Michael Jamieson Bristow 
ADRIAAN VALERIUS (1570 or 1575-1625)
Born: Middelburg (Holland), 1570 or 1575 - Died: Veere (Holland), January 27 1625
ADRIAAN VALERIUS was a Dutch lawyer, poet, historian and musician. His father was a notary and a musical amateur, who was followed by his son in his profession, the younger Valerius establishing himself at Veere in 1606. Adriaan Valerius became a sheriff of that town (whose burgomaster's daughter, Elisabeth Bouwens, he had married in 1598) and dean of the chamber of rhetorics. He collaborated in the anthology entitled 'Zeeuwsche Nachtegael', published at Middelburg in 1623. In the year after his death appeared the work by which he is remembered as a musician, published by his heirs: 'Nederlandtsche Gedenck-clanck' (1626). It deals with the religious wars between the Netherlands and Spain in 1555-1625 and contains 76 popular songs with accompaniments in lute tablature, in this set is 'Wilhelmus' which was later officially adopted in 1932 as the Dutch National Anthem. Although many of the splendid national songs of the Netherlands are included in other contemporary collections, a special value is attached to the 'Gedenck-clanck' because Valerius gave the tunes in musical notation exactly as they were sung, while other collectors only indicated by name the tune (stem) to which the verses were set. It is probable that many of the songs, both words and music, were written by himself; and he did not hesitate to use many English, German, French and Italian tunes in his collection. Some became Dutch or Flemish hymn-tunes and others were adopted as chorales by the German Protestant church. A modern edition for piano or harmonium was published by G J van Zuylen in Amsterdam in 1943.