Thoughts

My choir is preparing Christ Rising Again (a very difficult polyphonic piece) by William Byrd. One of my choir members posted this to the rest of us. I just love this, and agree with it, so I thought I’d share it here.

William Byrd (1543-1623) was the first of the great English composers.  The leading musician of the Elizabethan era, he was a renowned organist and in one of the obituaries that followed his death was described as a “Father of Musicke.”  He also wrote on music, and in the preface to his Psalmes, Sonnets & Songs, published in 1588, he set down these reasons “to perswade every one to learne to sing” :

William Byrd’s Eight Reasons for Singing 

1. 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 preserve the health of Man.
3. It doth strengthen all parts of the brest, and doth open the pipes.
4. It is a singular good remedie for 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 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 express 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 meter it is to honour and serve God therewith; and the voyce of man is chiefely to be employed to that ende.

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