No . 135 The Trusty Servant
Title Page of the alto part book for Weelkes ’ s 1600 Madrigal Collection , containing As Vesta and The Andalusian Merchant
two volumes of madrigals published , and had composed As Vesta was from Latmos Hill descending for The Triumphs of Oriana ( 1602 ), a collection of madrigals written in honour of Queen Elizabeth I . He was shortly to marry Elizabeth , the daughter of a wealthy Chichester merchant .
Beyond this we hear little of Weelkes for a few years . As is often the case in researching the lives of historical figures , no news is good news . The majority of the information about Cathedral life in the seventeenth century comes from the reports of the regular episcopal visitations , which chronicle allegations of lawlessness , drunkenness , neglect of duty and inefficiency among the staff . For seven years Weelkes is not mentioned . This changed in 1609 when he was admonished for absence during the visitation of Bishop Lancelot Andrewes . In 1610 a decree , bearing the wonderful title ‘ Church officers not to frequent tippling houses ’, gives a foreshadowing of later events . In a separate decree there is a plea ‘… that the Master of the choristers bestow three hours at the least in every day teaching the choristers …’. In December 1613 , Weelkes was charged with drunkenness in public ( quod fuit et est detectus et presentarus … quadam fama publica ebrietatis ). A further charge , this time of absenteeism , was levelled at Weelkes in the visitation of 1615 .
It was the following year that things became even more critical for Weelkes . He was charged to improve his efficiency by the Chapter , and he was once again mentioned in the report of another visitation . This time he was accused of musical incompetency , and for his neglect of the condition of the song books . He was also told ‘… that the organist [ must ] remain in the choir until the last psalm be sung , and then he go [ sic ] to the organ …’. Shortly after this he was facing the most serious charge yet , ‘… that he hath been , and is noted and famed for a common drunkard and a notorious swearer and blasphemer …’. He was given three months to reform , and when he failed to produce any character witnesses to vouch for him , he was dismissed from his role as informator choristarum . When his replacement moved to another role in the Cathedral , Weelkes was once again allowed to resume his musical role , but without the fancy title .
The 1619 visitation report praised the musicians , ‘… save only Thomas Weelkes , who divers times and very often comes so disguised either from the tavern or alehouse into the choir as is much to be lamented , for in these humours he will both curse and swear most dreadfully , and so profane the service of God ( and especially on the Sabbath Days ) as is most fearful to hear …’. In addition to the cursing and swearing , it is said that on one occasion Weelkes urinated from the organ loft onto the Dean as he sat in his stall , although this is probably apocryphal . He survived another visitation in 1622 , but was described as being unreformed . His wife had died shortly before this last visitation , and it is thought that Weelkes spent most of his remaining days in London , where he died on 30th November 1623 . In his Will he describes himself as ‘… Thomas Weelkes of Chichester in the County of Sussex , gentleman , sick of body , but of good and perfect mind and memory …’. He left small legacies to his children , and a debt of 50 shillings for board and lodgings in London .
It is tempting to speculate what life might have held for Weelkes had his behaviour been less capricious . During his time at Winchester College many might have predicted a sparkling future for Weelkes . The exceptional quality of his madrigals , arguably the finest to come out of the English Renaissance , came from the pen of a young man , full of promise . His composition was at its height when he wrote ‘ Thule , the period of cosmography ’ and its counterpart ‘ The Andalusian Merchant ’, the texts of which present two popular Elizabethan themes : the wonders of the known world , and the trials and tribulations of love . Weelkes is helped by a colourful text : ‘… sulfurious fire doth melt the frozen clime and thaw the sky …’. Later , Etna ’ s flames surge upwards into the sky , and flying fish leap about in a frenzy ; yet , ‘ These things seem wondrous , yet more wondrous I , whose heart with fear doth freeze , with love doth fry .’
Weelkes the man may have been flawed , but Weelkes the composer was , and is , wondrous .
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