Biography
Hayne entered the guardianship of Constans Breuwe under Charles the Bold prior to the latter’s accession to the throne, making it likely that Constans served as his initial instructor. Possessing an exceptional voice, Hayne performed in Charles’s chapel choir. His works appeared among the French royal court manuscripts, a distinction shared solely with Agricola and Compere and indicative of his recognized merit. The precise date of his death remains unknown, yet he appears among the musicians greeting Ockeghem in the afterlife, an event tied to Ockeghem’s passing in 1497. Hayne devoted himself chiefly to the rondeau, most often setting three voices in 2/4 meter with the treble in the foreground. Adhering to contemporary conventions, he maintained symmetrical structures, shifted from syllabic to melismatic text setting, and employed syncopation with consistent skill. Notably, he concluded many pieces on the modal final, imparting an early sense of tonal focus and forward momentum. Among his most celebrated chansons are “Allez regrets,” “De tous biens plaine,” “La regretee,” and “Mon souvenir.”