Thomas Weelkes

Baptized on 25 October 1576 in Elsted, Thomas Weelkes published his first volume of madrigals in 1597, 'First Set of Madrigals' containing 24 pieces for 3, 4, 5 and 6 voices. Weelkes had been born into the fade of the late Renaissance, growing up into a young man as competing methods of counterpoint on the continent wrestled toward the baroque, arriving in Italy at the turn of the century where the madrigal had originated nigh a hundred years afore during the golden years of the Renaissance. The madrigal was highly popular in England along with the ayre which is French for Air.

Weelkes had been in the employment of a courier, one Edward Darcye, until winning an appointment at Winchester College as an organist in 1598, the same year he published his highly accomplished 'Eight Ballets and Madrigals'. No.8 of Volume 1 is the madrigalian ballet, 'Hark All Ye Lovely Saints Above'. I've not yet figured how the madrigal, 'Sing We at Pleasure' got catalogued as No.12 of 'Eight Ballets and Madrigals'. If lists of Volumes 1 and 2 are complete at IMSLP [below] then it would seem a separate volume was published the same year containing additional titles. The numbering of titles at such as the Williams & Parker Edition [below] makes me wonder if Vol 2 at IMSLP isn't actually a Vol 3. But my inability to grasp the cataloguing of Weelke's second book which began with eight titles and ended up with 24 is getting longer winded than most choirs, so I desist toward the greater topic that is Weelkes' music:

'Hark All Ye Lovely Saints Above'   Madrigalian ballet a 5 by Thomas Weelkes

No.8 of Vol 1 of 'Eight Ballets and Madrigals' 1598

Helios Vocal Ensemble

'Sing We at Pleasure'   Madrigal a 5 by Thomas Weelkes

No.12 of 'Eight Ballets and Madrigals' 1598

Purcell Consort Of Voices / Grayston Burgess

'Madrigals of 5 and 6 Parts' arrived in 1600. This contains 'O Care, thou wilt despatch me' which is the first part of a two-part madrigal completed by 'Hence care, thou art too cruell'. Those are No.4 and 5 of the set for five voices [Google Books below]. The set for six voices is listed at IMSLP [below]. Briefly afterword Thomas Morley included Weelkes' 'As Vesta was from Latmos hill descending' in his highly esteemed 1601 publication of 'The Triumphs of Oriana' (Oriana being Queen Elizabeth I).

'O Care, thou wilt despatch me'   Madrigal a 5 by Thomas Weelkes

No.4 of 'Madrigals of 5 and 6 Parts'    Set for Five Parts   1600

Consort of Musicke / Anthony Rooley

'As Vesta was from Latmos hill descending'   Madrigal a 6 by Thomas Weelkes

No.17 of 'The Triumphs of Oriana' pub by Thomas Morley in 1601

The King's Singers

Upon obtaining his degree from New College, Oxford, in 1602 Weelkes acquired employment as an organist at Chichester Cathedral. Along with room and board Weelkes was paid some 15 pounds (about 23 dollars) annually. Weelkes was friend to Morley (above) to whom he dedicated his madrigalian lament, 'Death Hath Deprived Me', in 1602 upon Morley's death in October. That saw publishing in Weelkes' fourth and final book, 'Airs or Fantastic Spirits', which appeared in 1608.

'The Nightingale, the Organ of Delight'   Madrigal a 3 by Thomas Weelkes

No.25 of 'Ayres or Phantasticke Spirits for Three Voices' 1608

Soprano: Patrycja Cywińska-Gacka   Countertenor: Janusz Cabała   Baritone: Michał Zieliński

'Death Hath Deprived Me'   Madrigalian lament a 3 by Thomas Weelkes

No.26 of 'Ayres or Phantasticke Spirits for Three Voices' 1608

Vox Luminis

'When David Heard (That Absalom Was Slain)'   Madrigalian lament a 6 by Thomas Weelkes

Copied into 'Tristitiae Remedium' 1616

The Sixteen / Harry Christophers   Album: 'Poetry in Music'

It isn't known just when Weelkes composed services for the Anglican Church, largely canticles and anthems not commercially published. Most are thought to have arrived after 1608 upon the culmination of most of his secular works in 'Airs or Fantastic Spirits'. The anthem of the Anglican Church (having no relation to such as later national anthems) closely corresponds to the motet of the Roman Catholic. Anthems by Weelkes include 'Alleluia, I Heard a Voice', 'Gloria in Excelsis Deo', 'Hosanna to the Son of David' and 'O Lord, Arise'. As it isn't known when these were authored they might have arrived before 1608, but a later date is more probable when he wrote only a handful secular pieces variously published while focusing on sacred music.

'Gloria in Excelsis Deo'   Anthem a 6 by Thomas Weelkes

Comp unknown: prob sometime latter career

Oxford Camerata

'Hosanna to the Son of David'   Anthem a 6 by Thomas Weelkes

Comp unknown: prob sometime latter career

Oxford Camerata

'O Lord, Arise'   Anthem a 7 by Thomas Weelkes

Comp unknown: prob sometime latter career

Oxford Camerata

Weelkes is said to have been an alcoholic. That or but a rouser is unknown, but in 1616 he was fired from his post for drunken behavior and swearing. He was soon rehired, however, and remained at Chichester until his death on 20 November 1623.