Tye, Christopher

Tye, Christopher an English musician of the 16th century, was born at Westminster, and brought up in the Royal Chapel. He was musical preceptor to prince Edward, son of Henry VIII. In 1545 he was admitted to the degree of doctor in music at Cambridge, and in 1548 was incorporated a member of the University of Oxford. In the reign of queen Elizabeth he was organist of the Royal Chapel, and a man of some literature. "The Acts of the Apostles," set to music by Dr. Tye, were sung in the Chapel of Edward VI; but the success of them not meeting the expectation of their author, he commenced the composition of music to words selected from the Psalms of David. The former was published with the following' title, The Actes of the Appostles, translated into Englyshe Metre, etc. (1553, sm. 8vo). He also composed A Notable Historye of Nastagio and Traversari, no less Pitiefull than Pleasaunt (Lond. 1569, 12mo), See Allibone, Dict. of Brit. and Amer. Authors, s.v.; Chalmers, Biog. Dict. s.v.