to Spain. He was cleric and probably a priest. He received ecclesiastical benefits at several churches in Courtrai, Béthune, Lens, Metz and at the cathedral of Tournai in 1534. In 1535 he recruited in the Low Countries musicians for the court chapel. He remained in the Imperial chapel as “maistre des enfants” until some time between 1537 and 1540.
In 1538 he was in Aigues-Mortes with the famous meeting of three court chapels.
Around 1540 the name of Gombert disappears from the list of members of the Imperial Chapel. According to Jerome Cardan (1501-1576) Gombert showed some misbehaviour in violating a choirboy of the service of the emperor and was sent away. He could have been condemned to the galleys and in exiles. Most likely he was pardoned sometime in or before 1547, the date he sent a letter to Gran capitan Ferrante Gonzaga along with a motet from Tournai. Before that time Thomas Crecquillon (c.1505-c.1557) succeeded Gombert. Nevertheless from 1540 until and including 1557 was the richest part in which Gombert’s oeuvre was created. His work was published by Scotto under “maestro de la capella de lo Imperatore”, Attaignant, Gardano and Susato. Gombert is perhaps the most representative composer of the generation between Josquin and Palestrina, especially in the area of sacred music. He brought the polyphonic style to its highest state of perfection; if imitation is a common device in Josquin, it is pervasive in Gombert. One of his perhaps most famous compositions are his eight Magnificat settings, which Cardano called Gombert’s "swansongs". According to Cardano, he composed these Magnificats for Charles V as an offering and a request for pardon, and Charles was so moved by them that he pardoned Gombert? But this is uncertain because the magnificats have already been published in 1522 so better in this case is probably his Book with Motets published in 1539. Gombert’s surviving works include 10 masses, more than 160 motets, published in 1539 and 1541 four Books with motets, about 70 chansons, 8 Magnificats (1522) and some instrumental pieces. Gombert wrote in a consistently polyphonic imitative style.