Jeremy Savile facts for kids

Jeremy Savile (active around 1650) was an English musician who lived in London. He was known for teaching people how to sing and play the viol, which is an old string instrument similar to a cello. Savile also wrote his own songs.

He lived during a time called the Commonwealth, when England was ruled by Parliament instead of a king.

Who Was Jeremy Savile?

Jeremy Savile was considered one of London's top music teachers during the mid-1600s. A famous music publisher named John Playford even listed Savile as a leading teacher for both singing and the viol.

Savile and Playford were friends and belonged to a "catch club" in a part of London called Old Jewry. A catch club was a group where people met to sing "catches," which are fun, round-like songs.

Historians think that Jeremy Savile might have passed away during the Great Plague of London in 1665 or 1666. This was a terrible time when many people in London got sick.

What Music Did Savile Write?

Jeremy Savile composed several pieces of music. One of his most famous works is a short song called "The Waits." This song is special because it mostly uses just the syllables "fa la la."

• "The Waits"
  • This song became very popular.
  • It was often sung by "madrigal societies" in the 1800s. Madrigal societies were groups that enjoyed singing old-style songs together.
  • The song was first published in John Playford's book, The Musical Companion, in 1667.
  • Later, a writer named Thomas Oliphant added words to "The Waits."
  • The famous composer Sir Henry Rowley Bishop even used it in his 1820 play, "Twelfth Night," and arranged it for five singers.

Savile had other songs printed in The Musical Companion too. One of these, called "Here's a Health unto His Majesty," is still known today. He also had three solo songs published in Playford's earlier book, Select Musicall Ayres and Dialogues, in 1653.