Franco-Flemish composer. Became director of music to Charles V's chapel at Brussels in about 1544, and was later a prebendary in various Flemish towns-Louvain, Namur, Termonde and finally Béthune. He wrote some sixteen Masses, 116 motets, 192 chanson-, five French psalms and Lamentations. Highly regarded in his own day (much of his music circulated widely in print), he is most distinguished as a chanson composer. Though some of his chansons are in the light and witty French style, many are more serious in tone and written in flowing, imitative 5-part polyphony sometimes involving canon; in this they hark back to the late chansons of Josquin Desprez. In sacred music Crecquillon often matched musical to verbal expression, using harsh dissonance to create tension (the 5-part set of Lamentations shows this well, despite its major mode), but his smooth vocal line and command of sonority are equally impressive.