Allez regrets

Almost all works by Hayne Van Ghizeghem are three-part pieces. The chanson Allez regrets was so popular in late 15th century Europe that it appears in no fewer than 25 separate sources. The chansons were used as source material in many later works by other composers.

For example, Allez regrets occurs in H, also known as the Henry VIII Manuscript, which is kept in the British Library. The majority of that manuscript consists of English music, including that of King Henry VIII himself, with his famous Pastime with good company, but it also contains works by Franco-Flemish composers such as Isaac, Busnois and Van Ghizeghem. Only the incipit (beginning) of Allez regretz can be found in this manuscript. The Bibliothèque Nationale does contain a manuscript where the full text can be found. We based the spelling of the transcription on that text.

With this score it is difficult to make a perfect transcription. We made an attempt to put a version online that is relatively truthful and easy to read for modern singers.