Thomas Morley – British Composers Series #8

Thomas Morley (c.1557-1602)

Musical period: Late Renaissance

Style: English Madrigal School

Fun Facts: A student of William Byrd, Thomas Morley inherited Tallis and Byrd’s publishing monopoly in 1598, courtesy of Elizabeth I.

Although he did compose some sacred music, Morley is best known for his many madrigals – a new secular form for voices that had originated in Italy. He composed a madrigal setting of Shakespeare’s poem It Was a Lover and His Lass (from “As You Like It”), so if you are curious what Shakespeare’s words sound like when set by a contemporary of his, give it a listen.

Morley was one of the first composers to write for “broken consort” – a mix of instruments from different families.

For your listening pleasure: Here is one of Morley’s madrigals, April is in My Mistress’ Face. 

Score: http://www3.cpdl.org/wiki/images/d/dd/002.pdf

To continue our months-of-the-year theme, here is Morley’s famous Now is the Month of Maying. 

Score: http://www3.cpdl.org/wiki/images/7/7c/Morley-Now_is_the_month_of_maying.pdf

(As a side note, I am super excited to go back and watch the rest of the videos in the “Madrigal History Tour” series! I laughed long and hard when I saw that name.)

Bonus: 

If you’re anything like me, you’ve been wondering what madrigals would sound like if Bob Dylan sang them. Fortunately for the world at large, we have YouTube:

 

 

 

 

William Byrd – British Composers Series #7

William Byrd (c. 1540-1623)

Musical period: Late Renaissance/Early Baroque

Style: sacred and secular polyphony, instrumental – Although he lived into the Baroque period, he continued to compose in the Renaissance style.

Fun Facts: Byrd studied under Thomas Tallis, and together they had a monopoly on the music printing business starting in 1575.

Byrd was a prolific composer and, like the other composers of the Tudor era, composed for both catholic and protestant services. Although he was a Catholic, Byrd remained quite popular with Queen Elizabeth I and he wrote many wonderful English anthems. He also branched out from sacred music to compose quite a few secular pieces and instrumental consort dance music.

Like his contemporary Orlando Gibbons, Byrd composed for keyboard, adding a substantial number of beautifully crafted pieces to this relatively new genre of music.

For your listening pleasure: Here is one of his sacred latin works, Tristitia et Anxietas. 

Score: http://www2.cpdl.org/wiki/images/1/11/BYRD-TR3.pdf

English translation:

Sadness and anxiety have overtaken my inmost being. My heart is made sorrowful in mourning, my eyes are become dim. Woe is me, for I have sinned. But thou, O Lord, who dost not forsake those whose hope is in thee, comfort and help me for thy holy name’s sake, and have mercy on me.

Robert White – British Composers Series #6

Robert White (c.1536-c.1574)

Musical period: Late Renaissance

Style: Sacred, Choral, Polyphony, Instrumental

Fun Facts: Robert White was part of a small group of composers who looked back to the franco-flemish style for inspiration. Unlike Tallis (and his student Byrd) who moved to a simpler homophonic style and composed in English, White continued to use polyphony, even in the few pieces he wrote for protestant services. Most of his compositions are in Latin, and (like Taverner and Tye) he wrote instrumental in nomines for viol consort.

Speaking of Christopher Tye, White was his son-in-law and took over his post of chorus master in Ely.

For your listening pleasure: Here is one of his heart-breaking Lamentations using the text from Lamentations 1:8-13.

Score: http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/1/18/White_-_Lamentations_a5.pdf

Recording: 

 

John Sheppard – British Composers Series #5

No, not John Sheppard from Stargate. Although, with all the time dilations and alternate realities, I guess you never know.

John Sheppard (c.1515-c.1559)

Musical period: Late Renaissance

Style: Sacred, Choral, Elaborate Polyphony

Fun Facts: Another Tudor composer, John Sheppard wrote for both Catholic and Protestant services. He wrote a cantus firmus mass based on the secular tune “Westron Wynde,” which must have been a trend at the time; John Taverner and Christopher Tye also wrote cantus firmus masses based on the same tune. Most of his English anthems have been lost, but a good amount of his Latin works and a couple secular works survived.

For your listening pleasure: Here is Sheppard’s hauntingly beautiful Media Vita. What I love about it are the unexpected little dissonances that make this piece so different from Tallis. The dissonance fits the text which begins “In the midst of life we are in death.” (scroll down to see the rest of the translated text)

Here’s the public domain score:  http://www1.cpdl.org/wiki/images/d/d2/Sheppard_Media_vita_in_4_sharps.pdf

Here it is on YouTube (I have no idea what it has to do with Civilization IV, but it is a very good recording and commenters seem to agree that it is sung by the Tallis Scholars). It’s long, so it’s broken up into two clips:

English translation:

In the midst of life we are in death
of whom may we seek for succour, but of thee, O Lord,
who for our sins art justly displeased?
O Lord God most holy, O Lord most mighty, O holy and most merciful Saviour, deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death.

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace: according to thy word.
For mine eyes have seen: thy salvation,
Which thou hast prepared: before the face of all people;
To be a light to lighten the Gentiles: and to be the glory of thy people Israel.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.

Do not cast us away in our old age; When our strength fails us do not abandon us O Lord.
O Lord God most holy, O Lord most mighty, O holy and most merciful Saviour, deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death.

Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts
O Lord most mighty, O holy and most merciful Saviour, deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death.

Shut not thy merciful ears to our prayer; but spare us
O holy and most merciful Saviour, deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death.

Thomas Tallis – British Composers Series #4

Is it just me, or does Thomas Tallis look a little like Johnny Depp?

Thomas Tallis (c.1505-1585)

Musical period: Late Renaissance

Style: Sacred, Choral

Fun Facts: Like Christopher Tye, Thomas Tallis lived during the Tudor period of England when the church flip-flopped between catholicism and protestantism. Tallis composed for both liturgies, even though he was a catholic himself. His music moved away from the florid style and employed polyphony as well as chordal texture. He composed in Latin and English, and wrote a few pieces for keyboard as well.

For your listening pleasure: As an example of his music written for the catholic service,  here is his amazing 40 part motet Spem In Alium. The public domain score can be found here (and you really should take a look at it – it’s incredible to see that many voices stacked on top of each other):   http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/images/5/55/Tallis_Spem_in_alium_full_score_PML.pdf

Here’s a video of The King’s Singers performing Spem In Alium. There are only 6 members in the group, but they are able to sing all 40 parts thanks to modern technology.

English translation:

I have never put my hope in any other but in You,

O God of Israel

who can show both anger

and graciousness,

and who absolves all the sins of suffering man

Lord God,Creator of Heaven and Earth

be mindful of our lowliness

Here’s an English anthem for a protestant service:

Christopher Tye – British Composers Series #3

Christopher Tye (c.1505-1573)

Musical period: Late Renaissance

Style: Sacred, Choral, Instrumental

Fun Facts: Tye composed during a tumultuous time in England – especially for church composers. Tye composed during the reigns of four monarchs and witnessed the rise of the Church of England under Henry VIII and Edward VI, the reinstatement of Roman Catholicism under Mary I, and then the reinstatement of the Church of England under Elizabeth I. Because of this, Tye composed both Latin and English church music.

Although his musical style is still pre-Reformation for the most part, it shows some hints of the coming change: imitative counterpoint and syllabic treatment of text pop up every now and then in his compositions.

Tye also composed several settings of an early form of chamber music for viol consort called In Nomine (a form pioneered by our old friend John Taverner).

For your listening pleasure: Here is one of his English anthems Give Almes of Thy Goods. (click here for the public domain score:  http://www3.cpdl.org/wiki/images/sheet/tye-give.pdf)

And here are a few of his In Nomines:

John Taverner – British Composers Series #2

John Taverner (c.1490-1545)

Musical period: Renaissance

Style: Sacred, Choral, florid, melismatic

Fun Facts: Taverner worked at Christ Church in Oxford, where he was appointed by Thomas Wolsey. Most of his compositions were written during his appointment there, and in 1530 (after Wolsey had become quite unpopular), he moved back to his hometown of Lincolnshire where he worked as a singer.

Taverner composed in the years right before the Council of Trent, which would put an end to overly elaborate polyphony in church music. Taverner, however, composed his masses for 4, 5, or 6 parts, creating a thick polyphonic texture. As well as the masses, Taverner also composed motets, votive antiphons, service music, and a couple secular tunes as well.

For your listening pleasure: Here is the lovely and very melismatic Sanctus from Taverner’s mass Gloria Tibi Trinitas. Here’s the public domain score: http://www3.cpdl.org/wiki/images/f/fc/Taverner_M.Gloria_tibi_-_Sanctus.pdf and here’s the music: