Ye Sacred Muses is William Byrd's Musical elegy on the death of his colleague and sometime mentor, Thomas Tallis. It is scored for 5 vv (usually four viols and countertenor).
The words are:-
- Ye sacred Muses, race of Jove,
- whom Music's lore delighteth,
- Come down from crystal heav'ns above
- to earth where sorrow dwelleth,
- In mourning weeds, with tears in eyes:
- Tallis is dead, and Music dies.
The concluding lines are particularly effective and are repeated.
Famous quotes containing the words sacred and/or muses:
“Such sacred Treasures are the Limbs of Boys
In which a Soul doth dwell:”
—Thomas Traherne (1636–1674)
“here I ame in Kent and Christendome
Emong the muses where I rede and ryme;”
—Sir Thomas Wyatt (1503?–1542)