Psalmes, Sonnets and Songs (William Byrd)

Following the commercial failure of the Cantiones Sacrae, published jointly with Tallis in 1575, Byrd waited another eleven years before venturing into print again. This time, he trusted his fortunes to a collection of secular music, no doubt encouraged by the growing popularity in England of Italian madrigals adapted to English words, and specifically to the success in the same year of Nicholas Yonge's collection Musica Transalpina (which had itself included a piece by him). This time, too, he had judged public taste better, as the collection was a great success and went through several editions in the following years.

Despite the popularity of the pieces, all of which are for 5 voices, it appears that none of them were originally written as unaccompanied polyphonic songs, but that all originated as consort songs for a single voice and four viols. Byrd acknowledges these origins in the print, often designating the original solo voice as "the first singing part".

The collection is dedicated to Sir Christopher Hatton, who had become Lord Chancellor in the previous year.

Contents of the Psalmes, sonets, & songs of sadnes and pietie:

Psalms
1 O God give ear
2 Mine eyes with fervency
3 My soul oppressed with care
4 How shall a young man
5 O Lord how long
6 O Lord who in thy sacred tent
7 Help Lord for wasted are those men
8 Blessed is he that fears the Lord
9 Lord in thy wrath
10 E'en from the depth

Sonnets and Pastorals
11 I joy not in no earthly bliss
12 Though Amaryllis dance in green
13 Who likes to love
14 My mind to me a kingdom is
15 Where Fancy fond
16 O you that hear this voice
17 If women could be fair
18 Ambitious love hath forced me to aspire
19 What pleasure have great princes
20 As I beheld I saw a herdsman wild
21 Although the heathen poets
22 In fields abroad
23 Constant Penelope
24 La Verginella
25 Farewell false love
26 The match that's made

Songs of sadness and piety
27 Prostrate O Lord I lie
28 All as a sea
29 Susanna fair
30 If that a sinner's sighs
31 Care for thy soul
32 Lullaby my sweet little baby
33 Why do I use may paper, pen and ink

Funeral Songs
34 Come to me grief for ever
35 O that most rare breast