Ye Sacred Muses

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 aboveto 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.