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Track(s) taken from CDS44461/7

Gloria tibi Trinitas, BK50

composer
Tomkins (No 9, p 36). [Neighbour, p 110]

Davitt Moroney (organ)
Recording details: September 1991
Église-Musée des Augustins, Toulouse, France
Produced by Nicholas Parker
Engineered by Mike Hatch
Release date: September 1999
Total duration: 1 minutes 46 seconds

Cover artwork: Phoenix. A glass window specially designed, made and photographed by Malcolm Crowthers.
 

The influence of Thomas Tallis is clear in this setting of the Dorian mode plainsong. The text of the chant is Gloria tibi trinitas equalis una deitas et ante omnia secula et nunc et in perpetuum (‘Glory be to you, Trinity, one equal Godhead, from before all centuries, now and for ever’), the Sarum rite antiphon to the Psalm Laudate pueri at Vespers on Trinity Sunday. It is undoubtedly one of Byrd’s earliest pieces, and includes what appears to be a deliberate quotation from Tallis’s own setting of the same plainsong. Byrd, as did his mentor, uses the cantus fractus technique described above in the note to his first Miserere setting (BK66). The highly ornamented left hand is built out of the plainsong, which ends up being quite unrecognisable. The appearance of an additional voice in the last few bars is typical of Byrd’s plainsong settings for keyboard. The work is played here at 5’ pitch.

from notes by Davitt Moroney © 1999

L’influence de Thomas Tallis est évidente dans cette pièce basée sur le plain-chant, en mode dorien (ré mineur). Le texte du plain-chant, Gloria tibi trinitas equalis una deitas et ante omnia secula et nunc et in perpetuum (“Gloire à la trinité, trois personnes égales dans l’unique divinité, depuis les siècles, maintenant, et à tout jamais”) est l’antienne du rite Sarum pour le psaume Laudate pueri, aux Vêpres du Dimanche de la Trinité. C’est sans doute l’une des premières pièces de Byrd. Elle renferme ce qui semble être une citation délibérée d’une composition de Tallis, basée sur le même plain-chant. Comme l’a fait son maître, Byrd utilise la technique de cantus fractus. La main gauche est très ornée, “tirée du, et non pas faite sur le plain-chant”, comme dirait Morley. En effet, la mélodie n’est plus reconnaissable. L’ajout d’une voix supplémentaire dans les dernières mesures est typique de Byrd dans ce genre d’œuvre. Ici on l’entend au diapason de cinq pieds.

extrait des notes rédigées par Davitt Moroney © 1999

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