# Samuel Pepys on Woodwind Music



## regenmusic (Oct 23, 2014)

"To the King's House to see the play "Virgin Martyr" ... not that it is worth much but ... that which did please me beyond anything in the whole world was the wind-musique when the Angel comes down, which is so sweet that it ravished me; and endeed, in a word, did wrap up my soul so that it made me really sick, just as I have formerly been when in love with my wife; that neither then, nor all the evening going home and at home, I was able to think of anything, but remained all night transported, so as I could not believe that ever any music hath the real command over the soul of a man as this did upon me; and makes me resolve to practise wind-music and to make my wife do the like."

Samuel Pepys Diary 1668 - extracts

"remained all night transported"


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## Reichstag aus LICHT (Oct 25, 2010)

Lovely - I daresay a lot of us can no doubt relate to Pepys' experience. Thanks for the post.

Incidentally, for those who don't know, "Pepys" is pronounced "Peeps". It's somehow appropriate, then, that he liked woodwind music


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Very nice quote, thanks,


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Reichstag aus LICHT said:


> Lovely - I daresay a lot of us can no doubt relate to Pepys' experience. Thanks for the post.
> 
> Incidentally, for those who don't know, "Pepys" is pronounced "Peeps". It's somehow appropriate, then, that he liked woodwind music


That's good to know, thank you.


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## Antiquarian (Apr 29, 2014)

It may also amuse you to know that late in life Pepys avidly played the "flagelette" (his spelling ) which was probably the flageolet, a popular instrument ( a recorder) from the sixteenth through the 19th centuries. Mention is made of it in his diary on the 15th of April, 1668 where he states "...playing a little upon my new little flagelette that is so soft that pleases me mightily...". So Pepys did indeed "peep".


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