WILLIAM BYRD’S ENGLISH ANTHEMS AND LATIN MOTETS: A ...

WILLIAM BYRD’S ENGLISH ANTHEMS AND LATIN

MOTETS: A STYLISTIC COMPARISON

by

JEANNIE LOVETT BARRICK, B.M.

A THESIS

IN

MUSIC THEORY

Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Tech University in

Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for

the Degree of

MASTER OF MUSIC

Approved

Matthew S. Santa Chairperson of the Committee

John Howard Dickson

Stacey Houck

Accepted

John Borrelli Dean of the Graduate School

May, 2005

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Matthew Santa, and committee members,

Dr. John Dickson, and Dr. Stacey Houck for their valuable insights during this process. I

am especially grateful to Dr. Santa for his support, encouragement, and suggestions

during the course of my work on this thesis. Gratitude is also expressed to Dr. Dickson

for his role as a mentor in my life and for providing a venue where English choral music

can be sung with integrity. I am also very appreciative of Dr. Houck’s enthusiasm for this

project, her comments, and her expertise regarding the English Renaissance.

I am grateful to my parents, Troy and Karen Lovett, for their uncompromising

love and support. I would also like to thank my brother, Peter A. Lovett, whose gift of an

English church music CD served as the basis of my interest in William Byrd. Finally, I

am indebted to my husband, Clinton Barrick, for actively participating in many long

hours of discussion about Byrd's role in the Renaissance, Tudor harmony, and sentence

structure. His willingness to read and discuss every word of this thesis is indicative of his

essential patience and kindness.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii LIST OF EXAMPLES iii LIST OF TABLES iv CHAPTER I. RELIGION, POLITICS, AND WILLIAM BYRD Introduction 1 English Reformation in Context 1 Byrd at Lincoln Cathedral 4 William Byrd: Gentleman of the Chapel Royal 4 Keeping the Queen’s Favor 5 Influences on Byrd’s Compositional Style 6 English Composers 6 Alfonso Ferrabosco I and Continental Influences 6 Byrd’s “Politically” Conceived Motets 8 Conclusion 13 II. ASPECTS OF MUSICAL IMAGERY IN CIVITAS SANCTI TUI AND SING JOYFULLY Music and Text Relationship in Renaissance Music 15 Text Painting in Byrd’s Music 16 Hidden Text Painting in Civitas Sancti Tui 17 Overt Text Painting in Sing Joyfully 28

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Conclusion 34 III. METHODS OF COMPARISON IN THE ENGLISH ANTHEMS AND THE LATIN MOTETS Introduction 36 Mandates of the Reform 36 Text Underlay 36

Musical Texture 39

Dissonance Treatment 41 Cross Relation 41

Statistical Overview of the Cross Relation in Byrd’s English Anthems and Latin Motets 44 Interpretation of the Data 50 English Clash 51

Conclusion 53 IV. WILLIAM BYRD’S ENGLISH ANTHEMS AND LATIN MOTETS: A STYLISTIC COMPARISON Introduction 54 Text Underlay 54 Textual Allotment 56 Full Anthems 57 Anthems from Secular Sources 60 Psalmes, Sonets, and Songs (1588) 61 Cantiones Sacrae (1575) 63

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Cantiones Sacrae (1589) 66 Gradualia (1607) 68 Interpretation of the Data 70 Ratio of Notes Per Syllable 71 Full Anthems 72 Anthems from Secular Sources 75 Psalmes, Sonets, and Songs (1588) 76 Cantiones Sacrae (1575) 79 Cantiones Sacrae (1589) 82 Gradualia (1607) 84 Interpretation of the Data 86 Musical Textures 88 Full Anthems 89 Anthems from Secular Sources 91 Psalmes, Sonets, and Songs (1588) 92 Cantiones Sacrae (1575) 93 Cantiones Sacrae (1589) 94 Gradualia (1607) 95 Interpretation of the Data 95 Conclusion 99 BIBLIOGRAPHY 101

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LIST OF EXAMPLES

2.1 Civitas Sancti Tui, mm. 77-85. 18

2.2 Civitas Sancti Tui, mm.88-90. 20 2.3 Civitas Sancti Tui, mm. 94-95 20 2.4 Cadential Goals, Civitas Sancti Tui, mm. 90-105. 22 2.5 Vide Domine Afflictionem, Soprano Line, mm. 28-30. 25 2.6 Civitas Sancti Tui, mm. 106-17. 26 2.7 Civitas Sancti Tui, mm. 124-27. 27 2.8 Civitas Sancti Tui, Tenor II Line, mm. 133-34. 28 2.9 Sing Joyfully, mm. 1-10. 30 2.10 Sing Joyfully, mm. 24-26. 31 2.11 Sing Joyfully, mm. 27-34. 32 2.12 Sing Joyfully, mm. 51-60 33 3.1 Thomas Tallis, Lamentations of Jeremiah, mm. 69-74 37 3.2 Thomas Tallis, If Ye Love Me, mm. 1-4 37 3.3 Discrepancies in Text Underlay, William Byrd, Have Mercy Upon Me O God. 38 3.4 Four-Part Homophonic Texture Against Solo Soprano Line, Byrd, Prevent Us O Lord, mm. 40-42. 40 3.5 Homophonic Pairing of Voices, Byrd, Arise, Lord, Into Thy Rest mm. 40-42. 41 3.6 The Cross Relation in Two Voices 42 4.1 Deficit in Dolore, Tenor Line 57

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4.2 William Byrd, O Lord, Who In Thy Sacred Tent? 97

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LIST OF TABLES

2.1 Summary of Cadential Goals, Civitas Sancti Tui, mm. 90-105. 24

3.1 Instances of the Cross Relation in Byrd’s Full Anthems 45

3.2 Instances of the Cross Relation in Byrd’s Anthems from Secular Sources 46

3.3 Instances of the Cross Relation in Byrd’s Psalmes, Sonets, and Songs (1588) 47

3.4 Instances of the Cross Relation in Byrd’s Cantiones Sacrae (1575) 48

3.5 Instances of the Cross Relation in Byrd’s Cantiones Sacrae (1589) 49

3.6 Instances of the Cross Relation in Byrd’s Gradualia (1607) 50

3.7 Ranking of Collections by Number of Times the Cross Relation Occurs Divided by the Number of Measures in the Collection 50

3.8 Total Number of Cross Relations in Byrd’s English Anthems and Latin Motets 51

3.9 Instances of the English Clash Examined Collections of Latin Motets and English Anthems. 52

3.10 Total Instances of the English Clash Divided by the Total Number of Measures in the English Anthems and Latin Motets 52

4.1 Textual Allotment in Byrd’s Full Anthems. 58

4.2 Textual Allotment in Byrd’s Anthems from Secular Sources. 60

4.3 Textual Allotment in Byrd’s Psalmes, Sonets, and Songs (1588). 61

4.4 Textual Allotment in Byrd’s Cantiones Sacrae (1575). 64

4.5 Textual Allotment in Byrd’s Cantiones Sacrae (1589). 67

4.6 Textual Allotment in Byrd’s Gradualia (1607). 69

4.7 Ranking of Collections from Most Syllabic to Least Syllabic. 70

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4.8 Ranking of Collections from Most Melismatic to Least Melismatic. 71

4.9 Ratio of Notes Per Syllable in Byrd’s Full Anthems. 73

4.10 Ratio of Notes Per Syllable in Byrd’s Anthems from Secular Sources. 76

4.11 Ratio of Notes Per Syllable in Byrd’s Psalmes, Sonets, and Songs (1588). 77

4.12 Ratio of Notes Per Syllable in Byrd’s Cantiones Sacrae (1575). 80

4.13 Ratio of Notes Per Syllable in Byrd’s Cantiones Sacrae (1589). 83

4.14 Ratio of Notes Per Syllable in Byrd’s Gradualia (1607). 85

4.15 Ranking of Collections by the Number of Notes Set Melismatically. 86

4.16 Ranking of Collections by the Number of Notes Set Syllabically. 87

4.17 Distribution of Musical Texture Throughout Byrd’s Full Anthems. 90

4.18 Distribution of Musical Texture Throughout Byrd’s Anthems from Secular Sources. 91

4.19 Distribution of Musical Texture Throughout Byrd’s Psalmes, Sonets, And Songs (1588). 92

4.20 Distribution of Musical Texture Throughout Byrd’s Cantiones Sacrae (1575). 93 4.21 Distribution of Musical Texture Throughout Byrd’s Cantiones Sacrae (1589). 94

4.22 Distribution of Musical Texture Throughout Byrd’s Gradualia (1607). 95

4.23 Percentage of Homophonic and Homophonic Mix Textures in Byrd’s English Anthems and Latin Motets. 96

4.24 Percentage of Polyphony and Polyphonic Mix Textures in Byrd’s English Anthems and Latin Motets. 96

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CHAPTER I

RELIGION, POLITICS, AND WILLIAM BYRD

Introduction

The sacred choral music of William Byrd was greatly influenced by the

theological, political, and social turmoil of the English reformation. Byrd, a devout

Roman Catholic, wrote anthems appropriate for the newly formed Anglican church of

Queen Elizabeth I, yet continued to write Latin motets that reflected his personal beliefs.

The freedom with which he was able to do both was remarkable at a time when

Catholicism was synonymous with treason. The anguish Byrd experienced as a result of

the English reformation affected his compositional style. Mandates for more syllabic,

homophonic compositions affected Byrd’s writing style in a different way.

This thesis compares Byrd’s English anthems and Latin motets in the context of

the English Reformation. This comparison focuses on methods of text painting used in

each genre and explores how mandates for a syllabic and homophonic compositional

style in the Church of England affect Byrd’s overall compositional style.

English Reformation in Context

In a society where being on the wrong side of the current religious trend could

result in death, Byrd, a composer and musician at the Chapel Royal, was in a particularly

vulnerable position. The trend of the late sixteenth century was Protestantism, but to

devout Catholics, the issue was more than a state mandate of royal supremacy; it was

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about eternity. The firmly held belief of immortality according to Catholic dogma was

far too important to switch allegiances from the Pope, believed to be Christ’s

representative and intercessor, to a King or Queen, a mere political figure.

Born in London around 1540, Byrd was just old enough to be raised as a choir

boy under the Catholic reign of Queen Mary (1553-58). His first position in 1562,

however, was as organist and choir master at Lincoln Cathedral shortly after the

Protestant Queen Elizabeth I succeeded the throne. In 1559, she reinstated the Act of

Uniformity, originally mandated by Edward VI in 1549, which outlawed the Catholic

Rite. The shift to Protestantism had musical repercussions as well. In 1544, while translating the Latin liturgy into English, Thomas Cranmer, first Archbishop of Canterbury, wrote Henry VIII suggesting that church music should “not be full of notes, but, as near as may be, for every syllable a note, so that it may be sung distinctly and devoutly…”1 This resembles thoughts Erasmus had as early as 1516 when he stated in his commentary on the New Testament that “Modern church music is so constructed that the congregation cannot hear one distinct word.”2

In 1548, Edward VI heeded Cranmer’s suggestions and mandated the following in regards to church music: 1 Thomas Cranmer, “Letter to Henry VIII.” Source Readings in Music History. Ed. Oliver Strunk (New York: W. W. Norton & Co. 1950), 350-51. 2 Percy A. Scholes, The Puritans in England and New England (London: Oxford University Press, 1934), 216.

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The choir shall henceforth sing or say no anthems of our Lady or other Saints, but only of our Lord, and them not in Latin; but choosing out the best and most sounding to Christian religion they shall turn the same into English, setting thereunto a plain and distinct note for every syllable one: they shall sing them and none other. 3

Like English and continental Protestant reformers before them, Catholic theologians also had concerns about overly melismatic music and these were addressed at the Council of Trent in 1562. The committee demanded that music should be composed in “such a way that the words may be clearly understood by all.” Theologians involved in the Council of Trent also wanted to ban polyphony in favor of monophony, but the Holy Roman Emperor, Ferdinand I intervened. Even so, the committee demanded that Latin words be properly emphasized and melismas reduced.4 Palestrina accepted the challenge and wrote the Pope Marcellus Mass as a way to counter the claims that the “text in much sacred polyphony could not be heard or understood.”5

Musical conditions during Byrd’s formative years were thus two sided: on one side, there was elaborate melismatic polyphony representing his Catholic compositional

style. On the other, a royal mandate for one-note-per-syllable dictated by the newly

reformed Church of England.

3 Peter Le Huray, Music and the Reformation in England: 1549-1660 (New York: Oxford University Press, 1967), 9. 4 Mark Johnson, “William Byrd’s ‘Beata es Virgo Maria’: Was Byrd’s Latin church music influenced by the reformations?” Vox (Accessed October 02, 2004) <http://www.academyofsaintcecilia.com/byrdASC.htm>. 5 Claude V. Palisca, ed. Norton Anthology of Western Music. 4th ed. Vol. I. (New York: W. W. Norton & Co., Inc., 2001), 243.

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Byrd at Lincoln Cathedral

In 1562, just as the Council of Trent was beginning the reform process on the continent, Byrd was beginning his tenure at Lincoln Cathedral. While there, he wrote a vast amount of music for the Anglican church and some elaborate keyboard music. It is suspected that his organ playing, like his keyboard writing, took on a florid character, which was a cause for concern with some of the Puritan parishioners, and particularly with Archdeacon John Almer.6 The melismatic (i.e. Catholic) style would

not be tolerated and as a result, Almer suspended Byrd’s salary and his duties as organist.

Almer allowed Byrd to give only a starting pitch before joining the choir to sing the

anthem.7 This treatment did not settle well with Byrd and he left Lincoln. He

did, however, manage to remain on the payroll at the cathedral until 1581 under an

agreement that he send “church songs and services” from time to time.8

William Byrd: Gentleman of the Chapel Royal

In 1572, Byrd moved to London and was sworn in as Gentleman of the Chapel

Royal, where he shared the position of organist with Thomas Tallis. In 1575,

Byrd and Tallis were granted the exclusive patent for music printing in England. Later

6 Charles Hazelwood, narrator. Playing Elizabeth’s Tune: The Tallis Scholars sing William Byrd. Documentary. Dir. Peter Phillips (Oxford: Gimell Records, 2004), 11:22-12:00. 7 Ibid., 11:22-12:00. 8 Joseph Kerman: ‘Byrd, William’, Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed October 02, 2004), <http://www.grovemusic.com>.

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that year, they came out with their first publication: Cantiones ab argumento sacrae

vocantur, a set of 34 Latin motets dedicated to the Queen. Byrd and Tallis each

contributed 17 motets to the collection, most likely as a tribute to Elizabeth and the

seventeenth year of her reign.9

In the preface of Cantiones sacrae (1575), Richard Mulcaster, a classical scholar,

wrote a poem praising the Queen that included “patriotic rhetoric as insurance against

the charge of promulgating music with texts taken in some cases from the Roman

liturgy.”10 The title, “Songs which are [strictly speaking not sacred but only] called

sacred on account of their texts” was probably also constructed as a way to avoid

censorship.

Keeping the Queen’s Favor

Despite Byrd’s immense output of Latin music, he always managed to keep the

Queen’s favor. There are, perhaps, several reasons for her position. First, Elizabeth was a

musician and, as such, appreciated Byrd’s musical talent. He was simply her favorite

musician.11 Secondly, having a few Catholics around might have been a good political

move. It was sign to foreign government that she was not as harsh a dictator as they

portrayed her to be.12 Lastly, Elizabeth understood that one could be a stiff papist and yet

9 Allan W. Atlas, Renaissance Music (New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 1998), 664. 10 Joseph Kerman: ‘Byrd, William’, Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed October 02, 2004), <http://www.grovemusic.com>. 11 Charles Hazelwood, Playing Elizabeth’s Tune, 19:36.

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remain a loyal subject. She stated that she did not wish to make “a window into men’s

souls,” so as long as Byrd remained loyal, he was able to do as he pleased.

Additionally, by writing Anglican Church music and singing with the Chapel Royal he

was showing gestures of conformity.13

Influences on Byrd’s Compositional Style

English Composers

Byrd’s compositional style was influenced by characteristics that were uniquely

associated with England. Byrd’s use of a uniquely English compositional trait can be seen

in his use of the cross relation, defined as “two clashing, chromatically different versions

of the same pitch-class sounding either simultaneously or in close succession.”14 The

cross relation can be associated with English composers such as Thomas Tallis,

Christopher Tye, John Sheppard, and John Taverner. This English feature will be

discussed at greater length in chapter III.

Alfonso Ferrabosco I and Continental Influences Byrd was also influenced by continental ideas. One great influence was the Italian

musician Alfonso Ferrabosco I. Between 1572 and 1578, Byrd and Ferrabosco worked

together for Elizabeth I at the Chapel Royal. Equipped with an understanding of recent

12 Christopher Haigh, Playing Elizabeth’s Tune, 5:13-5:32. 13 Ibid., 19:36-19:48. 14 Joseph Kerman, “Music and Politics: The Case of William Byrd: 1540-1623.” Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 144.3 (September 2000): 285.

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continental developments, Ferrabosco provided English composers with motet models

that highlighted compositional ideas previously unknown to them. Joseph Kerman writes:

If Tallis in his imitative phrase sounds like a contemporary of Clemens, and Byrd sounds like a contemporary of Lassus, the difference must in good measure be due to the young Italian musician and secret agent [Ferrabosco] who slipped back and forth between England and the continent, and whose motets were copied over and again into the manuscripts of Elizabethan collectors.15

Ferrabosco’s understanding of imitative polyphony proved to be especially

significant for Byrd. Thomas Morley, influenced by both Byrd and Ferrabosco, tells of

the competitive friendship held by the two while writing canons based upon the plainsong

Miserere. He speaks of their effort as a “vertuous contention in love…which caused them

strive everie one to surmount another without malice, envie, or backbiting….”16 This

particular endeavor yielded 40 canons each.

Ferrabosco, a Catholic, wrote almost exclusively in Latin; unlike Byrd who wrote

in Latin and English. Ferrabosco’s preference for texts dealing with topics of despair and

grief created a sympathetic response among the English Catholic community.17 Similarly,

Byrd’s choice of texts after 1575, show a deep understanding and commitment to the

Catholic cause in Reformation England.

15 Joseph Kerman, The Masses and Motets of William Byrd (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1994), 104. 16 Thomas Morley, A Plaine and Easie Introduction to Practicall Musicke (London, 1597), 115 17 Richard Charteris, “The Motets of Alfonso Ferrabosco.” The Consort 38 (1982): 448-49.

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Byrd’s “Politically Conceived” Motets

The texts in Byrd’s 1589 Cantiones sacrae reflect the feelings of isolation and

oppression felt by the Catholics. Consequently, Kerman argues that these Latin texts are

“politically conceived,” specifically referring to the plight of the English Catholics.18

Byrd uses metaphors in reference to the troubles of Jerusalem, the Babylonian captivity,

the Egyptian captivity, liberation, and the coming of God. One such Latin motet is Vide

Domine afflictionem (Behold, O Lord, our affliction):

English translation:

(i.)Behold, O Lord, our affliction, and forsake us not in a time of adversity. More than Jerusalem, the chosen City, was made desolate, the joy of our heart is turned into grief, and our jollity is turned into bitterness.

(ii.) But come, O Lord, and tarry not, and call back the exiles into thy city. O Lord, O Peace most holy, give us thy long-desired peace, and have mercy upon thy sighing, weeping people, O Lord our God.

This text, which is not biblical or liturgical, may have been found in one of the

continental motet anthologies in the library of one of Byrd’s Catholic patrons, Lord

Lumley.19

Craig Monson notes that the texts of Byrd’s “political” motets are closely related

to the rhetoric of other English Catholics, specifically that of Jesuits Henry Garnet and

Robert Southwell, “both in their public and private communications”.20 Monson further

notes that, “the existence of this common language helps explain how Byrd (or his priests

18 Joseph Kerman, “William Byrd and Elizabethan Catholicism.” In Write All These Down: Essays on Music (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1994), 77-89.

19 Alan Brown, Liner notes. William Byrd: Cantiones Sacrae (1589). Choir. The Choir of New College Oxford. Cond. Edward Higginbottom. CRD Records Ltd, 1983.

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or patrons) came to choose many of his texts, how others besides musicians could have

known their sources, and also how such texts would have been ‘heard’ by Byrd and

[other] Catholics.”21

The most common themes of Byrd’s “political” motets, the Babylonian captivity,

the Egyptian captivity, and the plight of Jerusalem, are also “the most frequently

encountered allusions in Catholic writings.” 22 This was seen in books and pamphlets

that first appeared in the 1570s, but that grew to great numbers after the execution of

priest and scholar Edmund Campion in 1581.23

An example of this common language of exile is found in a 1590 writing of Robert Southwell that refers to the common Babylonian metaphor of Psalm 137: “We have sung the songs of Our Lord in a strange land; in this desert we have sucked honey from the rock and oil from the hardest flint.”24

Southwell’s writing echos a particular musical exchange between Philippe de Monte, the Habsburg court composer, and Byrd, based upon the same Psalm 137, Super flumina Babylonis/ Quomodo cantabimus, from a few years earlier.25 In 1583, Philippe 20 Craig A. Monson, “Byrd, the Catholics, and the motet: The hearing reopened.” In Hearing the Motet: Essays on the Motet of the Middle Ages and Renaissance (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997), 350.

21 Ibid., 350.

22 Ibid., 353.

23 Ibid., 350.

24 Christopher Devlin, The Life of Robert Southwell, Poet and Martyr (New York: Farrar, Straus and Cudahy, 1956), 209.

25 Joseph Kerman, The Masses and Motets, 44-45, 180-81.

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de Monte sent Byrd an 8-part motet set to Psalm 137 entitled Super Flumina Babylonis (By the waters of Babylon):26

English translation: By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept when we remembered thee, O Zion. For they required of us, they who carried us away captive, a song. How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land? We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. Byrd replied the following year with words drawn from the same Psalm. Byrd’s response

was Quomodo cantabimus (How shall we sing?):

English translation: How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land? If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember thee; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy. Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem. This musical exchange between de Monte and Byrd illustrates how the words used by a prominent Catholic writer, such as Robert Southwell, were echoed by Byrd. After 1581, Byrd’s compositional style went through a change as his dedication to the Catholic faith deepened.27 In 1581, Edmund Campion was executed along with two other priests for spreading Catholicism throughout England. Campion’s final words, “Spectaculum facti sumus Deo angelis, et hominibus” (“We apostles are made a spectacle unto God, unto His angels, and unto men”) were cut short as he and the two

26 Joseph Kerman, “William Byrd and Elizabethan Catholicism,” 83. 27 Ibid., 78.

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other priests were hanged. They were then nailed to the fence as a public display of their bodies. This execution rocked England and set off a series of protests in England and abroad.28 One young poet, Henry Walpole, had been standing near the scaffold and got a drop of blood on his coat. He was very troubled by this and went home and wrote “Why Do I Use My Paper, Ink, and Pen,” about his experience at the execution. The poem subsequently caused a scandal that ultimately led to Walpole’s death in the same manner as Campion’s. Byrd, also deeply disturbed by Campion’s death, set Walpole’s words to music. In addition, he wrote another extended Latin motet relating to Campion’s execution entitled Deus venerunt gentes, (O God, the heathen have set foot in thy domain):29

English translation:

O God, the heathen have set foot in thy domain, defiled thy holy temple and laid Jerusalem in ruins. They have thrown out the dead bodies of thy servants to feed the birds of the air; they have made thy saints carrion for the wild beasts. Their blood is spilled all around Jerusalem like water, and there was no one to bury them. We suffer the contempt of our neighbors, the gibes and mockery of all around us.

Kerman notes that here we see “the unburied bodies nailed to the gate, the blood

that ‘spurted’ on Walpole, the protests from ‘our neighbors’ abroad, and even allusions to

Campion’s final speech from the scaffold.”30 Campion’s last words, “We apostles are

28 Ibid., 79 29 Ibid., 80

30 Ibid.

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made a spectacle unto God, unto His angels, and unto men,” are close to the last line of

Deus venerunt gentes, “We suffer the contempt of our neighbors, the gibes and mockery

of all around us.”

Byrd’s texts for Cantiones sacrae (1589) were significantly different

than those for the 1575 edition of Cantiones sacrae.31 The first group of motets use the first person, with texts such as “have mercy on me.” That changes after 1581 to “have mercy on us,” a sign that Byrd felt an increasing sense of belonging to all the others who shared the Catholic plight.32 In his 1575 edition of Cantiones sacrae, many of the texts were liturgical. In the 1589 edition, liturgical texts are scarce. Byrd was now taking a stand with the motet. He used texts that he wanted without consideration for the liturgy.33 After 1581, the Latin motet, “a prime ornament of Catholicism in its time of ascendency, was now being used to voice prayers, exhortations and protests on behalf of Catholics in time of need.”34 Critics may still argue that Byrd’s Latin motets are void of political connotations

referring to the oppression of the Catholics in the late sixteenth century. A text such as

Vide Domine afflictionem, in isolation would not be indicative of a “political” statement

referring to the Catholic plight. Jerusalem was a common metaphor and those in the

31 Joseph Kerman, The Masses and Motets of William Byrd, 40.

32 Ibid. 33 Ibid., 39

34 Ibid., 42.

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sixteenth century were used to interpreting it in many ways.35 There are even motets

with similar texts composed by Anglican composers of the next generation. But, as

Kerman notes, “Byrd was not an Anglican and his ‘Jerusalem’ motets do not exist in

isolation.”36 Further, Kerman argues that Byrd’s plea for group liberation in the context

of many motets pleading for freedom would most likely come only from a group that

considered itself captive.37 Furthermore, the subject of isolation and oppression is not a

subject that one would expect to be dealt with over and over again. This is corroborated

by the fact that the Anglicans “operated in a mood of official optimism.”38

Conclusion

The “political” texts chosen by Byrd and their relation to the tenor of the time are important because the motivations behind such choices in texts could have also left their impression on his compositional style. An investigation into Byrd’s harmony and counterpoint must consider the possibility that the turmoil he was facing in his life might even drive the composer to a more “Catholic” style of writing. As stated previously, the issue he faced was one of life and death. It was a belief that immortality of the soul was achieved only from strict adherence to Catholic teachings. This struggle was monumental


36 Ibid. 37 Ibid. 38 Peter Phillips, English Sacred Music: 1549- 1649 (Oxford: Gimell Records Ltd., 1992): 79.

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enough that Byrd’s desire to be true to his religion might well have gone beyond words and affected the purely musical structures in his choral works.

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CHAPTER II

ASPECTS OF MUSICAL IMAGERY IN CIVITAS

SANCTI TUI AND SING JOYFULLY

Music and Text Relationships in Renaissance Music

The relationship between music and text is highly significant in Renaissance

music. Influenced by the revival of classical thought and writing, composers in England

and on the continent sought to accurately portray the text through music. Thomas Morley

sums up the attitude in a comment on text-painting:

Moreover you must have a care that when your matter signifieth ascending, high heaven and such like, you make your musicke ascend: and by the contrarie where your dittie speaketh of descending loweness, depth, hell and others such, you must make youre musicke descend, for as it will be thought a great absurditie to talke of heaven and point downwarde to the earth: so it will be counted great incongruitie if a musician upon the words hee ascended into heaven should cause his musicke descend.1

Like other composers of the time, Byrd believed in a strong relationship between words

and music. In specific reference to sacred texts, Byrd speaks directly to the issue in the

preface to Gradualia (1605),

..There is a certain hidden power, as I learnt by experience, in the thoughts underlying the words themselves; so that, as one meditates upon the sacred words and constantly and seriously considers them, the right notes, in some inexplicable manner, suggest themselves quite spontaneously.2

1 Thomas Morley, A Plaine and Easie Introduction to Practicall Musicke (London, 1597), 178. 2 William Byrd, Gradualia I. London, 1605. Trans. Edmund H. Fellowes. William Byrd (London: Oxford University Press, 1936), 83.

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Text Painting in Byrd’s Music Byrd’s text painting can be seen throughout his sacred choral music, but the

techniques used in his Latin motets differ from those found in his English anthems.

Walter Gray contrasts the two styles into what he calls “musical metaphrase” and “word

painting.”3 “Musical metaphrase” describes the transference of “fixed meaning or

the emotional content of a word or group of words into purely musical terms.” 4 Gray describes musical metaphrase in the following way: If the words of an anthem should speak of circling or turning, a composer might set these words by a musical return to the initial pitch. Using the same idea (turning) another metaphrase could be used, that of presenting a melodic figure on the word “turn” and then singing the same word to an inversion of the figure. 5

By contrast, “word painting” is seen in Morley’s “ascended” and “descended,” and in

replicating natural sounds, such as a bird call. This is exemplified in Byrd’s English

music.

Due to its subtle nature, musical metaphrase requires an examination of the

context of the whole piece as opposed to “word painting” where an obvious connection

between a word or sound (a bird call) and the music (sonorities resembling birds) exist.

Musical metaphrase, a hidden form of text painting, is found in Byrd’s Latin motets. The

reason for the use of musical metaphrase in the Latin motets is twofold. First, England’s

3 Walter Gray, “Some Aspects of Word Treatment in the Music of William Byrd.” The Musical Quarterly 54.1 (1969): 46. 4 Ibid. 5 Ibid., 47.

16

political climate pressured Byrd to display his Catholic faith in a private way. Even

though Byrd continued to write and publish Catholic music during the Reformation, he

always remained a loyal subject to Elizabeth. Byrd wrote his “political” motets in a way

that Catholics could understand biblical allusions in relation to their own persecution, but

that was subtle enough to be respectful to the Queen. Second, many of Byrd’s “political”

texts were philosophical in nature and contained little or no imagery.6 Because Byrd’s

“political” texts were the basis for many of his motets, a more subtle text painting

prevails.

In this chapter, I will contrast the hidden text painting in one of Byrd’s Latin motets with the overt text painting found in an English anthem. This comparison will be

accomplished by discussing the overall musical structure as it relates to the text in the

secunda pars of the motet, Ne Irascaris / Civitas sancti tui and the anthem Sing Joyfully.

Hidden Text Painting in Civitas Sancti Tui

Typical of Byrd’s motets in the 1589 Cantiones sacrae, Ne irascaris / Civitas

sancti tui is non-liturgical and is considered to be “politically” conceived. 7 The

translation of the secunda pars is as follows:

Latin Text English Translation Civitas sancti tui facta est deserta. The city of your holy place is become a desert. Sion deserta facta est. Zion is become a desert.

6 Peter Phillips, English Sacred Music, 58. 7 Craig Monson, “Byrd, the Catholics, and the Motet, ” 349.

17

Jerusalem desolata est. Jerusalem is forsaken. [Isaiah 64: 9-10]

Set for five part SATTB, Civitas sancti tui opens with a point of imitation in the

alto line. This motive is repeated twice by each part in imitative fashion. On each

occasion, the motive begins regularly on the strong beats of the measure (beats 1

and 3). (See Example 2.1)

Example 2.1. Civitas sancti tui, mm. 75-85.

18

As previously discussed, Byrd’s “political” motets paralleled the most common themes in Catholic writings. One common metaphor involved the biblical account of the plight of Jerusalem. The Catholic community began to associate the suffering of the Israelites as their own.8 For this reason, when Byrd writes about the “holy city” in a

typical polyphonic style, as in the first statement of the motive, “civitas sancti tui,” it can

be taken to mean that the “holy city ” is a place of security and comfort for Byrd and

other Catholics.

The text, “facta est deserta” is presented for the first time in the pickup to m. 89.

A new motive, also presented in imitation, accompanies the change in text, but Byrd

varies the rhythmic and harmonic structure in order to accurately portray the desperation

of the text, “is become a desert.” Instead of entering on the strong beats, the motives

begin on weak beats. This appears to be Byrd’s way of expressing, through musical

metaphrase, that the secure place of home and comfort has become unreliable, deserted,

and abandoned (see Example 2.2).

8 Craig Monson, “Byrd, the Catholics, and the Motet,” 353

19

Example 2.2. Civitas Sancti Tui, mm. 88-90.

The instability only increases as the motet progresses. In measure 95, the texture

changes when the alto motive occurs on beat 1 following the tenor II entrance on beat 4

of measure 94 (see Example 2.3).


20

From m. 95 through the cadence in m.105, the motives in all voices seem to enter

haphazardly and with an increasing sense of disorganization. Entrances on beats 1, 2, 3,

and 4 provide a stark contrast from the opening of the piece where motives entered at

regular intervals on strong beats. In this section, the chaos is compounded by an “uneasy

search for cadence points.”9 The cadence points between m. 91 and m. 105 are shown in

Example 2.4 and summarized in Table 2.1 below:


21

Example 2.4. Cadential Goals, Civitas Sancti Tui, mm. 91-105.

F#

E

22

Example 2.4. Continued.

23

Table 2.1: Summary of Cadential Goals, Civitas Sancti Tui, mm. 91-105.

Measure # CadentialGoal

Cadential Weight10 Voice Parts

92 E Weak TI,TII 94 F# Weak A, TI 96 F# Moderate S, A,

TII 98 B Weak ATTB 105 E Strong SATTB

The cadence in measure 96 is of special interest. In many editions, the E on beat 2

of measure 98 is notated as an E-natural, and thereby produces a weak cadence. Byrd’s

original manuscript, however, denotes an E# in measure 9. 11 The E# against the G in the

Tenor II, creates an augmented sixth sonority that resolves out by half-step to F#. The

half-step resolution in the soprano and tenor II lines creates a stronger cadential motion to

F# than the E-natural to F#, which is the reason for the “moderate” labeling of the

cadence in measure 98. Additionally, the unexpected augmented sixth sonority would

most likely startle a sixteenth century audience, increasing the tension Byrd creates in this

passage.

10 In Bernhard Meier’s hierarchical arrangement of cadences, a strong cadence must include one voice that resolves from scale-degree 7-1 and one voice that resolves from scale degree 2-1. For a stronger cadence, one voice (usually the bass) moves from scale degree 5-1 in addition to the other two cadential motions listed. For more information on the criteria used for determining cadential weight, see Chapter 3 of Bernhard Meier’s The Modes of Classical Vocal Polyphony. Translated by Ellen S. Beebe. New York: Broude Brothers, Ltd., 1988. 11 See Fellowes, William Byrd, 73-74; Andrews, The Vocal Polyphony of William Byrd, 235; and Phillips, English Sacred Music, 92 for a discussion of the augmented sixth chord.

24

In measure 98, the motive changes to become an inversion of the original. The

inversion is broken between the fourth and fifth pitches, which fall between the first and

second syllables of the word “deserta.” At this point, Byrd embarks on a half-step motive

used consistently for “deserta.” One example of this motive can be seen in the soprano

line in measures 99-100, represented by the pitches, b-c-b. This half-step motive,

commonly known as the “sigh” motive, was often used to denote grief. Byrd himself used

it on other occasions. In Vide Domine Afflictionem, a motet that also seeks to reflect the

desperation of the deserted holy city. In Civitas sancti tui, Byrd uses the same motive on

the word, “desolata” (see Example 2.5).

Example 2.5. Vide Domine Afflictionem, Soprano Line, mm. 28-30.

All five parts come together for the first time at the cadence in m. 105 on the last

syllable of the word “deserta.” Beginning in measure 106, the central point of the motet,

the choir sings “Sion deserta facta est,” in rhythmic unison alluding to the English style

as per the Act of Uniformity (see Example 2.6).

25


By writing in the exact Elizabethan church style, Byrd parodies what the English say he

must do musically: “Zion is become a desert” has “a plain and distinct note for every

26

syllable.”12 Setting this central passage in the English style, drives home the point that

Zion is a desert because of the oppression of the Catholic theology by new religious laws.

Beginning with the pickup to measure 116 and continuing through measure 124,

the text “Jerusalem” is presented in stretto as an arched phrase (see Example 2.5).

Because it is the only motive from the motet presented in this fashion, the “Jerusalem”

motive is immediately recognizable as something special. Byrd further underscores the

importance of “Jerusalem,” by opening the phrase with a perfect fifth—the only such

imitative opening in the motet. Byrd’s setting of Jerusalem is like a memory of a happier

time to a people in exile. It is yet another biblical analogy to the plight of the Catholics

during Elizabeth’s reign. This is followed by another version of the sigh motive as the

descending stepwise motive sets the text “desolata est” (see Example 2.7).

Example 2.7. mm. 124-27.

12 Mandated in The Lincoln Cathedral Injuctions of April 14, 1548. See Peter Le Huray, Music and the Reformation in England (New York: Oxford University Press, 1967), 9.

27

Beginning on measure 133 in the tenor II line, the setting of “desolata est” changes to the

original motive that set the text “civitas sancti tui,” with only a slightly different rhythmic

pattern (see Example 2.8).

Example 2.8. Civitas Sancti Tui, Tenor II line, mm. 133-34.

A final setting of “desolata est” that sounds like an expanded form of the sigh

motive presented earlier moves the music from measure 148 to the end of the piece where

the motet closes with a perfect authentic cadence on G.

For Byrd and other Catholics, the “desolation” of the Reformation was profound.

They saw “desolation” in the diminishing numbers of their faith and in the persecution of

other Catholics. They also saw “desolation” in the church as Protestantism stripped

mysticism, majesty, and ultimately meaning from their religion. Further, removing

“magical” elements of the faith, such as transubstantiation was viewed as a profound loss

by most Catholics. The world had turned against them, and they were left in a homeland

that no longer welcomed them

Overt Text Painting in Sing Joyfully

The anthem Sing Joyfully shows a different side of Byrd’s text painting The word painting found in Sing Joyfully and many of Byrd’s other English anthems convey a more obvious element of text painting than do the Latin motets, yet Byrd consistently strives to accurately portray the meaning of the text in both the motets and the anthems.

28

In contrast with the penitential Ne irascaris/ Civitas sancti tui, Sing Joyfully is the quintessential Elizabethan church anthem. It is mostly one note per syllable, the text is one of praise and affirmation, and the tempo is lively with continuous forward motion. The anthem perfectly matches the optimistic attitude of Anglican worship and music of the time.13 The opening phrase proclaiming the text, “Sing joyfully unto God our strength,”

is reflected by its musical setting. In the opening phrase, “God” is the goal, and in all

parts, “God” is the high point of the phrase as expected. This pinnacle is reached by

continuous upward motion. The opening text of “Sing joyfully” is characterized by an

ascending interval of a perfect fifth, followed by an ornament on “joyfully” which

fosters a joyful mood (see Example 2.9. mm. 1-5). The word “strength” always falls on a

strong beat, is almost always a cadence point for two or more voices and is almost always

the longest note value of the measure. This musical “strength” backs up the text in a

natural way (see Example 2.9)

13 Peter Phillips, English Sacred Music, 79.

29

Example 2.9. Sing Joyfully, mm. 1-10.

In measure 10, “Sing loud” is characterized by upward motion and longer note values.

The phrase is repeated higher, giving credence to the text. Additionally, a half note value

for the word “sing” allows the singer to really “sing” the note.

“Take the song,” like “sing loud” employs longer note values, so as to have time

to “sing” the notes. The “pleasant harp” has a “pleasant” ascending stepwise motive

30

presented in all voices—as opposed to a lamenting descent (see Example 2.10).


The most striking text painting in the anthem occurs in measure 29, when the

parts collectively sing, “Blow the trumpet in the new moon” in imitation of a trumpet

fanfare. This overt word painting is achieved by Byrd’s harmonic language. Between

measures 29 and 33, Byrd uses the notes of an A-major triad exclusively, because

trumpets of the time had no valves and thus could only play notes from a single harmonic

series (see Example 2.11).

31


In measures 34-38, he repeats the text and the trumpet fanfare up a step. The move

upwards builds intensity. Beginning in measure 53 with the text, “and the law of the God

of Jacob” Byrd uses another phrase that ascends upward to the word “God” (see Example

2.12).

32


For the final phrase, Byrd uses augmented rhythmic values to slow the

momentum for the final cadence on E.

33

Conclusion

True to Renaissance ideals, Byrd successfully portrayed the text of his sacred

choral music through musical means. However, his approach to text painting differs

between his English anthems and Latin motets. Due to the imagery and jubilant nature of

Sing Joyfully, Byrd was able to musically express certain words or sounds (e.g. the

trumpet fanfare). The text painting in Civitas sancti tui, however, was expressed in a

more subtle way, closely resembling musical metaphrase. This is due in part to the lack

of imagery, but also because of the “political” message and philosophical subject matter.

Most important, perhaps, are the implications for the whole of Tudor church music.

Kerman eloquently speaks to the issue:

The main point about Byrd’s texts is not that some of them are Catholic, but that all of them come to be chosen so freely, so boldly, so ingeniously, and so imaginatively. At last Englishmen adopted the Renaissance attitude towards the motet which had been established by [continental] composers….Yet the English situation is dogged by revealing ironies. Only when the motet lost its liturgical bearing was it forced to take a new tack, one that was progressive and long overdue by continental standards. Only when the Catholicism of the motet was called in question did it assert that Catholicism in a newly militant, newly personal, half-surreptitious fashion. The thinking of Byrd’s Jesuit friends comes into play strongly here, and we may question whether Byrd would have devoted such effort to the motet, and developed it so far, if he had not in mind some idea of Catholic propaganda. But one could not express personal religious or political views in motets without conceiving that motets, could, in fact, reflect personal choice. This had simply not occurred to [Byrd’s English predecessors]. Logically, enough, when an essentially Catholic art-form was threatened by the Reformation, it moved in a direction pointed by the Counter Reformation….And to state a final irony: it was by this move, under the shadow of [a] death sentence, that Tudor church music progressed to its great artistic climax.14

14 Joseph Kerman, “The Elizabethan Motet: a Study of Texts for Music.” Renaissance Music Part I. Ed. Ellen Rosand. Vol. III (New York: Garland, 1985), 302-03.

34

Civitas sancti tui is one example of a motet that reflects “personal choice” and

speaks to the Catholic cause. The juxtaposition of this motet with the anthem Sing

Joyfully illuminates differences in Byrd’s text settings and has implications for his

compositional style as a whole.

35

CHAPTER III

METHODS OF COMPARISON IN BYRD’S ENGLISH

ANTHEMS AND LATIN MOTETS

“Comparison…is the critic’s best help.”

- Joseph Kerman1

Introduction

This chapter will identify and define compositional features in Byrd’s music to be

used for comparison in chapter IV, in addition to naming features that are present in both

the English anthems and Latin motets. Features taken into consideration will include

mandates of the reform and dissonance treatment.

Mandates of the Reform

Text Underlay

A chapter I discussion identified Thomas Cranmer’s mandate for a one-note-per-

syllable compositional style. Thomas Tallis, for instance, wrote elaborate melismatic

music before the reform, as seen in Lamentations of Jeremiah (see Example 3.1).

1 Joseph Kerman, “On William Byrd’s Emendemus in melius,” In Hearing the Motet: Essays on the Motet of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, ed. Delores Pesce (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997), 345.

36

Example 3.1. Thomas Tallis, Lamentations of Jeremiah, mm. 69-74

After the reform, he adapted to the one-note-per-syllable mandate evident in the anthem

If Ye Love Me (see Example 3.2).

Example 3.2. Thomas Tallis, If Ye Love Me, mm. 1-4.

37

Peter Le Huray identifies text underlay as “the most troublesome problem of all.” 2 He

notes that “melismatic underlay was filled in during the process of copying and

recopying.”3 Le Huray then provides an instance of this discrepancy in Byrd’s “Have

mercy upon me O God,” published by Byrd in the Psalmes, songs and sonnets collection

of 1611 (see example 3.3).

Example 3.3. Discrepancies in text underlay, William Byrd, Have mercy upon me, O God.4

The first version of the anthem was published by Byrd in 1611. The second, altered

version is from the Durham manuscripts of the 1630s.

The problem of text underlay will be addressed by taking into consideration only

those scores which have been published directly from manuscript sources.5 These scores

will provide as close a representation of Byrd’s intentions as can currently be understood.

An examination of Byrd’s text settings will offer insight into any differences in approach

that might be present in the motets and anthems. 2 Peter Le Huray, Music and the Reformation in England: 1549-1660 (New York: Oxford University Press, 1967), 106. 3 Ibid., 107. 4 Ibid. 5 William Byrd, The Byrd Edition. gen. ed. Philip Brett. 17 vols. (London: Stainer & Bell, 1983-2005).

38

Musical Texture

Text underlay, either by the use of a one-note-per-syllable technique or a

melismatic phrase, has natural implications for musical texture, specifically that of

homophony and polyphony. The dichotomy between homophony and polyphony is

especially interesting in Byrd’s music in light of the reform movement. David L.

Humphreys has noted that “the effect of the religious upheavals on the music of the

church was particularly acute in a country [England] which had retained a connection

between polyphony and liturgy closer than any other European country except Spain.” 6

An examination of the difference between textures in Byrd’s music reveals how these

reforms affected his writing style.

A one-note-per-syllable composition would many times be homophonic; a

melismatic composition could lend itself more readily to polyphony. Homophony would

be more consistent with Byrd’s English predecessors, whereas polyphony, specifically

imitative, could show a continental influence, most likely from Lassus and Ferrabosco.

In Byrd’s music, homophonic and polyphonic textures are not always associated

with syllabic and melismatic text settings, respectively. For instance, in Byrd’s five-part

anthem Prevent us, O Lord, the bottom four voices sing the text, “through Jesus Christ

our Lord,” in rhythmic unison, against which a soprano line is juxtaposed (see example

3.4).

6 David L. Humphreys, “Aspects of the Elizabethan and Jacobean Polyphonic Motet, with Particular Reference to the Influence of Alfonso Ferrabosco the Elder on William Byrd.” PhD. dissertation. Cambridge University, 1976, 1.

39

Example 3.4. Four-Part Homophonic Texture Against Solo Soprano Line, Byrd, Prevent Us, O Lord, mm. 40-42.

Another example of a varied texture can be seen in Arise, Lord, into thy rest. Here, Byrd

pairs voices together. Beginning in measure 40, the tenor and bass lines are paired

together with the text, “and let the saints rejoice.” In mm. 41-42, the two soprano lines

repeat the text in a homophonic pairing. The soprano declaration of “and let the saints

rejoice” in mm. 41-42, however, represents a homophonic pair in polyphony with the

tenor theme that proclaims the same text (see example 3.5).

40

Example 3.5 Homophonic Pairing of Voices, Byrd, Arise, Lord, into thy rest mm. 40-42

This thesis will consider the varying levels of musical texture, and will differentiate

textures that range from completely homophonic to completely polyphonic, considering

options in between such as those in examples 3.4 and 3.5.

Dissonance Treatment

The Cross Relation

The cross relation, also known as the false relation, is a hallmark of Byrd’s style.

The cross relation will be examined in this context as a comparison between the anthems

and the motets.

In Chapter 29 of his 1558 treatise Le Istitutioni Harmoniche, Zarlino writes that

two harmonic major thirds or minor sixths that leap should be avoided because they are

41

not in “harmonic relationship.” 7 In chapter 30, Zarlino explains that parts of a

composition lack “harmonic relationship” when separated by an augmented octave or the

diminished fifth or augmented fourth.8 This occurs as a result of two similar

consonances moving in succession and became known as the cross relation or false

relation (see Example 3.6)

Example 3.6. The Cross Relation in Two Voices.9

After defining the cross relation, Zarlino advises to avoid it. Later, however, he amends

his position to say that avoidance of the cross relation should be strictly adhered to only

in two-voice compositions:

In compositions for many voices…I believe that it is not so vital to avoid nonharmonic relations, both because it is so difficult to do faithfully…without great convenience, and because variety in such pieces consists not only of changing consonances but also of varying the harmonies and the arrangements of intervals in the individual chords, which is not true of two-voice music. I say this because often there are things in themselves bad and harmful which when mixed with other elements become good and beneficial, just as there are in medicines and electuaries deadly ingredients which in combination with other substances are

7 Gioseffo Zarlino, Le Istitutioni Harmoniche, Vol. 3. Venice, 1558. Translated by Guy A. Marco and Claude V. Palisca as The Art of Counterpoint (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1968), 62-64. 8 Ibid., 65 9 Ibid.

42

healthful. So it is in music: there are intervals and relations that give little pleasure in themselves but have wonderful effect when combined with others.10

Byrd’s music belongs in the category of music for more than two voices and often uses

the cross relation.

The cross relation is a technique that separated English composers of the sixteenth

century from continental composers of the same period.11 At a time when instances of the

cross relation declined on the continent—almost entirely absent in Palestrina’s music---its

use increased in England, and became a feature of the greatest English composers.12

H. K. Andrews discusses the cross relation in Zarlino’s terms, presenting

instances of the tritone, and augmented and diminished octave in Byrd’s music.13 Allan

W. Atlas adds that the chromatic semitone should also be avoided.14 He notes the

difference between the chromatic semitone (F to F-sharp, B-flat to B-natural) and the

diatonic semitone (C-sharp to D).

10 Ibid., 69. 11 H. K. Andrews, The Technique of Byrd’s Vocal Polyphony (New York: Oxford University Press, 1966), 102. 12 Ibid. 13 Ibid., 99-104. 14 Allan W. Atlas, Renaissance Music (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1998), 240.

43

Statistical Overview of the Cross Relation in Byrd’s English Anthems and Latin Motets.

A statistical analysis of the cross relation in Byrd’s English anthems and Latin

motets shows that the cross relation appears as frequently in the motets as in the anthems.

A comparison of the entirety of Byrd’s anthem and motet output is beyond the scope of

this thesis, but a representative sample of each genre will be studied from the following

collections: the Full Anthems, Anthems from Secular Sources, Psalmes, Sonets, and

Songs (1588), Cantiones Sacrae (1575), Cantiones Sacrae (1589), and the Gradualia

(1607). The former three collections are English anthems and the latter three are

collections of Latin motets.

The data obtained considers each instance of the cross relation in relation to the

total number of measures in each motet and each anthem. Every instance of the cross

relation in a particular collection is added and then divided by the total number of

measures in the same collection to determine how often the cross relation is used. A

duple meter was found in every piece used in this study except for the motet Emendemus

in melius (from the 1575 Cantiones sacrae) which has a triple meter. Thus, dividing the

number of cross relations by the number of measures will provide a fairly accurate

comparison between the two genres (e.g. much more accurate than it would be if half of

the pieces where in duple meter and half of them were in triple meter). The findings

pertaining to the cross relation in Byrd’s music are found in Tables 3.1-3.6.

44

Table 3.1. Instances of the Cross Relation in Byrd’s Full Anthems.

Title

Scoring

Cross Relation

mm. #s

Pitches

Occurrence of CR

/ Total measure

#s

%

1. Arise, O Lord

SAATB Yes 15 E-Eb 1/39 2.6

Second- Help us, O God

SAATB Yes 27 Ab-A 1/33 3.0

2. Exalt thyself, O God

SSAATB Yes 69 A-Ab 1/111 0.9

3. How long shall mine enemies

SAATB Yes 15 C#-C 1/65

1.5

4.O God, the proud are risen

SSAATB Yes 51 A-Ab 1/67 1.5

5. O God whom our offences

SAATB No ----- ----- 0/74

0.0

6.O Lord, make thy servant

SAATB Yes 22 G-Gb 1/49

2.0

7. Out of the deep

SSAATB Yes 39 86

C#-C C#-C

2/90 2.2

8. Prevent us, O Lord

SAATB Yes 5 9 24

E-Eb D-Db E-Eb

3/43

7.0

9. Save me, O God

SSATB Yes 4 9 28 29 30 54

G#-G C#-C G#-G G#-G G#-G C#-C

6/58

10.3

10. Sing joyfully

SSAATB Yes 11 23

38-39

Ab-A A-Ab A-Ab

3/69

4.3

Total 18/698 2.6

45

Table 3.2. Instances of the Cross Relation in Byrd’s Anthems from Secular Sources.

Title Scoring Cross Relation

mm. #s

Pitches Occurrence of CR

/ Total measure

#s

%

1. Be unto me, O Lord

SSTB No ----- ----- 0/56 0.0

2. Come, help, O God

SSATB Yes 19-20 E-Eb 1/71 1.4

3. I laid me down to rest

SSATB Yes 5-6 14 24 37-38

G#-G F#-F G#-G C#-C

4/70 5.7

4. Look down, O Lord

SSTB No ----- ----- 0/51 0.0

5. O praise our Lord SSATB Yes 87 F#-F 1/193 0.1Total 6/441 1.4

46

Table 3.3. Instances of the Cross Relation in Byrd’s Psalmes, Sonets, and Songs (1588).


m. #s Pitches Occurrence of CR

/ Total measure

#s

%

1. O God give ear SMCTTB Yes 50-51 63-64

F#-F C#-C

2/114 1.8

2. Mine eyes with fervency

SMCTTB Yes 7 33

F#-F F#-F

2/47 4.3

3. My soul oppressed with care

SSATB Yes 11 17-18

F#-F B-Bb

2/81 2.5

4. How shall a young man

SSATB Yes 9-10 13

F#-F B-Bb

2/75 2.7

5. O Lord, how long wilt thou forget?

SAATB Yes 20 57

F#-F F#-F

2/82 2.4

6. Lord, who in thy sacred tent?

SSATB Yes 47 57

C#-C F-F#

2/79 2.5

7. Help, Lord, for wasted are those men

SSATB No -----

----- 0/78 0.0

8. Blessed is he who fears the Lord

SSATB No ----- ----- 0/70 0.0

9. Lord in thy wrath SSATB Yes 41-42 C#-C 1/54 1.9 10. Even from the depth SCTTBB Yes 11 B-Bb 1/54 1.9

Total 14/734 1.9

47

Table 3.4. Instances of the Cross Relation in Byrd’s Cantiones Sacrae (1575).



/ Total measure #s

%

1. Emendemus in melius

SATTB Yes 3-4 7 14-15 26-27

B-Bb F#-F F#-F F#-F

4/30 13.3

Secunda SATTB Yes 8-9 12-13

F-F# F#-F

2/21 9.5

2. Libera me Domine et pone me

SATTB Yes 28 C#-C 1/49 2.0

Secunda SAATB Yes 39-40 C#-C 1/94 1.1 3. Peccantem me quotidie

SATTB Yes 33 97 106

B-Bb B-Bb B-Bb

3/112 2.7

4. Aspice Domine quia facta

SSAATB Yes 57-58 A-Ab 1/102 1.0

5. Attollite portas SSAATB Yes 15 17 71-72

A-Ab D-Db A-Ab

3/105 2.9

6. Lux Beata Trinitas SSAATB No ----- ----- 0/26 0.0 Secunda No ----- ----- 0/28 0.0 Tertia Yes 9 A-Ab 1/54 1.9 7. Laudate pueri Dominum

No ----- ----- 0/107 0.0

8. Memento Homo No ----- ----- 0/41 0.0 9. Siderum Rector SSATB Yes 18 A-Ab 1/65 1.5 10. Da mihi auxilium SAATTB Yes 25 S-TI 1/115 0.9

Total 15/949 1.6

48

Table 3.5. Instances of the Cross Relation in Byrd’s Cantiones Sacrae (1589).



/ Total measure #s

%

1. Deficit in dolore SMCTTB No ----- ----- 0/69 0.02. Secunda SMCTTB No ----- ----- 0/52 0.03. Domine praestolamur

SAATB Yes 21 36

E-Eb B-Bb

2/69 2.9

4. Secunda SAATB Yes 10 12

Ab-A A-Ab

2/68 2.9

5. O Domine adiuva me

SAATB Yes 36-37 43-44

E-Eb E-Eb

2/80 2.5

6. Tristitia et anxietas SAATB Yes 3-4 42-43 47-48

50 67

B-Bb E-Eb B-Bb Eb-E B-Bb

5/112 4.5

7. Secunda No ----- ----- 0/63 0.08. Memento Domine SAATB Yes 12

34 70

E-Eb B-Bb A-Ab

3/90 3.3

9. Vide Domine afflictionem

SAATB Yes 8 14 22 25 26 32

A-Ab A-Ab A-Ab D-Db A-Ab D-Db

6/66 9.1

10. Secunda SAATB Yes 7 29

49-50

A-Ab A-Ab A-Ab

3/69 4.3

Total 23/738 3.1

49

Table 3.6. Instances of the Cross Relation in Byrd’s Gradualia (1607).


mm. #s

Pitches Occurrence of CR

/ Total measure #s

%

Puer natus est nobis SATB Yes 35 C-C# 1/75 1.3Ecce advenit AATB Yes 51 E-Eb 1/74 1.4Alleluia. Cognoverunt discipuli

SATB No ----- ----- 0/79 0.0

Resurrexi SSATB Yes 11 14 15 24 57 64

73-74

G#-G G#-G G#-G C#-C G#-G G#-G D#-D

7/79 8.9

Viri Galilaei AATBB No ----- ----- 0/71 0.0Spiritus Domini SSATB Yes 7 A-Ab 1/67 1.5Nunc scio vero SSATTB Yes 63 D#-D 1/79 1.3Total 11/524 2.1

Interpretation of the Data.

A ranking of collections by total occurrences of the cross relation in relation to the

total number of measures is found in Table 3.7

Table 3.7. Ranking of Collections by Number of Times the Cross-Relation Occurs Divided by the Number of Measures in the Collection.

Rank

Collection

Language

# of pieces with ≥1 occurrence of the crossRelation

%

1 Cantiones Sacrae (1589) Latin 23 / 738 3.12 Full Anthems English 18 / 698 2.63 Gradualia (1607) Latin 11 / 524 2.14 Psalmes, Sonets, and Songs English 14 / 734 1.95 Cantiones Sacrae (1575) Latin 15 / 949 1.66 Anthems from Secular Sources English 6 / 441 1.4

50

Table 3.7 shows that the cross relation is used almost equally in Byrd’s English

anthems and motets. This equality is reflected in the alternation between collections of

Latin motets and English anthems from highest ranking to lowest. Additionally, the small

margin of difference, 1.7%, between the highest ranking collection (1589 Cantiones

sacrae) and the lowest collection (Anthems from Secular Sources) shows the cross

relation to be used in a consistent manner throughout Byrd’s English anthems and Latin

motets. Table 3.8 illustrates the total number of times that the cross relation was found

divided by the total number of measures in the anthems and motets used for this study.

Table 3.8. Total Number of Cross Relations in Byrd’s English Anthems and Latin Motets.

Genre

Total Number of Cross Relations /

Number of Measures

%

Latin Motets 49 / 2211 2.2 English Anthems 38 / 1873 2.0

Table 3.8 shows that the cross relation occurs roughly 2% of the time in Byrd’s anthems

and motets. The data above suggests that the cross relation is a general characteristic of

Byrd’s compositional style.

The English Clash

The English clash, also known as a simultaneous cross relation, or clashing thirds,

refers to the simultaneous use of both major and minor thirds or sixths from the bass. The

English clash provides an outlet of expression, justified by the fact that both the major

and minor thirds are consonant with the bass. This clash is characteristic of English

51

composers.15An occurrence of the English clash in the collections examined is very rare.

In the anthems and motets studied, the English clash is found only in the following

locations.

Table 3.9. Instances of the English Clash in Examined Collections of Latin Motets and English Anthems.

Title Collection Measure # Pitches O Lord, Make Thy Servant Full Anthems 14

15 42

Db-D Db-D Db-D

Prevent Us, O Lord Full Anthems 36 Ab-A Save Me, O God Full Anthems 20

24 G#-G G#-G

Laudate Pueri Dominum Cantiones Sacrae(1575)

78 98

G-G# G-G#

Siderum Rector Cantiones Sacrae(1575)

52 A-Ab

The total percentage of number of occurrences of the English clash divided by the

total number of measures in the English anthems and Latin motets examined is

represented below in Table 3.10.

Table 3.10. Total Instances of the English Clash Divided by the Total Number of Measures in the English Anthems and Latin Motets.

Genre

Total Instances of the English Clash /

Total Number of Measures

%

English Anthems 6 / 1873 .3 Latin Motets 3 / 2211 .1

15 H. K. Andrews, The Technique of Byrd’s Vocal Polyphony, 108.

52

Because the English clash is represented almost equally across the two genres, it is

considered a general characteristic of Byrd’s style and will not be considered in the next

chapter.

Conclusion

An examination of the features listed above identifies compositional techniques in

Byrd’s Latin motets and English anthems. The following chapter will compare Byrd’s

settings of text and musical texture in order to determine how his compositional style

may have been affected by the reforms of the new Anglican Church.

53

CHAPTER IV

WILLIAM BYRD’S ENGLISH ANTHEMS AND LATIN

MOTETS: A STYLISTIC COMPARISON

Introduction

This chapter will present data collected for the purpose of a comparison between

William Byrd’s English anthems and Latin motets. The comparison will focus

specifically on the impact the Cranmerian reform may have had on the two genres. The

data collected is from the areas of text underlay and musical textures.

Text Underlay

In a 1544 letter to King Henry VIII, Thomas Cranmer made the observation that

church music should “not be full of notes, but, as near as may be, for every syllable a

note…”1 Cranmer’s suggestion lead to the 1548 mandate for “a plain and distinct note

for every syllable” 2 and for the substitution of English-texted anthems for the older

Latin-texted motets.

A comparison of text underlay seeks to determine how this mandate affected

Byrd’s English anthems, written specifically for the Anglican church with the one-note-

per-syllable laws in mind, and his Latin motets, written in the older melismatic style. The 1 Thomas Cranmer, “Letter to Henry VIII.” Source Readings in Music History. Ed. Oliver Strunk (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1950), 350-51. 2 Peter Le Huray, Music and the Reformation in England: 1549-1660 (New York: Oxford University Press, 1967), 9.

54

study of text underlay will take into account textual allotment and the ratio of notes per

syllable in Byrd’s English anthems and Latin motets. These aspects of text underlay will

be discussed more fully under their appropriate heading. A comparison of the entirety of

Byrd’s anthem and motet output is beyond the scope of this thesis, but a representative

sample of each genre will be studied from the following collections: the Full Anthems,

Anthems from Secular Sources, Psalmes, Sonets, and Songs (1588), Cantiones Sacrae

(1575), Cantiones Sacrae (1589), and the Gradualia (1607). The former three collections

are English anthems and the latter three are collections of Latin motets.

Ten of Byrd’s eleven full anthems and all of his anthems from secular sources (5)

will be examined. The full anthem, Exalt thyself, O God will be eliminated because the

text underlay is uncertain. The 1588 collection Psalmes, Sonets, and Songs has both

sacred and secular texts, thus only the anthems under the “Psalm” portion of the

collection will be examined. The “Psalm” portion of the collection includes 11 anthems.

The two collections of Cantiones Sacrae and the Gradualia are extensive and

have been limited for this study. The first ten motets in the Cantiones Sacrae (1575) and

the first ten motets in the Cantiones Sacrae (1589) have been selected for comparison.

The Gradualia (1607) was written for specific times during the church year (Christmas,

Epiphany, Easter, etc.), thus one motet from each liturgical heading will be selected,

yielding a total of seven motets.

The selection of motets and anthems spans Byrd’s compositional career in order

to get an accurate view of his style, encompassing any changes in style that may have

evolved throughout his career. Because Byrd’s full anthems and anthems from secular

55

sources were not published in his lifetime and because his anthems span Byrd’s tenure at

the Chapel Royal, motet collections that range from 1575-1607 have been chosen as

those that would cover a span of time similar to the English anthems.

The motets and anthems will be compared using The Byrd Edition.3 This edition

has been chosen because the editors have used Byrd’s original scores as their primary

source. The Byrd Edition is especially useful in documenting where text underlay is

uncertain. For example, the anthem Exalt thyself, O Lord, was eliminated from this study

because the exact textual underlay could not be verified.

Textual Allotment

The measurement of textual allotment quantifies the number of syllables that

receive one note and the number of syllables that receive more than one note. In the

charts below, this dichotomy will be represented in three ways: 1:1 indicates the amount

of times there is one note for one syllable. 2 or 3:1 indicates that there are two or three

notes per syllable, and ≥4 indicates that there are four or more notes per syllable. For

instance, in measures 1 and 2 of Example 4.1, the text “vita” is counted as 2 for the 1:1

category because each syllable has a distinct note. The melismatic passage on the first

syllable of the word “mea” is counted as 1 for the ≥ 4 category, because it is an instance

of one melisma in the passage. In measure 4 of the example, the first syllable of the word

“mea” is counted as 1 for the 2 or 3:1 category because it is one instance of 2 or 3 notes

to one syllable. 3 William Byrd, The Byrd Edition. Ed. Philip Brett, Craig Monson, et. al. 17 vols. London: Stainer & Bell, 1983.

56

Example 4.1. Defecit in Dolore, Tenor line.

This statistical analysis of Byrd’s music seeks to determine what percentage of a text is

set syllabically and what percentage is set melismatically. The category of 2 or 3:1 is a

middleground that is not syllabic or melismatic. It includes suspension figures, and eighth

note groupings (typical in a simple, duple meter). Because these are fairly typical, natural

occurrences in counterpoint of Byrd’s time, a classification of these figures as melismatic

or syllabic does not provide an accurate picture. Instead, the 2 or 3: 1 category serves as a

bridge between syllabic and neumatic text settings.

Full Anthems.

Table 4.1 indicates textual allotment for Byrd’s full anthems.

57

Table 4.1: Textual Allotment in Byrd’s Full Anthems.

Title

Parts

1:1 %

2 or 3:1 %

≥4:1 %

Arise, O Lord S 72 90.0 3 3.8 5 6.3 A 62 82.7 10 13.3 3 3.8 A 74 89.2 5 6.0 4 4.8 T 81 89.0 2 2.2 8 8.8 B 65 90.3 6 8.3 1 1.4 Total 354 88.3 26 6.5 21 5.2 Help us, O God S 70 94.6 2 2.7 2 2.7 A 72 91.1 4 5.1 3 3.8 A 64 91.4 4 5.7 2 2.9 T 65 87.8 5 6.8 4 5.4 T 70 90.9 4 5.2 3 3.9 B 69 92.0 5 6.7 1 1.3 Total 410 91.3 24 5.3 15 3.3 How long shall mine enemies S 162 94.7 6 3.5 3 1.8 A 151 89.3 12 7.1 6 3.6 A 177 92.2 8 4.2 7 3.6 T 179 92.3 9 4.6 6 3.1 B 159 97.5 3 1.8 1 0.6 Total 828 93.1 38 4.3 23 2.6 O God, the proud are risen S 138 93.2 6 4.1 4 2.7 S 111 92.5 4 3.3 5 4.2 A 126 91.3 8 5.8 4 2.9 A 129 89.6 12 8.3 3 2.1 T 142 95.3 5 3.4 2 1.3 B 121 96.0 1 0.8 4 3.2 Total 767 93.0 36 4.4 22 2.7 O God, whom our offences S 139 93.9 2 1.4 7 4.7 A 173 93.0 5 2.7 8 4.3 A 163 91.1 11 6.1 5 2.8 T 166 93.3 6 3.4 6 3.4 B 140 95.2 5 3.4 2 1.4 Total 781 93.2 29 3.5 28 3.3

58

Table 4.1. Continued.

O Lord, make thy servant S 108 93.9 5 4.3 2 1.7 A 114 89.8 6 4.7 7 5.5 A 115 92.0 7 5.6 3 2.4 T 126 94.0 5 3.7 3 2.2 T 113 93.4 5 4.1 3 2.5 B 106 95.5 3 2.7 2 1.8 Total 682 93.0 31 4.2 20 2.7 Out of the deep S 212 94.6 8 3.6 4 1.8 S 186 91.6 10 4.9 7 3.4 A 230 93.5 9 3.7 7 2.8 A 249 92.2 13 4.8 8 3.0 T 238 93.7 10 3.9 6 2.4 B 192 95.0 7 3.5 3 1.5 Total 1307 93.4 57 4.1 35 2.5 Prevent us, O Lord S 108 96.4 3 2.7 1 0.9 A 105 89.0 12 10.2 1 0.8 A 115 92.7 3 2.4 6 4.8 T 118 93.7 5 4.0 3 2.4 B 120 94.5 5 3.9 2 1.6 Total 566 93.2 28 4.6 13 2.1 Save me, O God S 172 96.6 5 2.8 1 0.6 S 157 94.6 9 5.4 0 0.0 A 169 94.9 7 3.9 2 1.1 T 156 96.3 6 3.7 0 0.0 B 182 98.4 3 1.6 0 0.0 Total 836 96.2 30 3.5 3 0.3 Sing joyfully unto God S 141 92.8 6 3.9 5 3.3 S 154 91.7 10 6.0 4 2.4 A 139 92.7 7 4.7 4 2.7 A 182 93.3 8 4.1 5 2.6 T 171 94.5 9 5.0 1 0.6 B 157 97.5 4 2.5 0 0.0 Total 944 93.7 44 4.4 19 1.9 Grand Total 7,475 93.2 343 4.3 199 2.5

59

Anthems from Secular Sources.

Table 4.2 indicates textual allotment for Byrd’s anthems from secular sources.

Table 4.2: Textual Allotment in Byrd’s Anthems from Secular Sources.

Title

Parts

1:1 %

2 or 3:1 %

≥4:1 %

Be unto me, O Lord S 75 89.3 6 7.1 3 3.6 S 88 88.0 7 7.0 5 5.0 T 104 92.9 2 1.8 6 5.4 B 73 91.3 3 3.8 4 5.0 Total 340 90.4 18 4.8 18 4.8Come, help, O God S 76 95.0 3 3.8 1 1.3 S 73 93.6 4 5.1 1 1.3 A 83 89.2 8 8.6 2 2.2 T 73 88.0 6 7.2 4 4.8 B 79 94.0 4 4.8 1 1.2 Total 384 91.9 25 6.0 9 2.2I laid me down to rest S 97 95.1 3 2.9 2 2.0 S 93 94.9 4 4.1 1 1.0 A 110 94.0 5 4.3 2 1.7 T 97 91.5 7 6.6 2 1.9 B 90 97.8 1 1.1 1 1.1 Total 487 94.6 20 3.9 8 1.6Look down, O Lord S 59 92.2 3 4.7 2 3.1 S 46 83.6 5 9.1 4 7.3 T 56 88.9 4 6.3 3 4.8 B 52 89.7 4 6.9 2 3.4 Total 213 88.8 16 6.7 11 4.6O praise our Lord S 332 92.7 12 3.4 14 3.9 S 319 91.1 16 4.6 15 4.3 A 364 93.6 14 3.6 11 2.8 T 351 93.6 15 4.0 9 2.4 B 271 94.8 7 2.4 8 2.8 Total 1,637 93.1 64 3.6 57 3.2 Grand Total 3.061 92.6 143 4.3 103 3.1

60

Psalmes, Sonets, and Songs (1588).

Table 4.3 indicates textual allotment for Byrd’s anthems included in the Psalmes,

Sonets, and Songs collection.

Table 4.3: Textual Allotment in Byrd’s Psalmes, Sonets, and Songs (1588).

Title

Parts

1:1 %

2 or 3:1 %

≥4:1 %

1. O God give ear S 133 96.4 3 2.2 2 1.4 M 151 95.6 5 3.2 2 1.3 CT 145 94.8 6 3.9 2 1.3 T 143 94.7 6 4.0 2 1.3 B 132 97.1 2 1.5 2 1.5 Total 704 95.7 22 3.0 10 1.4 2. Mine eyes with fervency S 36 94.7 2 5.3 0 0.0 M 64 95.5 3 4.5 0 0.0 CT 47 90.4 5 9.6 0 0.0 T 57 95.0 3 5.0 0 0.0 B 54 93.1 3 5.2 1 1.7 Total 258 93.8 16 5.8 1 0.4 3. My soul oppressed with care S 88 91.7 6 6.3 2 2.1 S 74 96.1 2 2.6 1 1.3 A 116 93.5 5 4.0 3 2.4 T 116 93.5 5 4.0 3 2.4 B 106 94.6 5 4.5 1 0.9 Total 500 93.8 23 4.3 10 1.9 4. How shall a young man S 79 87.8 8 8.9 3 3.3 S 67 97.1 2 2.9 0 0.0 A 95 90.5 5 4.8 5 4.8 T 101 92.7 6 5.5 2 1.8 B 87 95.6 4 4.4 0 0.0 Total 429 92.5 25 5.4 10 2.2

61


Title

Parts

1:1 %

2 or 3:1 %

≥4:1 %

5. Lord, how long wilt thou forget? S 102 96.2 1 0.9 3 2.8 A 123 96.1 2 1.6 3 2.3 A 78 97.5 1 1.3 1 1.3 T 106 93.0 7 6.1 1 0.9 B 105 96.3 3 2.8 1 0.9 Total 514 95.7 14 2.6 9 1.7 6. O Lord, who in thy sacred tent? S 83 90.2 4 4.3 5 5.4 S 80 97.6 2 2.4 0 0.0 A 111 94.9 5 4.3 1 0.9 T 113 92.6 6 5.0 3 2.5 B 96 94.1 4 3.9 2 2.0 Total 483 93.8 21 4.1 11 2.1 7. Help Lord, for wasted are those men S 80 88.9 7 7.8 3 3.3 S 77 97.5 1 1.3 1 1.3 A 99 90.8 7 6.4 3 2.8 T 102 93.6 5 4.6 2 1.8 B 90 91.8 8 8.2 0 0.0 Total 448 92.4 28 5.8 9 1.9 8. Blessed is he that fears the Lord S 83 89.2 6 6.5 4 4.3 S 65 97.0 2 3.0 0 0.0 A 85 92.4 6 6.5 1 1.1 T 89 92.7 4 4.2 3 3.1 B 104 97.2 3 2.8 0 0.0 Total 426 93.6 21 4.6 8 1.8 9. Lord in thy wrath S 73 90.1 5 6.2 3 3.7 S 61 96.8 2 0.3 0 0.0 A 74 88.1 9 10.7 1 1.2 T 65 90.3 3 4.2 4 5.6 B 63 90.0 6 8.6 1 1.4 Total 336 90.8 25 6.8 9 2.4

62


Title

Parts

1:1 %

2 or 3:1 %

≥4:1 %

10. Even from the depth S 38 95.0 2 5.0 0 0.0 CT 44 91.7 3 6.3 1 2.1 T 59 83.1 9 12.7 3 4.2 B 56 88.9 6 9.5 1 1.6 B 53 89.8 5 8.5 1 1.7 Total 250 89.0 25 8.9 6 2.1 Grand Total 4,348 93.5 220 4.7 83 1.8

Cantiones Sacrae (1575).

Table 4.4 indicates textual allotment in Byrd’s 1575 Cantiones Sacrae.

63

Table 4.4: Textual Allotment in Byrd’s Cantiones Sacrae (1575).

Title

Parts

1:1 %

2 or 3:1 %

≥4:1 %

1. Emendemus in melius S 73 95.8 0 0.0 4 5.2 A 70 92.1 4 5.3 2 2.6 T 74 96.1 0 0.0 3 3.9 T 73 91.3 3 3.8 4 5.0 B 78 100.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 Total 368 94.8 7 1.8 13 3.4 Secunda S 32 88.9 2 5.6 2 5.6 A 40 88.9 3 6.7 2 4.4 T 35 83.3 5 11.9 2 4.8 T 41 91.1 1 2.2 3 6.7 B 39 100.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 Total 187 90.3 11 5.3 9 43.5 2. Libera me Domine et pone me S 65 87.8 4 5.4 5 6.8 A 85 91.4 2 2.2 6 6.5 T 79 85.9 7 7.6 6 6.5 T 77 81.1 8 8.4 10 10.5 B 59 85.5 5 7.2 5 7.2 Total 365 86.3 26 6.1 32 7.6 Secunda S 147 90.2 5 3.1 11 6.7 A 191 92.7 4 1.9 11 5.3 A 142 88.2 6 3.7 13 8.1 T 163 88.1 8 4.3 14 7.6 B 145 91.2 6 3.8 8 5.0 Total 788 90.2 29 3.3 57 6.5 3. Peccantem me Quotidie S 181 94.3 7 3.6 4 2.1 A 231 92.8 10 4.0 8 3.2 T 199 91.3 6 2.8 13 6.0 T 216 89.3 15 6.2 11 4.5 B 153 91.6 13 7.8 1 0.6 Total 980 91.8 51 4.8 37 3.5

64


Title

Parts

1:1 %

2 or 3:1 %

≥4:1 %

4. Aspice Domine quia facta S 135 88.2 10 6.5 8 5.2 S 133 90.5 6 4.1 8 5.4 A 158 90.3 7 4.0 10 5.7 A 193 89.4 12 5.6 11 5.1 T 172 88.2 11 5.6 12 6.2 B 113 91.9 8 6.5 2 1.6 Total 904 89.1 60 5.9 51 5.0 5. Attollite Portas S 165 84.6 22 11.3 8 4.1 S 164 85.0 14 7.3 15 7.8 A 158 86.8 17 9.3 7 3.8 A 169 84.9 20 10.1 10 10.1 T 147 81.7 20 11.1 13 7.2 B 140 85.9 17 10.4 6 3.7 Total 943 84.8 110 9.9 59 5.3 6. O Lux Beata Trinitas S 39 97.5 0 0.0 1 2.5 S 48 96.0 2 4.0 0 0.0 A 51 94.0 2 3.7 1 1.9 A 44 97.8 1 2.2 0 0.0 T 41 91.1 4 8.9 0 0.0 B 38 95.0 2 5.0 0 0.0 Total 261 95.3 11 4.0 2 0.7 Secunda S 40 90.9 2 4.5 2 4.5 S 44 100.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 A 56 90.3 6 9.7 0 0.0 A 66 98.5 0 0.0 1 1.5 T 51 92.7 2 3.6 2 3.6 B 50 98.0 0 0.0 1 2.0 Total 307 95.0 10 3.1 6 1.9 Tertia S 73 96.1 1 1.3 2 2.6 S 94 92.2 4 3.9 4 3.9 A 76 95.0 1 1.3 3 3.8 A 108 93.9 2 1.7 5 4.3 T 74 94.9 1 1.3 3 3.8 B 99 94.3 2 1.9 4 3.8 Total 524 94.2 11 2.0 21 3.8

65

Table 4.4: Continued.

Title

Parts

1:1 %

2 or 3:1 %

≥4:1 %

7. Laudate pueri Domine S 174 86.1 19 9.4 9 4.4 A 196 83.1 26 11.0 14 5.9 A 171 79.5 22 10.2 22 10.2 T 178 86.0 17 8.2 12 5.8 B 175 86.2 19 9.4 9 4.4 B 169 84.5 23 11.5 8 4.0 Total 1063 84.2 126 10.0 74 5.9 8. Memento homo S 72 92.3 2 2.6 4 5.1 A 65 95.6 2 2.9 1 1.5 A 90 95.7 3 3.2 1 1.1 T 84 95.5 3 3.4 1 1.1 T 79 90.8 5 5.7 3 3.4 B 63 95.5 3 4.5 0 0.0 Total 453 94.2 18 3.7 10 2.1 9. Siderum rector S 131 94.2 6 4.3 2 1.4 S 127 88.2 12 8.3 5 3.5 A 158 93.5 5 3.0 6 3.6 T 116 90.0 9 7.0 4 3.1 B 113 92.6 5 4.1 4 3.3 Total 645 91.7 37 5.3 21 3.0 10. Da mihi auxilium S 173 93.0 5 2.7 8 4.3 A 173 88.7 13 6.7 9 4.6 A 201 90.5 9 4.1 12 5.4 T 190 89.6 5 2.4 17 8.0 T 193 89.8 10 4.7 12 5.6 B 154 93.3 6 3.6 5 3.0 Total 1084 90.7 48 4.0 63 5.3 Grand Total 8,872 89.8 555 5.6 455 4.6


Table 4.5 indicates textual allotment in Byrd’s 1589 Cantiones Sacrae.

66

Table 4.5: Textual Allotment in Byrd’s Cantiones Sacrae (1589).

Title

Parts

1:1 %

2 or 3:1 %

≥4:1 %

1. Deficit in dolore S 109 88.6 10 8.1 4 3.3 M 115 89.8 11 8.6 2 1.6 CT 131 89.7 11 7.5 4 2.7 T 116 91.3 5 3.9 6 4.7 B 118 92.2 9 7.0 1 0.7 Total 589 90.3 46 7.6 17 2.6 2. Secunda, S 81 82.7 8 8.2 9 9.2 Sed tu Domine M 80 81.6 7 7.1 11 11.2 CT 93 85.3 7 6.4 9 8.3 T 76 80.9 6 6.4 12 12.8 B 76 78.4 8 8.2 13 13.4 Total 406 81.9 36 7.3 54 10.9 3. Domine praestolamur S 89 90.8 3 3.1 6 6.1 A 113 85.6 9 6.8 10 7.6 A 110 88.7 5 4.0 9 7.3 T 113 89.7 5 4.0 8 6.3 B 107 95.5 3 2.7 2 1.8 Total 532 89.9 25 4.2 35 5.9 4. Secunda, S 106 88.3 6 5.0 8 6.7 Veni, Domine, noli tardare A 134 91.8 5 3.4 7 4.8 A 139 90.3 5 3.2 10 6.5 T 135 88.8 7 4.6 10 6.6 B 109 90.8 7 5.8 4 3.3 Total 623 90.0 30 4.3 39 5.6 5. O Domine adiuva me S 137 90.7 7 4.6 7 4.6 A 164 92.7 4 2.3 9 5.1 A 131 94.2 1 0.7 7 5.0 T 184 95.3 5 2.6 4 2.1 B 158 95.8 5 3.0 2 1.2 Total 774 93.8 22 2.7 29 3.5

67


Title

Parts

1:1 %

2 or 3:1 %

≥4:1 %

6. Tristitia et anxietas S 148 90.2 5 3.0 11 6.7 A 196 92.0 10 4.7 7 3.3 A 184 91.1 10 5.0 8 4.0 T 211 93.0 5 2.2 11 4.8 B 196 97.0 5 2.2 1 0.5 Total 935 92.8 35 3.5 38 3.8 7. Secunda, S 96 90.6 6 5.7 4 3.8 Sed tu, Domine A 106 92.2 3 2.6 6 5.2 A 124 90.5 5 3.6 8 5.8 T 134 92.4 8 5.5 3 2.1 B 76 88.4 7 8.1 3 3.5 Total 536 91.0 29 4.9 24 4.1 8. Memento Domine S 162 97.6 2 1.2 2 1.2 A 185 97.4 5 2.6 0 0.0 A 186 93.0 8 4.0 6 3.0 T 217 94.8 8 3.5 4 1.7 B 144 95.4 6 3.1 1 0.5 Total 894 95.5 29 3.1 13 1.4 9. Vide Domine afflictionem S 114 95.0 3 2.5 3 2.5 A 118 90.8 9 6.9 3 2.3 A 128 91.4 7 5.0 5 3.6 T 126 90.0 10 7.1 4 2.9 B 114 95.8 5 4.2 0 0.0 Total 600 92.4 34 5.2 15 2.3 10. Secunda, S 113 91.9 6 4.9 4 3.3 Sed veni, Domine A 112 91.1 4 3.3 7 5.7 A 111 86.0 7 5.4 11 8.5 T 133 88.1 11 7.3 7 4.6 B 117 95.1 2 1.6 4 3.3 Total 586 90.3 30 4.6 33 5.1 Grand Total 6,475 91.4 316 4.5 297 4.2

Gradualia (1607).

Table 4.6 indicates textual allotment in Byrd’s 1607 Gradualia.

68

Table 4.6: Textual Allotment in Byrd’s Gradualia (1607).

Title

Parts

1:1 %

2 or 3:1 %

≥4:1 %

Puer natus est nobis S 188 94.0 6 3.0 6 3.0 From “Nativitae Domini” A 203 93.1 9 4.1 6 2.8 T 206 94.1 5 2.3 8 3.7 B 152 95.6 3 1.9 4 2.5 Total 749 94.1 23 2.9 24 3.0 Ecce advenit A 171 88.1 9 4.6 14 7.2 From “In Epiphiania Domini” A 151 89.3 8 4.7 10 5.9 T 172 88.7 12 6.2 10 5.2 B 146 89.6 3 1.8 14 8.6 Total 640 88.9 32 4.4 48 6.7 Alleluia. Cognoverunt discipuli S 139 86.9 3 1.9 18 11.3 From “Post Pascha” A 153 86.0 8 4.5 17 9.6 T 119 90.8 4 3.1 8 6.1 B 130 86.1 10 6.6 11 7.3 Total 541 87.3 25 4.0 54 8.7 Resurrexi S 175 91.1 7 3.6 10 5.2 From “In Tempore Paschali” S 159 87.8 7 3.9 15 8.3 A 178 89.0 6 3.0 16 8.0 T 158 88.3 10 5.6 11 6.1 B 114 94.2 1 0.8 6 5.0 Total 784 89.8 31 3.6 58 6.6 Viri Galilaei A 206 94.1 8 3.7 5 2.3 From “Ascensione Domini” A 142 90.4 9 5.7 6 3.8 T 207 93.2 8 3.6 7 3.2 B 194 96.0 3 1.5 5 2.5 B 140 95.9 4 2.7 2 1.4 Total 889 94.0 32 3.4 25 2.6

69


Title

Parts

1:1 %

2 or 3:1 %

≥4:1 %

Spiritus Domini S 111 91.0 4 3.3 7 5.7 From “In Festo Pentecostes” S 149 86.6 16 9.3 7 4.1 A 188 89.5 16 7.6 6 2.9 T 159 89.8 14 7.9 4 2.3 B 112 94.1 5 4.2 2 1.7 Total 719 89.9 55 6.9 26 3.3 Nunc scio vero S 134 90.5 4 2.7 10 6.8 From “In Festo SS. Petri et Pauli S 122 89.7 7 5.1 7 5.1 A 189 90.4 9 4.3 10 4.8 T 137 89.5 10 6.5 6 3.9 T 205 92.8 6 2.7 10 4.5 B 175 96.2 3 1.6 4 2.2 Total 962 91.8 39 3.7 47 4.5 Grand Total 5,284 91.1 237 4.1 282 4.9

Interpretation of the Data

The data represented in tables 4.1-4.6 shows that the three collections of Byrd’s

English Anthems yield a higher rate of syllabic textual allotment than his Latin motets.

The data is summarized in Table 4.7

Table 4.7. Ranking of Collections from Most Syllabic to Least Syllabic.

Ranking Collection Language % of syllabic text1 Psalms, Sonets, and Songs (1588) English 93.5 2 Full Anthems English 93.2 3 Anthems from Secular Sources English 92.6 4 Cantiones Sacrae (1589) Latin 91.4 5 Gradualia (1607) Latin 91.1 6 Cantiones Sacrae (1575) Latin 89.8

70

A ranking of collections from most melismatic to least indicates the three Latin

collections as the most melismatic (see Table 4.8).

Table 4.8. Ranking of Collections from Most Melismatic to Least Melismatic.

Ranking Collection Language % of melismatic text1 Gradualia (1607) Latin 4.9 2 Cantiones Sacrae (1575) Latin 4.6 3 Cantiones Sacrae (1589) Latin 4.2 4 Anthems from Secular Sources English 3.1 5 Full Anthems English 2.5 6 Psalmes, Sonets, and Songs (1588) English 1.8

The data represented in Table 4.8 is an important counterpart to the data in Table

4.7 because the ranking of English anthems as more syllabic than the Latin motets does

not necessarily indicate that the motets are more melismatic than the anthems. This

disparity is due to the middle category, 2 or 3:1 which could sway the results for either

syllabic or melismatic text. An examination of the data shows that there is an exchange of

this nature found in the Latin collections. The 1575 Cantiones Sacrae, which has the least

syllabic settings, has the second highest melismatic collection.

Ratio of Notes Per Syllable

An examination of the ratio of notes per syllable seeks to determine the actual

number of notes that are set syllabically, and the actual number of notes that are set

melismatically. The data presented in the charts for textual allotment indicates how many

syllables were set syllabically and how many syllables were set melismatically. While

those charts show exactly how many notes are set syllabically, it fails to do the same for

the text that is set melismatically. This set of data seeks to find if the number of notes set

71

to melismas (i.e. 4 or more notes per syllable), are greater in the Latin motets, as

expected, or if they are actually higher in the English anthems. In reference to example

4.1, the allotment for the word “vita” in measure 1 of the example is counted the same (2

for category 1:1), but the melismatic passage is counted as 9 for the ≥4 category instead

of being counted as 1 in the textual allotment analysis. The example of “mea” in measure

4 of the example is counted as 2 for the 2 or 3:1 category instead of 1. Each note is

counted individually in this analysis.

Full Anthems.

Table 4.9 indicates the ratio of notes per syllable in Byrd’s full anthems.

72

Table 4.9. Ratio of Notes Per Syllable in Byrd’s Full Anthems.

Title

Parts

1:1 %

2 or 3:1 %

≥4:1 %

Arise, O Lord S 72 68.6 11 10.5 22 21.0 A 62 61.4 24 23.8 15 14.9 A 74 71.2 10 9.6 20 19.2 T 81 66.4 4 3.3 37 30.3 B 65 79.3 13 15.9 4 4.9 Total 354 68.9 62 12.1 98 19.1 Help us, O God S 70 81.4 4 4.7 12 14.0 A 72 77.4 8 8.6 13 14.0 A 64 79.0 8 9.9 9 11.1 T 65 63.1 12 11.7 26 25.2 T 70 68.6 8 7.8 24 23.5 B 69 79.3 12 13.8 6 6.9 Total 410 74.3 52 9.4 90 16.3 How long shall mine enemies S 162 86.2 14 7.4 12 6.4 A 151 69.3 25 11.5 42 19.3 A 177 79.4 9 4.0 37 16.6 T 179 78.5 18 7.9 31 13.6 B 159 93.5 7 4.1 4 2.4 Total 828 80.6 73 7.1 126 12.3 O God, the proud are risen S 138 84.7 8 4.9 17 10.4 S 111 80.4 7 5.1 20 14.5 A 126 78.8 16 10.0 18 11.3 A 129 75.9 20 11.8 21 12.4 T 142 87.1 10 6.1 11 6.7 B 121 85.2 2 1.4 19 13.4 Total 767 81.9 63 6.7 106 11.3 O God, whom our offences S 139 73.2 6 3.2 45 23.7 A 173 77.2 13 5.8 38 17.0 A 163 77.6 22 10.5 25 11.9 T 166 78.3 14 6.6 32 15.1 B 140 82.8 11 6.5 18 10.7 Total 781 77.7 66 6.6 158 15.7

73


Title

Parts

1:1 %

2 or 3:1 %

≥4:1 %

O Lord, make thy servant S 108 80.6 14 10.4 12 9.0 A 114 65.5 13 7.4 47 27.0 A 115 75.7 12 7.9 25 16.4 T 126 74.6 11 6.5 32 18.9 T 113 74.8 11 7.3 27 17.9 B 106 80.9 8 6.1 17 13.0 Total 682 74.8 69 7.6 160 17.6 Out of the deep 212 84.1 20 7.9 20 7.9 186 75.6 24 9.8 36 14.6 230 79.0 20 6.9 41 14.1 249 77.8 32 10.0 39 12.2 238 80.1 27 9.1 32 10.8 192 82.1 26 11.1 16 6.8 Total 1307 79.7 149 9.1 184 11.2 Prevent us, O Lord 108 90.0 7 5.8 5 4.2 105 72.4 27 18.6 13 9.0 115 70.1 8 4.9 41 25.0 118 80.3 13 8.8 16 10.9 120 85.1 13 9.2 8 5.7 Total 566 78.9 68 9.5 83 11.6 Save me, O God S 172 92.0 11 5.9 4 2.1 S 157 90.8 16 9.2 0 0.0 A 169 86.7 18 9.2 8 4.1 T 156 92.3 13 7.7 0 0.0 B 182 96.3 7 3.7 0 0.0 Total 836 91.6 65 7.1 12 1.3

74


Title

Parts

1:1 %

2 or 3:1 %

≥4:1 %

Sing joyfully unto God S 141 78.3 15 8.3 24 13.3 S 154 76.2 25 12.4 23 11.4 A 139 76.4 21 11.5 22 12.1 A 182 82.4 18 8.1 21 9.5 T 171 86.8 21 10.7 5 2.5 B 157 94.6 9 5.4 0 0.0 Total 944 82.2 109 9.5 95 8.3 Grand Total 7,475 79.8 776 8.3 1,112 11.9

Anthems from Secular Sources.

Table 4.10 shows the ratio of notes per syllable in Byrd’s anthems from secular

sources.

75

Table 4.10. Ratio of Notes Per Syllable in Byrd’s Anthems from Secular Sources.

Title

Parts

1:1 %

2 or 3:1 %

≥4:1 %

Be unto me, O Lord S 75 71.4 14 13.3 16 15.2 S 88 67.2 18 13.7 25 19.1 T 104 70.7 5 3.4 38 25.9 B 73 68.2 14 13.1 20 18.7 Total 340 69.4 51 10.4 99 20.2 Come, help, O God S 76 88.4 6 7.0 4 4.7 S 73 83.9 10 11.5 4 4.6 A 83 74.1 18 16.1 11 9.8 T 73 66.4 12 10.9 25 22.7 B 79 85.9 9 9.8 4 4.3 Total 384 78.9 55 11.3 48 9.9 I laid me down to rest S 97 84.3 8 7.0 10 8.7 S 93 86.9 10 9.3 4 3.7 A 110 81.5 10 7.4 15 11.1 T 97 79.5 16 13.1 9 7.4 B 90 91.8 3 3.1 5 5.1 Total 487 84.4 47 8.1 43 7.5 Look down, O Lord S 59 71.1 6 7.2 18 21.7 S 46 52.9 14 16.1 27 31.0 T 56 70.9 8 10.1 15 19.0 B 52 74.3 9 12.9 9 12.9 Total 213 66.8 37 11.6 69 21.6O praise our Lord S 332 76.7 27 6.2 74 17.1 S 319 72.8 35 8.0 84 19.2 A 364 78.3 29 6.2 72 15.5 T 351 78.7 30 6.7 65 14.6 B 271 81.1 18 5.4 45 13.5 Total 1637 77.4 139 6.6 340 16.1 Grand Total 3,061 76.7 329 8.2 599 15.0

Psalms, Sonets, and Songs (1588).

Table 4.11 shows the ratio of notes per syllable in the English anthems in Byrd’s

Psalmes, Sonets, and Songs collection.

76

Table 4.11. Ratio of Notes Per Syllable in Byrd’s Psalmes, Sonets, and Songs (1588).

Title

Parts

1:1 %

2 or 3:1 %

≥4:1 %

1. O God give ear S 133 86.4 9 5.8 12 7.8 M 151 85.3 14 7.9 12 6.8 CT 145 85.3 16 9.4 9 5.3 T 143 85.6 16 9.6 8 4.8 B 132 91.0 5 3.4 8 5.5 Total 704 86.6 60 7.4 49 5.7 2. Mine eyes with fervency S 36 90.0 4 10.0 0 0.0 M 64 91.4 6 8.6 0 0.0 CT 47 79.7 12 20.3 0 0.0 T 57 87.7 8 12.3 0 0.0 B 54 84.4 6 9.4 4 6.3 Total 258 86.6 36 12.1 4 1.3 3. My soul oppressed with care S 88 80.7 12 11.0 9 8.3 S 74 90.2 4 4.9 4 4.9 A 116 82.3 12 8.5 13 9.2 T 116 81.1 12 8.4 15 10.5 B 106 88.3 10 8.3 4 3.3 Total 500 84.0 50 8.4 45 7.6 4. How shall a young man S 79 64.2 22 17.9 22 17.9 S 67 94.4 4 5.6 0 0.0 A 95 71.4 13 9.8 25 18.8 T 101 81.5 15 12.1 8 6.5 B 87 89.7 10 10.3 0 0.0 Total 429 78.3 64 11.7 55 10.0 5. Lord, how long wilt thou forget? S 102 87.2 3 2.6 12 10.3 A 123 84.2 5 3.4 18 12.3 A 78 92.9 2 2.4 4 4.8 T 106 82.2 18 14.0 5 3.9 B 105 90.5 6 5.2 5 4.3 Total 514 86.8 34 5.7 44 7.4

77


Title

Parts

1:1 %

2 or 3:1 %

≥4:1 %

6. O Lord, who in thy sacred tent? S 83 72.2 10 8.7 22 19.1 S 80 95.2 4 4.8 0 0.0 A 111 87.4 12 9.4 4 3.1 T 113 79.6 16 11.3 13 9.2 B 96 85.7 8 7.1 8 7.1 483 83.3 50 8.6 47 8.1 7. Help Lord, for wasted are those men S 80 67.8 18 15.3 20 16.9 S 77 92.8 2 2.4 4 4.8 A 99 78.0 16 12.6 12 9.4 T 102 80.0 13 10.2 13 10.2 B 90 84.1 17 15.9 0 0.0 Total 448 80.0 66 11.7 49 8.7 8. Blessed is he that fears the Lord S 83 69.2 15 12.5 22 18.3 S 65 94.2 4 5.8 0 0.0 A 85 81.0 16 15.2 4 3.8 T 89 80.2 10 9.0 12 10.8 B 104 93.7 7 6.3 0 0.0 Total 426 82.6 52 10.1 38 7.4 9. Lord in thy wrath S 73 76.8 10 10.5 12 12.6 S 61 93.8 4 6.2 0 0.0 A 74 74.7 21 21.2 4 4.0 T 65 72.2 7 7.8 18 20.0 B 63 74.1 14 16.5 8 9.4 Total 336 77.4 56 12.9 42 9.7 10. Even from the depth S 38 90.5 4 9.5 0 0.0 CT 44 77.2 8 14.0 5 8.8 T 59 63.4 22 24.4 12 13.3 B 56 71.8 16 20.5 6 7.7 B 53 77.9 10 14.7 5 7.4 Total 250 74.0 60 17.8 28 8.3 Grand Total 4,348 82.4 528 10.0 401 7.6

78


Table 4.12 shows the ratio of notes per syllable in Byrd’s 1575 Cantiones Sacrae.

79

Table 4.12. Ratio of Notes Per Syllable in Byrd’s Cantiones Sacrae (1575).

Title

Parts

1:1 %

2 or 3:1 %

≥4:1 %

1. Emendemus in melius S 73 78.5 0 0.0 20 21.5 A 70 81.4 7 8.1 9 10.5 T 74 84.1 0 0.0 14 15.9 T 73 73.7 8 8.1 18 18.2 B 78 100.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 Total 368 82.9 15 3.4 61 13.7 Secunda S 32 74.4 5 11.6 6 14.0 A 40 70.2 8 14.0 9 15.8 T 35 60.3 11 19.0 12 20.7 T 41 70.7 2 3.4 15 25.9 B 39 100.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 Total 187 73.3 26 10.2 42 16.5 2. Libera me Domine et pone me S 65 61.9 9 8.6 31 29.5 A 85 61.6 5 3.6 48 34.8 T 79 54.9 17 11.8 48 33.3 T 77 51.0 18 11.9 56 37.1 B 59 57.3 11 10.7 33 32.0 Total 365 56.9 60 9.4 216 33.7 Secunda S 147 62.6 14 6.0 74 31.5 A 191 62.8 9 3.0 104 34.2 A 142 53.2 13 4.9 112 41.9 T 163 60.1 20 7.4 88 3.2 B 145 72.1 13 6.5 43 21.4 Total 788 61.7 69 5.4 421 32.9 3. Peccantem me Quotidie S 181 80.1 17 7.5 28 12.4 A 231 76.7 24 8.0 46 15.3 T 199 63.2 15 4.8 101 32.1 T 216 68.4 33 10.4 67 21.2 B 153 79.7 32 16.7 7 3.6 Total 980 72.6 121 9.0 249 18.4

80


Title

Parts

1:1 %

2 or 3:1 %

≥4:1 %

4. Aspice Domine quia facta S 135 66.5 23 11.3 45 22.2 S 133 67.9 15 7.7 48 24.5 A 158 65.3 16 6.6 68 28.1 A 193 65.0 29 9.8 75 25.2 T 172 63.2 26 9.6 74 27.2 B 113 71.1 19 11.9 27 17.0 Total 904 66.0 128 9.3 337 24.6 5. Attollite Portas S 165 61.3 50 18.6 54 20.1 S 164 54.1 32 10.6 107 35.3 A 158 65.3 41 16.9 43 17.8 A 169 60.1 51 18.1 61 21.7 T 147 54.4 50 18.5 73 27.0 B 140 59.8 40 17.1 54 23.1 Total 943 59.0 264 16.5 392 24.5 6. O Lux Beata Trinitas S 39 84.8 0 0.0 7 15.2 S 48 92.3 4 7.7 0 0.0 A 51 85.0 4 6.7 5 8.3 A 44 95.7 2 4.3 0 0.0 T 41 83.7 8 16.3 0 0.0 B 38 90.5 4 9.5 0 0.0 Total 261 88.5 22 7.5 12 4.1 Secunda S 40 71.4 4 7.1 12 21.4 S 44 100.0 0 0.0 0 0.0 A 56 81.2 13 18.8 0 0.0 A 66 93.0 0 0.0 5 7.0 T 51 77.3 5 7.6 10 15.2 B 50 87.7 0 0.0 7 12.3 Total 307 84.6 22 6.1 34 9.4 Tertia S 73 88.0 2 2.4 8 9.6 S 94 74.6 9 7.1 23 18.3 A 76 84.4 2 2.2 12 13.3 A 108 78.8 6 4.4 23 16.8 T 74 84.1 2 2.3 12 13.6 B 99 80.5 6 4.9 18 14.6 Total 524 81.0 27 4.2 96 14.8

81


Title

Parts

1:1 %

2 or 3:1 %

≥4:1 %

7. Laudate pueri Domine S 174 66.9 49 18.8 37 14.2 A 196 60.7 61 18.9 66 20.4 A 171 49.4 53 15.3 122 35.3 T 178 59.7 45 15.1 75 25.2 B 175 65.8 46 17.3 45 16.9 B 169 63.8 53 20.0 43 16.2 Total 1063 60.5 307 17.5 388 22.1 8. Memento homo S 72 73.5 6 6.1 20 20.4 A 65 82.3 6 7.6 8 10.1 A 90 88.2 7 6.9 5 4.9 T 84 86.6 6 6.2 7 7.2 T 79 71.8 13 11.8 18 16.4 B 63 91.3 6 8.7 0 0.0 Total 453 81.6 44 7.9 58 10.5 9. Siderum rector S 131 84.0 16 10.3 9 5.9 S 127 70.6 30 16.0 30 16.0 A 158 79.4 12 6.0 29 14.6 T 116 72.0 23 14.3 22 13.7 B 113 73.4 11 7.1 30 19.5 Total 645 75.3 92 10.7 120 14.0 10. Da mihi auxilium S 173 73.0 12 5.1 52 21.9 A 173 66.8 30 11.6 56 21.6 A 201 67.7 20 6.7 76 25.6 T 190 59.4 12 3.8 118 36.9 T 193 64.5 24 8.0 82 27.4 B 154 75.9 12 5.9 37 18.2 Total 1084 67.1 110 6.8 421 26.1 Grand Total 8,872 68.1 1,307 10.0 2,841 21.8


Table 4.13 shows the ratio of notes per syllable in Byrd’s 1589 Cantiones Sacrae.

82

Table 4.13. Ratio of Notes Per Syllable in Byrd’s Cantiones Sacrae (1589).

Title

Parts

1:1 %

2 or 3:1 %

≥4:1 %

1. Deficit in dolore S 109 72.7 21 14.0 20 13.3 M 115 74.7 25 16.2 14 9.1 CT 131 75.3 22 12.6 21 12.1 T 116 73.0 10 6.3 33 20.8 B 118 83.7 19 13.5 4 2.8 Total 589 75.7 97 12.5 92 11.8 2. Secunda, S 81 52.3 19 12.3 55 35.5 Sed tu Domine M 80 55.2 17 11.7 48 33.1 CT 93 56.4 18 9.3 54 32.7 T 76 48.7 14 9.0 66 42.3 B 76 69.1 19 17.3 15 13.6 Total 406 55.5 87 11.9 238 32.6 3. Domine praestolamur S 89 59.3 9 6.0 52 34.7 A 113 53.6 23 10.9 75 35.5 A 110 61.1 11 6.1 59 32.8 T 113 66.1 12 7.0 46 26.9 B 107 88.4 6 5.0 8 6.6 Total 532 64.0 61 7.3 240 28.84. Secunda, S 106 57.6 14 7.6 64 34.8Veni, Domine, noli tardare A 134 70.9 11 5.8 44 23.2 A 139 65.6 12 5.7 61 28.8 T 135 65.9 18 8.8 52 25.4 B 109 73.6 16 10.8 23 15.5 Total 623 66.4 71 7.6 244 26.0 5. O Domine adiuva me S 137 70.3 17 8.7 41 21.0 A 164 73.5 9 4.0 50 22.4 A 131 78.4 2 1.2 34 20.4 T 184 86.0 13 6.1 17 7.9 B 158 87.3 14 7.3 9 5.2 Total 774 79.0 55 5.6 151 15.46. Tristitia et anxietas S 148 67.6 11 5.0 60 27.4 A 196 75.7 23 8.9 40 15.4 A 184 74.2 26 10.5 38 15.3 T 211 74.0 11 3.9 63 22.1 B 196 92.9 10 4.7 5 2.4 Total 935 76.5 81 6.6 206 16.9

83

Table 4.13. Continued

Title

Parts

1:1 %

2 or 3:1 %

≥4:1 %

7. Sed tu, Domine A 106 73.6 7 4.9 31 21.5 A 124 69.3 12 6.7 43 24.0 T 134 79.3 19 11.2 16 9.5 B 76 66.7 18 15.8 20 17.5 Total 536 72.0 71 9.5 137 18.4 8. Memento Domine S 162 92.0 5 2.8 9 5.1 A 185 93.9 12 6.1 0 0.0 A 186 77.8 20 8.4 33 13.8 T 217 83.8 20 7.7 22 8.5 B 144 87.3 16 9.7 5 3.0 Total 894 86.3 73 7.0 69 6.7 9. Vide Domine afflictionem S 114 83.2 7 5.1 16 11.7 A 118 76.1 22 14.2 15 9.7 A 128 74.0 17 9.8 28 22.8 T 126 71.6 22 12.5 28 15.9 B 114 90.5 12 9.5 0 0.0 Total 600 78.2 80 10.4 87 11.3 10. Secunda, S 113 79.0 13 9.1 17 11.9 Sed veni, Domine A 112 65.5 11 6.4 48 28.1 A 111 61.0 18 9.9 53 29.1 T 133 67.5 24 12.2 40 20.3 B 117 83.0 5 3.5 19 13.5 Total 586 70.3 71 8.5 177 21.2 Grand Total 6,475 73.1 747 8.4 1,641 18.5

Gradualia (1607).

Table 4.14 shows the ratio of notes per syllable in Byrd’s 1607 Gradualia.

84

Table 4.14: Ratio of Notes Per Syllable in Byrd’s Gradualia (1607).

Title

Parts

1:1 %

2 or 3:1 %

≥4:1 %

Puer natus est nobis S 188 80.7 14 6.0 31 13.3 From “Nativitae Domini” A 203 69.5 25 8.6 64 21.9 T 206 79.2 10 3.8 44 16.9 B 152 86.4 7 4.0 17 9.7 Total 749 77.9 56 5.8 156 16.2 Ecce advenit A 171 66.3 23 8.9 64 24.8From “In Epiphiania Domini” A 151 65.4 23 10.0 57 24.7 T 172 65.6 30 11.5 60 22.9 B 146 63.2 8 3.5 77 33.3 Total 640 65.2 84 8.6 258 26.3 Alleluia. Cognoverunt discipuli S 139 55.8 8 3.2 102 41.0From “Post Pascha” A 153 56.0 20 7.3 100 36.6 T 119 62.3 10 5.2 62 32.5 B 130 56.8 25 10.9 74 32.3 Total 541 57.4 63 6.7 338 35.9 Resurrexi S 175 65.5 17 6.4 75 28.1From “In Tempore Paschali” S 159 56.0 17 6.0 108 38.0 A 178 57.8 15 4.9 115 37.3 T 158 62.9 22 8.8 71 28.3 B 114 70.4 2 1.2 46 28.4 Total 784 61.6 73 5.7 415 32.6 Viri Galilaei A 206 81.7 20 7.9 26 10.3From “Ascensione Domini” A 142 72.8 22 11.3 31 15.9 T 207 79.3 20 7.7 34 13.0 B 194 84.0 7 3.0 30 13.0 B 140 85.4 12 7.3 12 7.3 Total 889 80.6 81 7.3 133 12.1

85


Title

Parts

1:1 %

2 or 3:1 %

≥4:1 %

Spiritus Domini S 111 70.7 9 5.7 37 23.6 From “In Festo Pentecostes” S 149 64.1 41 17.7 41 17.7 A 188 73.2 41 15.6 28 10.9 T 159 76.8 30 14.5 18 8.7 B 112 85.5 11 8.4 8 6.1 Total 719 73.1 132 13.4 132 13.4 Nunc scio vero S 134 66.7 10 5.0 57 28.4 From “In Festo SS. Petri et Pauli S 122 69.7 19 10.9 34 19.4 A 189 69.5 23 8.5 60 22.1 T 137 68.8 26 13.1 36 18.1 T 205 74.3 16 5.8 55 19.9 B 175 85.8 7 3.4 22 10.8 Total 962 72.5 101 7.6 264 19.9 Grand Total 5,284 69.8 590 7.8 1,696 22.4


The data shown in Table 4.9-4.14 shows that the Latin motets have a higher

percentage of notes set melismatically than do the English anthems. The data is

summarized in Table 4.15.

Table 4.15. Ranking of Collections by the Number of Notes Set Melismatically.

Ranking Collection Language % of ≥ 4 1 Gradualia (1607) Latin 22.4 2 Cantiones Sacrae (1575) Latin 21.8 3 Cantiones Sacrae (1589) Latin 18.5 4 Anthems from Secular Sources English 15.0 5 Full Anthems English 11.9 6 Psalmes, Sonets, and Songs English 7.6

86

The ranking of the three Latin collections in the table above confirms the belief

that Byrd approached his Latin motets and his English anthems differently. The

counterpart to Table 4.15 is found in Table 4.16, which shows the collections ranked

from most syllabic to most melismatic.

Table 4.16. Ranking of Collections by the Number of Notes Set Syllabically.

Ranking Collection Language % of 1:1 1 Psalmes, Sonets, and Songs (1588) English 82.4 2 Full Anthems English 79.8 3 Anthems from Secular Sources English 76.7 4 Cantiones Sacrae (1589) Latin 73.1 5 Gradualia (1607) Latin 69.8 6 Cantiones Sacrae (1575) Latin 68.1

As expected, the English collections are more syllabic. It is important to note the

significant gap between the highest syllabic ranking (Psalmes, Sonets, and Songs) with

82.4% and the lowest (1575 Cantiones Sacrae) with 68.1%, yielding a difference of

14.3%.

It should also be noted that the bass part tends to be the most syllabic voice part in

both the anthems and motets. This trend is most likely because the bass’s role as the

foundation of the harmony lends itself to sustaining a single pitch for longer periods of

time. This fundamental grounding allows the upper parts to carry most of the melismatic

material without losing a sense of harmonic structure.

The data presented for text underlay provides a statistically grounded comparison

of Byrd’s English anthems and Latin motets. In the study of texts-to-syllables ratios and

note-to-note ratios, the English anthems are on all accounts more syllabic, and the Latin

87

motets are on all accounts more melismatic. This data suggests that Byrd’s approach to

text underlay was different in the anthems and motets. This difference can, perhaps, be

attributed to the sanctions enforced by Thomas Cranmer, Henry VIII, and later, Edward

VI and Elizabeth I.

Musical Textures

An examination of musical textures between Byrd’s English anthems and Latin

motets can also yield important information about his compositional style. Frequently,

syllabic music goes hand-in-hand with a homophonic texture, and melismatic music can

be aligned with a polyphonic texture. This study will aim to identify textures in Byrd’s

Latin motets and English anthems as a means of comparison between the two genres.

In this examination, four categories of musical texture will be used for

comparison: 1.) homophony, 2.) homophonic mix, 3.) polyphonic mix, and 4.)

polyphony. These four textures proceed from homophony, which is a section that

proceeds in rhythmic unison, to polyphony, a texture in which no two parts are in

rhythmic unison for the duration of the measure. The homophonic mix is a texture that is

mostly homorhythmic, having a single rhythm shared by the majority of the parts. A

polyphonic mix is a texture that is mostly rhythmically independent, having a single

rhythm shared by a minority of the parts. These textures are calculated every measure.

These findings are only a general indication of the textures involved in any given motet

or anthem, and are somewhat subjective, since the distinction between purely polyphonic

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measures and measures that are a polyphonic mix is not concrete. The collections

involved are the same as those used for text underlay.

Full Anthems

Table 4.17 shows the distribution of musical texture in Byrd’s full anthems.

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Table 4.17. Distribution of Musical Texture throughout Byrd’s Full Anthems

Title Homophony Measure #s

Homophonic Mix Measure #s

Polyphonic Mix Measure #s

Polyphony Measure #s

Arise, O Lord 15-18, 38 9-10, 20 11-14, 19, 21-37 1-8 Help us, O God 1-6, 11-12,

26-29, 33 13, 15, 30 14, 21-22, 31-32 7-10, 16-20,

23-25 Exalt thyself, O God

16, 40-41, 69-70, 95-96

15, 17-24, 35-36, 42-44, 71-75, 86, 94, 97-100, 111

48, 62-64, 76, 81, 85, 87-88, 92

1-14, 25-34, 37-39, 45-47, 49-61, 65-68, 77-80, 82-84, 89-91, 93, 101-10

How long shall mine enemies

63 21-22, 28-31, 64-65

5, 15, 23-27, 32-46, 56

1-4, 6-14, 16-20, 37-55, 57-62

O God, the proud are risen

26, 31, 49 8-16, 27-28, 30, 34, 37-38, 50-53, 61, 66

29, 32, 35-36, 39, 44, 48, 54-60, 62-63

1-7,17-25, 33, 40-43, 45-47, 64-65

O God, whom our offences

1-4 5-12, 33, 46, 50-51, 53, 56, 68, 70, 74

34, 47, 49 13-32, 35-45, 48, 52, 54-55, 57-67, 69, 71-73

O Lord, make thy servant, Elizabeth

1-3, 24-26, 44, 49

4, 9-11, 16-19, 27 12, 20-23, 28, 45-48

5-8. 13-15, 29-43

Out of the deep 17, 27, 47-52, 81, 84

11, 13, 16, 18-22, 26, 28-30, 32-33, 43-46, 53-59, 82-83, 85-87

9-10, 12, 16, 23-25, 34-42, 60-66, 90

1-8, 14-15, 31,67-80, 88-89

Prevent us, Lord

1-5, 19-24, 32

18, 33-43 6, 8, 25 7, 9-17, 26-31

Save me, O God

16-19, 37-44 5-6, 11-15, 20-21, 25-28, 32, 45-54, 57

9-10, 22-24, 33-34, 55-56

1-4, 7-8, 29-31, 35-36

Sing joyfully unto God

30, 50, 70 10-16, 31-39, 51, 69

55-59 1-9, 17-29, 40-49, 52-54, 60-68

Total measures 77 172 126 327 Percentage 11.0 24.5 17.9 46.6

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Anthems from Secular Sources

Table 4.18 shows the distribution of musical texture throughout Byrd’s anthems

from secular sources.

Table 4.18: Distribution of Musical Textures Throughout Byrd’s Anthems from Secular Sources.





Be unto me, O Lord

1-4, 7-13, 21, 54b

5-6, 31-44 14-20 22-30, 45-55

Come, help, O God

1, 4, 8-9, 19-20, 38, 39, 48-56, 69

2-3, 5, 7, 10-11, 12-16, 18, 21-28, 31, 37, 40-41, 45, 46-47, 60-61, 63, 64, 68

6, 17, 29-30, 32-36, 42-44, 57-59, 62, 65, 66-67

I laid me downto rest

2-3, 29, 37-38, 70

1, 4-6, 9-12, 17-28, 30-36, 39-45, 54, 58

7-8, 13-16, 46-50, 52-53, 55-57, 59-65, 69

51, 66-68

Look down, O Lord

15-18, 39-41, 51

6, 8-10, 13-14, 19-21, 25-32, 42, 43

1-5, 7, 11-12, 22-24, 33-37, 44-50

O praise our Lord

41, 67, 94, 140-44, 146,154-56, 180,193

6-7, 10-14, 21-22,40, 68-71, 80, 93, 119-23, 145, 147, 152-53, 157-59, 161-64, 172, 179, 181-82

1-5, 8-9, 15-20, 23-39, 46-47, 50-53, 75-76, 81-85, 88-90, 99, 130-31, 134, 139, 148-51, 160, 170-71, 173-78, 183-92

42-45, 48-49, 54-66, 72-74, 77-79, 86-87, 91-92, 95-98, 100-18, 124-29, 132-33, 135-38,165-69

Total Measures

59 138 147 93

Percentage 13.5 31.6 33.6 21.3

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Psalmes, Sonets, and Songs (1588)

Table 4.19 shows the distribution of musical textures throughout the anthems in

Byrd’s Psalmes, Sonets, and Songs collection.

Table 4.19: Distribution of Musical Textures Throughout Byrd’s Psalmes, Sonets, and Songs (1588).

Title HomophonyMeasure #s

Homophonic MixMeasure #s



1. O God Give Ear 50-53, 110 1-24, 54-68, 76-98

25-36 69-75, 99-109

2. Mine eyes with Fervency

27, 46 7-21, 28-30 23-24 1-6, 22, 25-26, 31-45

3. My soul oppressed with care

77 14-22, 28-35 23-27, 41-76 1-13, 36-40

4. How shall a young Man

15, 24, 36, 73

16, 23, 35 13-14, 19-22, 24-29, 37-42, 50-55

1-12, 17-18, 30-34, 43-49, 56-72

5. O Lord, how long wilt thou forget?

11-12, 73 24-25, 50, 70, 72 13-23, 35-49, 51-64, 71

1-10, 26-34, 65-69

6. Lord, who in thy sacred tent?

22-23, 63-72, 79

1-4, 9-10, 15-17, 24, 32-33, 46

11-14, 18-21, 25, 29-31, 34-45, 58-62

5-8, 26-28, 49-57, 73-78

7. Help, Lord, for wasted are those Men

78 12-13 33 1-11, 14-28, 34-77

29-32

8. Blessed is he who fears the Lord

80 20-26, 33-34 7-12, 27-32, 41-64

1-6, 12-20, 35-40, 65-79

9. Lord in thy wrath 27, 54 1-5, 29-30, 40, 44-45, 48

8-12, 28, 31-39, 43, 46-47, 49-53

6-7, 13-26, 41-42

10. Even from the depth

54 8-10, 13 1-7, 11-12, 14-53

11. I joy not in no Earthly bliss

1-5, 8-13, 30

6-7, 14-15 16-29

Total measures 45 146 282 270 Percentage 6.1 19.7 38.0 36.3

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Cantiones Sacrae (1575)

Table 4.20 shows the distribution of musical textures throughout Byrd’s 1575

Cantiones Sacrae.

Table 4.20: Distribution of Musical Textures Throughout Byrd’s 1575 Cantiones Sacrae.

Title HomophonyMeasure #s




1. Emendemus in melius

1-2, 5-6, 8, 12-16, 24, 32, 52

3-4, 7, 9-11, 17-23, 25-31, 33-51

Secunda 1, 12, 20 2-6, 8-11, 1 3-17

18-19 7

2. Libera me Domine et pone me

28-30, 49 1-27, 31-48

Secunda 91 54-58 50-53, 67 1-49, 59-66, 68-90

3. Peccantem me Quotidie

32 51, 56 33-36, 41-43 1-31, 37-40, 44-50, 52-55, 57-112

4. Aspice Domine quia facta

38-39, 101 50-73 1-37, 40-49, 74-100

5. Attolite portas 71, 84, 105 31, 48 49-58, 72-78, 85-91

1-30, 32-47, 59-70, 79-83, 92-104

6. O lux beata trinitas 26 1-5 6-25 Secunda 1-6, 12-13 7-11, 14-28 Tertia 53 1-52 7. Laudate pueri Dominum

16, 107 15, 27, 31, 39-40

1-14, 17-26, 28-30, 32-38, 41-106

8. Memento homo 41 6 1-5, 7-40 9. Siderum rector 1-7, 13-17,

19, 24, 65 8-12, 18, 21-22, 25-28, 42

20, 23, 29-35, 43

36-41, 44-64

10. Da mihi auxilium 115 36-37 1-35, 38-114 Total Measures 39 104 105 728 Percentage 4.0 10.7 10.8 74.6

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Cantiones Sacrae (1589)

Table 4.21 shows the distribution of musical textures throughout Byrd’s 1589

Cantiones Sacrae.

Table 4.21. Distribution of Musical Textures Throughout Byrd’s 1589 Cantiones Sacrae.





1. Deficit in dolore 69 1-68 2. Secunda 52 1-51 3. Domine praestolamur

68 8-12, 22-23, 35-36

1-7, 13-21, 24-34, 37-67

4. Secunda 68 44, 48, 53 1-43, 45-47, 49-52, 54-67

5. O Domine adiuva me

78 61, 77 18-26, 41-46, 49-50, 62-63, 68-72

1-17, 27-35, 38-40, 47-48, 51-60, 64-67, 73-76

6. Tristitia et anxietas

1-5, 9-11, 112

6-8, 43-47, 82-83 48-51, 55, 76, 80-81

12-42, 52-54, 56-75, 77-79, 84-111

7. Secunda 43-44, 63 38 26-27, 39-40, 45-47

1-25, 28-37, 41-42, 48-62

8. Memento Domine 48-49 50, 82, 89 53-56, 63, 83 1-47, 51-52, 57-62, 64-81, 84-88

9. Vide Domine afflictionem

12-24, 23, 66

1-7, 15-18, 22, 24, 29-35, 46, 65

25-28, 47-53 8-11, 19-21, 36-45, 54-64

10. Secunda 15 1-2, 16-19, 27-31, 70

3-6, 20-26, 50-52, 61-69

7-14, 32-49, 53-60

Total Measures 34 51 91 567 Percentage 4.6 6.9 12.2 76.3

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Gradualia (1607)

Table 4.22. Distribution of Musical Textures Throughout Byrd’s Gradualia (1607).





1. Puer natus est nobis

23, 45, 55-58, 61, 74

24, 59-60, 62-63, 66

15-16, 25-35, 39, 43-44, 72-73

1-14, 17-22, 36-38, 40-42, 46-54, 64-65, 67-71

2. Ecce advenit 32, 50, 56-57, 74

51-53, 58 24-25, 59-60 1-23, 26-31, 33-49, 54-55, 61-73

3. Alleluia. Cognoverunt discipuli

10-11, 50-51

9, 12-15, 31, 52-56, 71, 78

19, 49, 57-70 1-8, 16-18, 20-30, 32-48, 72-77

4. Resurrexi 14-16, 56, 63, 77

17, 23, 39, 64 9, 18-20, 24-27, 57

1-8, 10-13, 21-22, 28-38, 40-55, 58-62, 65-76

5. Viri Galilaei 1, 33, 48, 54-55, 71

2-4, 49, 56, 59 5-6, 34-35, 50-53, 60-61

7-32, 36-47, 57-58, 62-70

6. Spiritus Domini 28, 53, 66 5-7, 11-12, 15-17, 48-50, 59

8-10, 18-24, 51-52, 54-58

1-4, 13-14, 25-27, 29-47, 60-65

7. Nunc scio vere 40, 57, 80 58-65, 67 66, 68 1-39, 41-56, 69-79

Total Measures 35 54 76 310 Percentage 7.4 11.4 16.0 65.3


The data in Tables 4.17-4.22 show that the rate of homophony and a homophonic mix

texture are higher in the English anthems than in the Latin motets. This data is

summarized in Table 4.23 below.

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Table 4.23. Percentage of Homophonic and Homophonic Mix Textures in Byrd’s English Anthems and Latin Motets.

Rank Title Language % of HomophonicTextures

1 Anthems from Secular Sources English 45.1 2 Full Anthems English 35.5 3 Psalmes, Sonets, and Songs (1588) English 25.8 4 Gradualia (1607) Latin 18.8 5 Cantiones Sacrae (1589) Latin 11.5 6 Cantiones Sacrae (1575) Latin 10.9

The data in Tables 4.17-4.22 also shows that the percentages of polyphonic and

polyphonic mix textures are higher in the Latin motets than in the English anthems. This

data is summarized in Table 4.24.

Table 4.24. Percentage of Polyphonic and Polyphonic Mix Textures in Byrd’s English Anthems and Latin Motets.

Rank Title Language % of PolyphonicTextures

1 Cantiones Sacrae (1589) Latin 88.5 2 Cantiones Sacrae (1575) Latin 85.4 3 Gradualia (1607) Latin 81.3 4 Psalmes, Sonets, and Songs (1588) English 74.3 5 Full Anthems English 64.5 6 Anthems from Secular Sources English 54.9

This data supports the belief that reforms in the church affected Byrd’s

compositional style. The polyphonic texture that was most often used in Byrd’s Latin

motets was consistent with the older generation of English Catholic composers, and also

consistent with Ferrabosco and Lassus, continental Catholics whose music influenced

Byrd’s compositional style.

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There are aspects of Byrd’s style that cannot be gleaned from the figures above.

First, a distinction between textures in Byrd’s music does not take into account an aspect

like text painting as the reason for a texture or a change in texture. For example, in the

anthem O Lord, who in thy sacred tent? Byrd accurately sets the phrase “the truth doth

speak with singleness” in a homophonic texture (see Example 4.2).

Example 4.2: William Byrd, O Lord, who in thy sacred tent?

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Example 4.2. Continued.

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Furthermore, the next phrase, “all falsehood set apart” moves from a homophonic

texture to a polyphonic one, so that the texture is actually “set apart” (see Example 4.2).

As discussed in chapter II, this is an example of overt text painting that is often found in

Byrd’s English anthems.

The statistical data in this chapter shows that Byrd approached his English

anthems and Latin motets differently. In areas of text underlay and musical texture,

Byrd’s English anthems are shown to be more syllabic and homophonic than the Latin

motets. This is consistent with the mandates of the Church of England. Byrd’s Latin

motets are shown to be more melismatic and polyphonic, which is consistent with Byrd’s

Catholic upbringing and desire to remain true to that faith.

Conclusion

This thesis compares William Byrd’s English anthems and Latin motets in light of

the social, political, and religious climate during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth

centuries. In particular, it focuses on the effects of the mandated syllabic compositional

style in the newly consolidated Church of England.

The data shows that the primary compositional style of Byrd’s Latin motets

differs from that of the compositional style found in his English anthems. In keeping with

the Cranmer dictum, the English anthems are more syllabic and more homophonic than

the Latin motets. This data suggests that Byrd’s compositional style was influenced by

the reforms of the Anglican Church.

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The findings of this thesis delineate two distinct compositional styles. On one

hand, there are the Latin motets representing Byrd’s Catholic faith, featuring imitative

polyphony and frequent melismatic material. On the other hand, the English anthems

follow guidelines for a clearly understood syllabic, homophonic compositional style.

Both the anthems and the motets are mostly polyphonic and mostly syllabic, but the ratio

of polyphony is higher in the examined collections of Latin motets and the ratio of

syllabic composition is higher in the examined collections of English anthems.

The textual and textural features examined in this thesis are not an exhaustive

means of comparison between Byrd’s Latin motets and English anthems. This study does

not compare melodic or rhythmic styles, nor does it compare harmony, voice-leading, or

overall formal development between the two genres. This thesis does show a quantitative

distinction between the textual and textural settings of Byrd’s anthems and motets in light

of the political, social, and religious climate of the time. Loyal to both his English

heritage and his Catholic faith, Byrd found a way to weave aspects of each into a unique

compositional fabric. Byrd’s English anthems and Latin motets tell a story of faith and

devotion that continues to resonate hundreds of years after his death.

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