Wedderburn, John (c1500-1556)

He was a religious reformer and poet born in Dundee, Scotland, to a prosperous family where his father was a merchant and his brothers were James and Robert who were also poets and reformers. He studied at St. Andrew’s University and graduated in 1528 with his M.A. He went from there to take holy orders and it is thought he worked at St. Matthews in Dundee as chaplain.

Things changed for him in 1539 when he and his brothers were accused of being heretics after they had supposedly written what were considered to be “anti-Church” ballads. They escaped to Germany and settled in Wittenberg where they were given teaching by reformers there and while there he was exposed to many Lutheran hymns.

After returning to Scotland, when the Earl of Arran who was the regent at the time allowed exiles back, he took the Lutheran hymns he’d learned with him. This was when he and his brothers published the Gude and Godlie Ballatis in the Compendious Book of Psalms and Spiritual Songs that contained “anti-Catholic” poems, ballads and several German hymn translations. This publication was extremely influential with the reform movement in Scotland and there were several penalties given out, not only to the brothers, but to the printers as well.

Once again he had to leave his home country and fled to England where he lived in exile. He died there in 1556.

King’s College Choir recordings
Balulalow
London 444 848 (CD: Noel – Christmas at King’s)
Conductor – Sir David Willcocks

Sources:

Wedderburn, John (c1500-1556)

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