William Byrd, Preface (1588)

William Byrd

1539/40 - 1623

English composer

Among his numerous works, in 1588 Byrd published a collection of English songs:

“Psalms, Sonnets and Songs of Sadness and Pietie”. They consisted mainly of adapted  consort songs, which Byrd, probably guided by commercial instincts, had turned into vocal part-songs by adding words to the accompanying instrumental parts and labelling the original solo voice as ‘the first singing part’. The consort song, which was the most popular form of vernacular polyphony in England in the third quarter of the sixteenth century, was a solo song for a high voice (often sung by a boy) accompanied by a consort of four consort instruments (normally viols).

Preface to

“Psalms, Sonnets and Songs of Sadness and Pietie”

by William Byrd  (1588)

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Reasons briefely set downe by th’auctor to perswade euery one to learne to singe:

First,    it is a knowledge easely taught, and quickly learned, where there is a
            good Master  and an apt Scoller.

2.       The exercise of singing is delightfull to Nature, and good to preserue
           the health of Man.

3.       It doth strengthen all parts of the breast, and doth open the pipes.

4.       It is a singular good remedie for a stutting and a stammering in the

          speech.       

5.       It is the best meanes to procure a perfect pronunciation, and to make a
          good Orator.

6.       It is the only way to know where Nature hath bestowed the benefit of a
          good voice; which guift is so rare, as there is not one among a thousand
          that hath it: and in many, that excellent guift is lost, because they want
          Art to expresse Nature.

7.       There is not any Musicke of Instruments whatsoever, comparable to that

          which is made of the voices of Men, where the voices are good, and the
          same well sorted and ordered.

8.       The better the voice is, the meeter it is to honour and serue God
           there-with; and the voice of man is chiefely to be imployed to that ende.

                   Since singing is so good a thing,

                   I wish all men would learne to singe.

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