William Byrd's Reasons to Sing

The preface to a book of songs by William Byrd, published in 1588.

Reasons briefly set down by th'auctor, to perswade every one to learne
to sing.

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 & good to preserve
the health of Man.

3. It doth strengthen all the parts of the brest, & doth open the
pipes.

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

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

6. It is the onely way to know where Nature hath bestowed the benefit
of a good voyce: 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 voyces of Men, where the voyces are good,
and the same well sorted and ordered.

8. The better the voyce is, the meeter it is to honour and serve God
there-with: and the voyce of man is chiefely to be imployed to that
ende.

omnis spiritus laudet Dominum.

Since singing is so good a thing
I wish all men would learne to sing.

--- In tuning@y..., "jdstarrett" <jstarret@c...> wrote:

/tuning/topicId_36977.html#36977

> The preface to a book of songs by William Byrd, published in 1588.
>
> Reasons briefly set down by th'auctor, to perswade every one to
learne
> to sing.
>

Since this is mostly about meantone it's still on topic :)

I was always impressed, myself, with the lyrics of one of his songs
which begins: "Why do I use, my paper ink and pen... to..."

The way that was presented indicated to me that the author was as
mesmerized with the simple materials and act of writing that *we*
might be by contemporary computer equipment.

J. Pehrson

Lovely! A truly great composer. We featured him on our last concert.
Fantastic stuff. One of the few "Brits" who could match musical wits
with the best on the continent. Henry Purcell wasn't bad either...two
English greats. It seems the English have trouble with great cuisine
and great composers, but really glad these two made it through
somehow.

Thanks for preserving the language and the quaint spellings. It took
a while for the printing press to standardize spelling, and the
result is the wonderfully consistent English orthography we enjoy
today (LOL!). Guess that makes three things the English have had
trouble handling successfully.

Cheers,

Bob

--- In tuning@y..., "jdstarrett" <jstarret@c...> wrote:
> The preface to a book of songs by William Byrd, published in 1588.
>
> Reasons briefly set down by th'auctor, to perswade every one to
learne
> to sing.
>
> 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 & good to
preserve
> the health of Man.
>
> 3. It doth strengthen all the parts of the brest, & doth open the
> pipes.
>
> 4. It is a singular good remedie for a stutting & stammering in the
> speech.
>
> 5. It is the best meanes to procure a perfect pronunciation & to
make
> a good Orator.
>
> 6. It is the onely way to know where Nature hath bestowed the
benefit
> of a good voyce: 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 voyces of Men, where the voyces are good,
> and the same well sorted and ordered.
>
> 8. The better the voyce is, the meeter it is to honour and serve
God
> there-with: and the voyce of man is chiefely to be imployed to that
> ende.
>
> omnis spiritus laudet Dominum.
>
> Since singing is so good a thing
> I wish all men would learne to sing.