He studied music at the University of Cambridge and sang as a lay-clerk there in the Choir of King's College.
He was later appointed master of the choristers of the household chapel of Lady Margaret Beaufort.
[1] He composed both sacred and secular music, including masses, motets and madrigals.
The Gyffard partbooks contain a four part setting of Hodie composed by Cowper with John Taverner and Thomas Tallis.
This article about a British composer is a stub.