William Byrd and His Age: Divers Songs for Voice and Viols

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@calefonxcalectric 3 ай бұрын

MY SWEET LITTLE DARLING (Byrd; arr. Fellowes): Originally composed by Byrd for one voice with four accompanying string instruments, from an early 17th century set of viol part books in the British Museum, Add. MSS 17,786-91. My little sweet darling, my comfort and joy (sing lullaby, lully) In beauty surpassing the princes of Troy (sing lullaby lully) Now suck, child, and sleep, child, thy mother’s sweet boy (sing lullaby, lully) The gods bless and keep thee from cruel annoy (Sing lullaby, lully, sing lully, lully, lully, sweet baby, lullaby, lully). BUY NEW BROOM (Whythorne; arr. Warlock): This song, which is apparently based on a genuine street cry of the period, is also the earliest printed example of an English solo song with viol accompaniment. It is found in a volume, “Songes for three, fower, and five voyces composed and made by Thomas Whythorne, Gent., the which songes be of sundry sorts, that is to say, some long, some short, some hard, some easie to be songe, and some betwene both, also some solemne, and some pleasant or mery”, published 1571. Part songs in this collection are in the solo style of the lutenist composers of a generation later, with the melody in the top voice part and the lower voices subordinate. Buy new broom! Buy new broom! Ye may be sure, store is good, for they will not long endure. The new broom sweepeth clean, a proverb old, That applied is to such as hereafter shall be told. The double diligent, the servant new, And the hot lover that dieth at first view. The hot love is soon cold, as oft is seen, And the temp’rate fire doth make the seet’st malt, as wish do ween. The friend a first that seems he will not change, Inconstant yet to prove, it is not strange. Thus my song for to end, in plain words few, Tis not good to these three overmuch at the first shew. GUICHARDO (Anon.; arr. Warlock): MSS 984-8, Christ Church, Oxford. Speculation has given this song to either Robert Parsons (d. 1569-70) or Richard Farrant (d. 1580). The alliterative poetic style is of course early Elizabethan, and this may be a song from a lost play. “Peter Warlock” is the pen name of Philip Heseltine (1894-1930). Come tread the paths of pensive pangs, with me, ye lovers true, Bewail with me your luckless lots, with tears your eyes bedew. Aid me, you ghosts who loathed life, your lovers being slain, With sighs and sobs and notes of dole, my hard hap to complain. Farewell my lords and friends, farewell all princely state, Let father rue his rigour shown in slaying of my mate. Guichardo, Guichardo, ah, Guichardo, if thy sprite do walk, come down they lover nigh, Behold, behold, I yield to thee my ghost, ah see, I die, I die, I die, Ah, ah, alas, I die, I die. WHAT BOOTETH LOVE? (Corkine; arr. Dart): William Corkine, probably a lutenist, published two books of airs accompanied by lute and bass viol, along with dances for viols, the first in 1610 and the second in 1612. What bootheth love that liking, wants his joy? Grievous that joy which lacks his heart’s content. The sight of sweet in tasting of an eye, Adds but more grief to former heart’s torment. And tongue may sing a Heigh Ho for my heart, That tho’ mine eyes doth find both joy and smart. What’s sweet in love to leave thee, balm of love? Sour is that sweet as honey mixed with gall, Love with unrest a heart to passions move, That sighing sing and singing sigh withal. And tongue may sing... While eyes behold the pleasure of my heart, Heart joins with eyes in gaining on that sight, But while that pleasure from mine eyes doth part, Then doth my heart quick lose its former light. And tongue may sing... AH, SILLY POOR JOAS (Anon., arr. Warlock): MMS 984-8, Christ Church, Oxford. It appears in this manuscript, which contains many Byrd songs, next to Byrd’s “My little sweet darling”, and may be by the great master. Ah, silly poor Joas, what fortune hast thou, (Sing lully, lully, Jully) To live in this time of cruelty now (Lully, lully, lully, lully) Wherein thy poor brethren and sisters slain (Ah, lully, lully, lully) And thou, little fool, dost only remain (Ah lullaby, baby, sweet baby, lullaby). YE SACRED MUSES (Elegy on the death of Thomas Tallis, 1585; Byrd, arr. Fellowes): Edited by Edmund Fellowes, in ¨Collected Works of William Byrd¨, Vol. XV. Byrd was “bred up to musick under Thomas Tallis”. The drop of the voice, first a fourth and then a fifth, on the words “come down, come down”, is the kind of illustration that Handel would later use to profusion. Ye sacred muses, race of Jove, whom Music’s love delighteth, Come down, come down from crystal heavens above. To earth, where Sorrow dwelleth. In mourning weeds, in mourning weeds, with tears in eyes, Tallis is dead, Tallis is dead, and Music dies, and Music dies. LULLABY, MY SWEET LITTLE BABY (Byrd, arr. Fellowes): From ¨Psalms, Sonnets, and Songs of Sadness and Piety, made into Music of Five Parts¨, published by Byrd in 1588. As indicated in Byrd’s ¨Epistle to the Reader¨, quoted in the notes above, this was one of the solo songs, with viol accompaniment, rearranged by Byrd as a madrigal. It is from the third section of the book, “Songs of Piety and Sadness”. With his usual attention to the practical considerations of performance, Byrd in his foreword lists this song with a number of others as those “of the highest compasse”. The words refer to the “massacre of the innocents” unleashed by King Herod. Lulla la lulla lulla lullaby My sweet little Baby, what meanest thou to cry, Be still my blessed Babe, though cause thou hast to mourn Whose blood most innocent to shed, the cruel king hath sworn And lo, alas, behold what slaughter he doth make, Shedding the blood of infants all, sweet Saviour, for thy sake. A King is born, they say, which King this king would kill. O woe, and woeful heavy day, when wretches have their will! IN A MERRY MAY MORN (Nicholson; arr. Warlock): Add. MSS 17, 79?, British Museum. Richard Nicholson was organist of Magdalen College, Oxford, from 1595 to his death in 1639. He contributed a madrigal to “The Triumphs of Oriana” in 1601. In a merry May morn, when the fields the flow’rs adorn, The cuckoo chants it cheerfully, the cuckoo chants it cheerfully, And every bird doth sing for joy of such a pleasant Spring, for joy of such a pleasant Spring. Then said the good man to his wife, “The cuckoo lives a pleasant life, The cuckoo lives a pleasant life, Cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo”. PANDOLPHO (Parsons; arr. Warlock): Robert Parsons died in 1569-70. His music was notable for its inventive harmony. The song is believed to have been written for a stage play. This performance makes an interesting comparison to Alfred Deller’s performance of the same song on ¨Elizabethan and Jacobean Music¨ (BG-539), where he uses ornaments not found in the stricter version here, and the accompaniment is for lute. Pour down, pour down your powers divine, on me, poor wretch and silly maid, Some hope, some hope, of him to have, my heavenly heart to aid. Pandolpho, Pandolpho, some pity, Pandolpho, some pity, Pandolpho. Frame else with fiery flames your force on me, you furious fates, Unless my hated heart have help, my hopes are but my hates. Pandolpho, Pandolpho, some pity, Pandolpho, some pity, Pandolpho. Thus restless will I rest, in ruth expecting what remains, If pitiless, then pleasureless, if pity feel no pain. Pandolpho, Pandolpho, some pity, Pandolpho, some pity, Pandolpho, some pity, Pandolpho. COME, PRETTY BABE (Byrd; arr. le Huray and Dart) Come pretty babe, come pretty babe, Thy father’s shame, thy mother’s grief, But as I dance to all adore. And to thyself, unhappy waif, Come lullaby, come lullaby, come lullaby, come lullaby, come lullaby, come lullaby, and rock thee warm, O soul thou thinks no creature harm, O soul thou thinks no creature harm. O DEATH, ROCK ME ASLEEP (Anon., arr. Warlock): Add. MSS 18, 936-9, British Museum. The poem has been ascribed to Anne Boleyn, written on the eve of her execution, and also to her brother George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford, who was executed for the crime of incest with his sister, the Queen. Its popularity is indicated not only by the presence of other musical settings, but also its mention in Act II, Scene iv of the Second Part of ¨King Henry IV¨. This is the tremendous roistering, bawdy scene in the Boar's Head Tavern, with Falstaff, his entourage, and Prince Henry, which Shakespeare brings to so dramatic and sober an end with the news of war. At the height of the hilarity, the braggart Pistol, pretending to be insulted, draws his sword, crying, “Then death rock me asleep, abridge my doleful days”. O death, O death, rock me asleep, bring me to quiet rest; Let pass my weary, guiltless ghost out of my careful breast. Toll on the passing bell, ring out the doleful knell; Let the sound my death tell, death doth draw nigh; Sound my death dolefully, for now I die, for now I die, for now I die, for now I die.

@calefonxcalectric 3 ай бұрын

ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE Alfred Deller is the world’s foremost exponent of the counter-tenor voice. His innate ability to comprehend and interpret the great masterpieces of the Ars Nova, his sympathy with the subtleties of phrase in the rich repertoire of the Renaissance, and his unrivalled understanding of 17th century music place him in the front rank of the world’s most unique artists. He gave his first London concert at Morley College in 1943 and since then has become an outstanding figure in the music world both of Great Britain and the Continent. In 1955 he toured the United States, winning great acclaim. A typical review was that of Edward Downes in the N.Y. Times, ¨But mere range and even quality of voice are not so important as the extraordinary florid technique, the delicacy and sometime passion of his interpretations. He also has a scholars concern for historically accurate performance. The combination was enough to rouse the auditorium to cheers¨. Of the madrigal recordings by the Deller Consort, Ross Parmenter wrote in the N.Y. Times, ¨Beyond question the loveliest madrigal singing this listener has ever heard on records¨. Alfred Deller is an exclusive Vanguard-Bach Guild recording artist. The Wenzinger Consort of Viols, of the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, is the most famous organization in Europe devoted to baroque music in its authentic instrumentation. Its headquarters is in Basle, Switzerland. Vanguard / The Bach Guild (BG-557) 1956

@declamatory 3 ай бұрын

In the first one, you have "Now suck, child", but it seems that he sings "Now hush, child", which seems to fit "and sleep, child", but what do I know. 😊

@Marjorie-yt7pb 3 ай бұрын

Gorgeous , transporting accompanying art !😮❤