Christopher Tye

2025-07-08T00:35:18Z

90.194.162.197: Updated short description

{{short description|English composer and organist (c. 1505–1570)}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
[[File:Christopher Tye - Acts of the Apostles 1553 frontispiece.png|150px|thumb|Frontispiece of Christopher Tye's only published work, the ''Actes of the Apostles'' of 1553]]
'''Christopher Tye''' ({{circa|1505}}{{snd}}before 1573) was an English [[Renaissance music|Renaissance composer]] and [[organist]]. Probably born in [[Cambridgeshire]], he trained at the [[University of Cambridge]] and became the master of the choir at [[Ely Cathedral]]. He is noted as the music teacher of [[Edward VI]] and was held in high esteem for his choral music, as well as chamber works such as his 24 [[polyphonic]] ''[[In Nomine|In nomines]]''. It is likely that only a small percentage of his compositional output survives, often only as fragments; his ''Acts of the Apostles'' was the only work to be published in his lifetime.

He ceased composing when he was ordained, returning to Ely Cathedral and later becoming rector of [[Doddington, Cambridgeshire]]. Today, he is perhaps best known for the hymn "Winchester Old", based on a theme from ''Acts of the Apostles'', which forms the basis of the most commonly performed version in the United Kingdom of "[[While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks]]".<ref>{{cite book|title=The Harvard University Hymn Book|publisher=[[Harvard University Press]]|date=2007|page=426|isbn=978-0674026964}}</ref>

==Beginnings==
[[Image:KingsCollegeChapelWest.jpg|thumb|right|Tye may have been among the first singers in [[King's College Chapel, Cambridge]].]]
Little is known about Tye's origins. Cambridge University records for the academic year 1536–37 indicate that he received the degree of Bachelor of Music after "a study of ten years in the musical art";<ref>{{cite book |last1=Searle |first1=William George |title=Grace book Γ (containing the records of the University of Cambridge for the years 1501-1542) |date=1908 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |page=312 |url=https://archive.org/details/gracebookfcontai00univ/page/312/mode/2up |access-date=26 May 2024}}</ref> from this it is supposed that Tye was born around 1505 (making him a direct contemporary of [[Thomas Tallis]]), probably in Cambridgeshire, where the family name was common and where Tye would go on to spend much of his career.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Parker |first1=Andrew |title=Christopher Tye |url=https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/c.asp?c=C705 |website=Hyperion |access-date=26 May 2024}}</ref> For two terms in 1537 Tye is recorded among the [[lay clerk]]s of the [[Choir of King's College, Cambridge]]; it was in 1536–37 that the so called "temporary" chapel (in use since the 1440s) collapsed,<ref>{{cite web |title=King's College Chapel: Up to 1515 |url=https://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/archive-centre/online-resources/online-exhibitions/kings-college-chapel-up-to-1515 |website=King's College, Cambridge |access-date=26 May 2024}}</ref> so Tye may well have been part of the first generation of lay clerks to sing in regular worship in the iconic [[King's College Chapel]] known today.

By 1543 Tye had taken up the position of ''Magister Choristarum'' (choirmaster) at [[Ely Cathedral]]. In 1545 the University of Cambridge awarded him the degree of Doctor of Music, and three years later the same honour was bestowed on him by the [[University of Oxford]].<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Christopher-Tye | title=Christopher Tye - British composer | website=www.britannica.com | access-date=2024-08-15 | publisher=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]}}</ref>

==Work with the Royal Court==
[[File:Edward VI of England c. 1546.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Painting of Edward at 9 years. Both the pose of the prince and his dress imitate portraits of Henry VIII. The child wears a broad-shouldered mantle of dark velvet over his clothes which are ornately embroidered in gold thread. He wears a prominent cod-piece and carries a dagger. His short red hair can be seen beneath his cap, contrasting with dark eyes. He looks well and robust.|[[Edward VI]] as Prince of Wales, 1546]]
The composer's career shows that he had a strong connection to [[Richard Cox (bishop)|Richard Cox]], who was a passionate church reformer and a tutor of [[Edward VI of England|King Edward]] (then Prince Edward). This affiliation would prove to have a strong influence on him for the rest of his life. Cox was also the person who very probably introduced Tye to the royal court. It is believed that this led to Christopher Tye being a kind of musical adviser of the court who worked closely with Edward.<ref name="auto">Doe and Mateer, "Tye, Christopher," in Grove Music Online.</ref> In 1605, [[Samuel Rowley]] (believed to be Tye's grandson) wrote a play entitled ''[[When You See Me You Know Me]]''. In the play, Tye and King Edward play important roles and exchange dialogue where Edward identifies 'Doctor Tye' as 'Our music's lecturer.'<ref>{{cite journal|author=Nan Cooke Carpenter|title=Christopher Tye and the Musical Dialogue in Samuel Rowley's 'When You See Me, You Know Me|journal=[[Journal of Research in Music Education]]|volume=8|date=1960|issue=2 |page=87|doi=10.2307/3344029 |jstor=3344029|s2cid=145073328 }}</ref>

Later, in 1553, Tye published his [[rhymed psalter|rhymed scriptural paraphrase]], ''The Actes of the Apostles''. In it he takes the ideas set forth in the book of [[Acts of the Apostles|'Acts']] in the Bible and sets them to meter. Although it was met with divided reviews (even today), the work is hugely important because it is dedicated to Edward.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Robert W. Weidner|title=Tye's 'Actes of the Apostles:' A Reassessment|journal=The Musical Quarterly|volume=58|date=April 1972|issue=2 |page=243|jstor=741305|doi=10.1093/mq/lviii.2.242}}</ref> In the preface he goes into some detail that implies a kind of friendship between the two. Although it is never mentioned explicitly, it is generally assumed that Tye held a position in the [[Chapel Royal]] staff during the 1550s at some point.<ref name="auto"/><ref>Hillebrand, Harold N. “The Early History of the Chapel Royal.” ''Modern Philology'', vol. 18, no. 5, 1920, pp. 233–68. [http://www.jstor.org/stable/432884 JSTOR website] Retrieved 4 May 2023.</ref>

==Religious posts==
[[Image:Ely Cathedral 3.jpg|thumb|right|180px|[[Ely Cathedral]]]]
In 1558, Tye took up his posting again at Ely Cathedral, probably at the request of his old friend, [[Richard Cox (bishop)|Richard Cox]]. Soon, thereafter, Tye took it upon himself to take up a place in the ministry and thus ceased to compose music.<ref>{{cite journal|author=John Langdon|title=Tye and His Church Music|journal=The Musical Times|volume=113|date=October 1972|issue=1556 |pages=1011–1015 |jstor=955291|doi=10.2307/955291}}</ref> Cox, who was [[Bishop of Ely]] during this time, ordained the composer as [[deacon]] in 1560 and later in the year as priest.<ref>{{CCEd|name=Tye, Christopher (1560 - 1573)|id=33022}}</ref> Tye resigned from the post at Ely and was appointed to [[Doddington, Cambridgeshire]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/c.asp?c=C705|title=Christopher Tye (c1505-before 15 March 1573) on Hyperion Records|website=Hyperion Records|access-date=16 November 2017}}</ref> the richest benefice in England.{{dubious|date=August 2024}}

Tye is believed to have died at Doddington before March 1573 when his successor as rector was appointed, although no record is found of his death.<ref name="auto"/>

==Works==
[[File:Christopher Tye - Actes of the Apostles 1553, chaper VIII Meane.png|thumb|left|150px|The "[[Wiktionary:meane|meane]]" of chapter VIII in Tye's ''Actes of the Apostles'' of 1553. The latter half was adapted and used as the tune of "Winchester Old", otherwise known as "While Shepherds Watched their Flocks by Night".]]
As a pre-eminent court musician with strong Protestant leanings, Tye is generally considered to be one of the most influential English composers of his day. Even after his appointment in the ministry when his composing ceased, his reputation as a musician continued to spread. However, only one of Tye's works, ''Actes of the Apostles'' of 1553, a verse translation of the [[Acts of the Apostles]] into four-part harmony, was published during his lifetime. Compared to his polyphonic works, this work is not well regarded, although it is from this collection that his most familiar piece is derived; the most common tune of "[[While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks]]".

His surviving Latin polyphonic choral works, most likely dating from the reign of Henry VIII include three full masses - the ''[[Peterhouse]]'' mass, a ''[[Westron Wynde]]'' mass and a six-voice ''Missa Euge bone''. Other surviving movements from psalms include ''Quaesumus omnipotens et misericors Deus'', ''[[Miserere mei, Deus]]'', ''Omnes gentes, plaudite manibus'', ''Peccavimus cum patribus nostris''.<ref name=ODNB>{{cite ODNB|last=Davison|first=Nigel|title=Tye, Christopher (c. 1505–1571x3)|date=2004 |doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/27931 |isbn=978-0-19-861412-8 |access-date=2018-08-12|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-27931}}</ref>

Some works only exist in parts or excerpts.<ref name="auto"/> For example, it was only after laboriously reconstructing a supposedly missing bass voice part of the anthem "To Father, Son and Holy Ghost" that the editor Vladimir Fedorov discovered the 'missing' part.<ref>Vladimir Fedorov, ''Fontes Artis Musicae'' – Volume 31, Numéro 1, 1984, 33</ref> Works such as ''O God, be merciful unto us'' have been revived.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Judith H. Blezzard|title=Christopher Tye: A Quartercentenary Note|journal=The Musical Times|volume=114|date=October 1973|issue=1568 |pages=1051–1053|jstor=955420|doi=10.2307/955420}}</ref>

His ''In Nomine''s and other instrumental for four or five works survive, some of the earliest examples of [[chamber music]].<ref>{{cite journal|author=Robert W. Weidner|title=The Instrumental Music of Christopher Tye|journal=Journal of the American Musicological Society|volume=17|date=1964|issue=3 |pages=363–370 |jstor=830095|doi=10.2307/830095}}</ref> Nigel Davison, writing in the ''[[Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]]'' suggests that given his reputation as an organist, it would be inconceivable that he composed no keyboard works and concludes that these must have also been lost.<ref name=ODNB/>

==See also==
* [[Robert White (composer)]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{ChoralWiki}}
* {{IMSLP|id=Tye,_Christopher|cname=Christopher Tye}}

{{Renaissance music}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tye, Christopher}}
[[Category:English organists]]
[[Category:16th-century English composers]]
[[Category:English male composers]]
[[Category:Organists of Ely Cathedral]]
[[Category:Members of the Choir of King's College, Cambridge]]
[[Category:British male classical organists]]

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Christopher Tye