Victoria’s Coronation Mass
While King Charles III had his coronation earlier this year in May, the Tallis Choir offers the spectacular music featured at the Coronation Entry into Madrid of Philip III in 1599.
Programme Notes
“God, who has given me so many kingdoms, has denied me a son capable of ruling them.” — Philip II
In April 1599, Philip II was finally dying at El Escorial, the royal monastery he commissioned following a major military victory that coincided with the feast day of Saint Lawrence. The palace may have been laid out architecturally to resemble the red-hot gridiron upon which the saint was tortured. An apt image, for the king was dying of an agonizing wasting disease. The only consolation for the master of the Armada was to open the little window in his bedroom which looked out into the church. His final balm was to hear the music of the great composers of his realm: Tomás Luis de Victoria, Francisco Guerrero, Juan Esquivel, Alonso Lobo, and Sebastián de Vivanco.
Chief among the waiting courtiers was the heir to the throne, the Infante Philip. The twenty-year-old prince, undoubtedly aware of Philip II’s cutting disapproval, was the opposite of the ascetic, melancholic king. Within hours of his father’s funeral, he had left El Escorial, with its memories of endless devotions, and had begun a reign of splendid secular indulgence. The ceremonial inauguration of Philip III, however, presented a problem. Technically, Philip had succeeded to several crowns under the suzerainty of Spain. The ancient kingdoms of Aragon and Castille—joined but never united by Ferdinand and Isabella in the late fifteenth century—each had their own traditions which they jealously guarded. The new king had to maintain royal households not only in those kingdoms, but also in the new capital of Madrid. There were at least four royal choirs, including the Burgundian chapel which his grandfather, Charles V, had brought from Flanders—the famous capilla flamenca.
The problem of multiple coronations—and their formidable cost—was solved with a classic exercise of the Emperor’s new clothes. The king would not have a coronation at all, but would make a royal entry into Madrid and be acclaimed as if he had just been crowned! We should never underestimate the capacity of Renaissance rulers to legitimize state fiction with dazzling ceremonial and superb music. On July 26, 1599, Philip III made his Coronation Entry into Madrid. The centrepiece of the entry was the high mass sung in the cathedral. Here was the apogee of Renaissance Spanish music, crowning the great succession of composers from Cristóbal de Morales to Tomás Luis de Victoria. The faux-coronation of 1599 must have been an extraordinary display of the nation’s talent.
This evening’s concert recreates what the “Missa pro Rege”—the Mass for the King—may have sounded like. To the polyphony of the period has been added the traditional Gregorian chant used for readings and prayers.
Your applause is invited at the conclusion of each half of the programme
| Intrada: Pavanne “La Bataille” | Tielman Susato (d. 1561) |
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When the kings of Spain entered the cathedrals of their realm, they were invariably greeted with the resplendent sound of organs in the galleries above the west door. These Spanish organs were world-famous for their snarling reeds and fiery trumpets en chamade—pipes mounted like real brass instruments. In some cathedrals, they were played only when royal personages entered in state. A perennial favourite on such occasions was Clement Jannequin’s chanson, La Bataille, which depicted a battle scene replete with fanfares, marching soldiers, rattling muskets, and pounding cannons. It quickly became a model for mass composition: Jannequin himself wrote one such “parody” mass, and was followed by Guerrero, Esquivel, and Victoria.
Susato’s setting is one of many instrumental versions. During the fanfare, the king was conducted to the altar, where he kissed the relics of the national saints, Saint James (Santiago) and the Virgin of Monserrat. Then he seated himself on the throne placed to the left of the altar and began to receive the homage of the nobles and clergy. |
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| Hymn: Te Deum laudamus
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Tomás Luis de Victoria (c. 1548–1611) | |
| With the king enthroned, the choir sang the Te Deum, the ancient hymn of thanksgiving on state occasions. The chant was held in such high regard that the Te Deum was sung “alternatim” with plainsong verses alternating with polyphony. During the chant verses, the peal of bells in the “coro” or choir of the cathedral was rung. Victoria eschews contrapuntal polyphony for impressive chorale-like settings of the verses. Although he keeps the thematic shape of the chant, the composer creates a whole series of unique miniatures. Notable are the lovely single word “Sanctus”, the shift to the darker relative minor tonality at “Tu rex gloriae”, the unexpected counterpoint at “Salvum fac”, and the brief poignancy of “Fiat misericordia”.
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| (Plainsong) | ||
| Te Deum laudamus
Te Dominum confitemur. |
We praise you O God,
We acknowledge you to be the Lord; |
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| (Choir) | ||
| Te aeternum Patrem
omnis terra veneratur. |
All the earth now worships you,
the Father everlasting. |
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| (Plainsong) | ||
| Tibi omnes angeli,
tibi caeli: et universae Potestates. |
To you all angels cry aloud,
the heavens and all the powers therein; |
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| (Choir) | ||
| Tibi Cherubim et Seraphim
incessabili vocem proclamant: |
To you cherubim and seraphim
continually do cry: |
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| (Plainsong) | ||
| Sanctus, | Holy, | |
| (Choir) | ||
| Sanctus, | Holy, | |
| (Plainsong) | ||
| Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth. | Holy Lord, God of Sabaoth, | |
| (Choir) | ||
| Pleni sunt caeli et terra
majestatis gloriae tuae. |
Heaven and earth are full
of the majesty of your glory. |
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| (Plainsong) | ||
| Te gloriosus
Apostolorum chorus. |
The glorious company
of the apostles praise you, |
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| (Choir) | ||
| Te Prophetarum
laudabilis numerus. |
The goodly fellowship
of the prophets praise you, |
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| (Plainsong) | ||
| Te Martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus. | The noble army of martyrs praise you, | |
| (Choir) | ||
| Te per orbem terrarum
sancta confitetur Ecclesia. |
The holy Church throughout all the world does acknowledge you: | |
| (Plainsong) | ||
| Patrem immensae majestatis: | The Father of an infinite majesty, | |
| (Choir) | ||
| Venerandum tuum verum
et unicum Filium. |
Your adored, true,
and only Son, |
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| (Plainsong) | ||
| Sanctum quoque Paraclitum Spiritum. | Also the Holy Spirit, the counselor. | |
| (Choir) | ||
| Tu Rex gloriae, Christe, | You are the King of glory, O Christ. | |
| (Plainsong) | ||
| tu Patris sempiternus es Filius. | You are the everlasting Son of the Father. | |
| (Choir) | ||
| Tu ad liberandum
suscepturus hominem, non horruisti Virginis uterum. |
When you took upon yourself
to deliver humanity, you humbled yourself to be born of a virgin. |
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| (Plainsong) | ||
| Tu devicto mortis aculeo,
aperuisti credentibus regna caelorum. |
When you had overcome the sharpness of death, you opened the kingdom of heaven
to all believers. |
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| (Choir) | ||
| Tu ad dexteram Dei sedes,
in gloria Patris. |
You sit at the right hand of God
in the glory of the Father. |
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| (Plainsong) | ||
| Judex crederis, esse venturus. | We believe that you will come to be our judge. | |
| (Choir) | ||
| Te ergo quaesumus, tuis famulis subveni,
quos pretioso sanguine redemisti. |
We therefore pray you, help your servants,
whom with your precious blood you have redeemed. |
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| (Plainsong) | ||
| Aeterna fac cum Sanctis tuis
in gloria numerari. |
Make them to be numbered with your saints
in glory everlasting. |
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| (Choir) | ||
| Salvum fac populum tuum Domine,
et benedic hereditati tuae. |
O Lord save your people
and bless your heritage. |
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| (Plainsong) | ||
| Et rege eos, et extolle illos,
et extolle illos usque in aeternum. |
Govern them
and lift them up forever. |
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| (Choir) | ||
| Per singulos dies, benedicimus te, | Day by day we magnify you, | |
| (Plainsong) | ||
| et laudamus nomen tuum
in saeculum saeculi. |
And we worship your name
through the age of ages. |
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| (Choir) | ||
| Dignare Domine
die isto sine peccato nos custo dire. |
Vouchsafe, O Lord,
to keep us this day without sin. |
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| (Plainsong) | ||
| Miserere nostri Domine,
miserere nostri. |
O Lord have mercy upon us,
have mercy upon us. |
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| (Choir) | ||
| Fiat misericordia tua Domine super nos,
quem admodum speravimus in te. |
O Lord, let your mercy be on us
as our trust is in you. |
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| (Plainsong) | ||
| In te Domine speravi
non confundar in aeternum. |
O Lord, in you have I trusted,
let me never be confounded. |
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| Motet at the Introit: Ecce sic benedicetur
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Cristóbal de Morales (c. 1500–1553) |
| Although Rome had mandated Gregorian chant for the “Proper” of the mass (the texts which varied according to the day of the church year), it was common by the end of the sixteenth century to replace the official texts with polyphonic, solo, and even instrumental works—as long as the clergy recited the texts sotto voce at the altar! Morales’s Ecce sic benedicetur (SSAATB) is a festive work which could have easily replaced the Introit, the ceremonial entrance of the clergy into the sanctuary and the censing of the altar.
Morales was one of the first truly international composers of modern Europe. Born in Seville, he was admitted to the Sistine Chapel choir on the same day that Pope Paul III commissioned Michelangelo to paint the Last Judgement. After a decade of distinguished service, Morales returned to Spain as the choirmaster of Toledo Cathedral. His six-voice motet has an ethereal quality thanks to the division of the upper voices. Although the counterpoint is complex, with voices crossing and recrossing, the texture remains bright and transparent. Particularly beautiful are the sustained harmonies on “pacem”, which carry the sopranos into the choral stratosphere. |
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Ecce benedicetur homo qui timet Dominum. Benedicat tibi Dominus ex Sion: et videas bona Jerusalem, omnibus diebus vitae tuae. Et videas filios filiorum tuorum, pacem super Israel. |
Behold how the just man who fears the Lord is blessed. May the Lord bless you from Sion: may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life; may you see your children’s children and peace over Israel. |
| Kyrie and Gloria: Missa pro victoria
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Tomás Luis de Victoria |
| Two years after the coronation, Victoria sent some of his music to a friend in Rome. Among the works was a “Battle Mass that gave my Lord the King great pleasure.” If we did not have this personal attestation and the incontrovertible evidence of the printed edition, we would never guess that Victoria had written the Missa pro victoria. The work is laid out in the most flamboyant Venetian style for nine-part double choir (SSATB and SATB) and is based on the secular French chanson “La Bataille”. Where is the ascetic, arching polyphony of the Requiem? The answer lies in the character of the new king.
Philip III had endured the flagellating pieties of his father all his life, and now he wanted to party. Even in church, Philip III preferred entertainment to admonition. The dead king’s widowed sister, the Empress Maria, was the abbess of the monastery in Madrid where Victoria was employed. They were close friends, and he wrote his heart-rending music for Holy Week under her patronage. Maria disapproved of her nephew’s frivolity, and he resented her criticism. She must have been a lady of formidable opinions, for the new king actually moved his court away from Madrid to Valladolid to escape her influence. Despite Victoria’s devotion to the Empress, the composer was a shrewd businessman and knew what the upscale royal market wanted. The result was a dazzling collection of polychoral music dedicated to Philip III.
The Kyrie opens with the serenity of heavenly peace, the three soprano parts floating above the slow-moving sustained harmonies. The Christe slips into a lilting triple time which gives the feeling of an accelerando in the music. The final Kyrie springs into a celestial battle: Jannequin’s ratatat musket fire, shooting rockets, and martial cries of triumph all combine to bestow divine blessing on the Spanish state.
The Gloria presents a splendid dialogue between the two choirs as epithets of praise echo and resound. The central section at “Qui tollis” is more familiar Victoria: the prayers for mercy have a powerful poignancy. The grand style closes the movement with a choral tour-de-force. At “cum Sancto Spiritu”, the voices begin a triple-meter dance which is interrupted by duple-meter shouts of “in gloria”. Twice more the dance starts again and twice more it is interrupted. Just when the rhythmic tension seems ready to explode, the harmonies shift magically, and the choirs come together for a glorious “Amen”.
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| Kyrie eleison,
Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison.
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Lord have mercy,
Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy. |
| Gloria in excelsis Deo
et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis. Laudamus te, benedicimus te, adoramus te, glorificamus te. Gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam: Domine Deus, Rex caelestis, Deus Pater omnipotens. Domine Fili unigenite, Jesu Christe; Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris. |
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace on earth to people of good will. We praise you, we bless you, we worship you, we glorify you. We thank you for your great glory; Lord God, heavenly king, God the Father almighty, Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father. Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father.
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| Qui tollis peccata mundi,
miserere nobis, Qui tollis peccata mundi, suscipe deprecationem nostram; qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, miserére nobis. Quoniam tu solus sanctus, tu solus Dominus, tu solus altissimus: Jesu Christe, cum Sancto Spiritu in gloria Dei Patris. Amen. |
You who take away the sins of the world,
have pity on us; you who take away the sins of the world; receive our prayers; you who sit at the right hand of the Father, have pity on us. For you alone are holy, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the most high, Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit in the glory of God the Father. Amen. |
| Collect: Quaesumus omnipotens Deus
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Plainsong |
| Pax vobis.
Et cum spiritu tuo.
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Peace be with you.
And with your spirit. |
| Oremus. Quaesumus, omnipotens Deus:
ut famulus tuus Philippe rex noster, qui tua miseratione suscepit regni gubernacula, virtutum etiam omnium percipiat incrementa; quibus decenter ornatus, et vitiorum monstra devitare et ad te, qui via, veritas, et vita es, gratiosus valeat pervenire. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum, Filium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat, in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen. |
Let us pray. We beseech you, almighty God,
that your servant Philip, our king, who through your mercy has undertaken the government of this kingdom, may also be endued plenteously with all virtues; that being so arrayed, he may by your grace be able to come unto you who are the way, the truth, and the life. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, your Son, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for all ages of ages. Amen. |
| Epistle: Subjecti estote
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Plainsong |
| Lectio epistolae Beati Petri Apostoli.
Carissimi: Subjecti estote omni humanae creaturae propter Deum, sive regi quasi praecellenti, sive ducbus misis tanquam ab eo, ad vindictam malefactorum, laudem vero bonorum. Quia sic est voluntas Dei, ut benefacientes obmutescere faciatis imprudentium hominum ignorantiam. Non quasi velamen haentes malitiae libertatem, sed sicut servi Dei. Omnes honorate, fraternitatem diligite. Deum timete, regem honorificate. Servi suditi estote in omni timore dominis. Non tantum bonis et modestis; sed etiam discolis. Haec est enim gratia in Christo Jesu, Domino nostro. |
A reading from the letter of Blessed Peter the Apostle. Beloved: For the Lord’s sake accept
the authority of every human rule, whether of the emperor as supreme, or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish. As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. Honour everyone. Love the family of believers. Fear God. Honour the emperor. Slaves, accept the authority of your masters with all deference, not only those who are kind and gentle but also those who are harsh. For it is a credit to you if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly. |
| Sonata at the Epistle: Medio registro Alto de Primer Tono
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Francisco de Peraza (1564–1598) |
| The recitation of texts to melodic formulae has its origins in the chant of the Jewish synagogue. Indeed, the connection is so ancient that some texts, such as the Lamentations of Jeremiah, are still sung to almost identical chants in both Christian and Jewish traditions. In this evening’s reconstruction, we can clearly see the contrast of the “accentus” (solo) and “concentus” (choral) portions of the mass.
The tradition of an organ improvisation after the scriptural reading at mass or vespers began in the Renaissance. It probably originated to complement the ceremonial return of the subdeacon to the altar after having chanted the Epistle from a gallery above the choir. Perazza’s toccata has an expressive solo above a quiet sustained accompaniment. Organs of the period could “break” their single keyboards to allow two ranks of pipes to sound from the two halves of the keyboard. |
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| Motet for the Gradual: Jubilate Deo
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Francisco Guerrero (1528–1599) |
| Francisco Guerrero ranks as one of the greatest composers of the Spanish Renaissance. A pupil of Morales, he quickly advanced to the prestigious position of choirmaster of Seville Cathedral. He seems to have been quite a colourful character. He organized musical extravaganzas for royal occasions, toured the Holy Land and wrote a best-selling travel book, directed music for autos-da-fé (choral music was regularly performed to cover the screams of the condemned), and was fined for embezzling the salaries of the choirboys in his care. Jubilate Deo (SSATB) is a triumphant work that could easily have graced any state occasion. After a contrapuntal opening, the voices join for a triple-meter dance at “cantate et exultate” followed by brilliant brass fanfares at “in tubis ductilibus”. A syncopated “alleluia” provides a spirited accompaniment to the procession of the clergy with the bejeweled Gospel book.
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| Jubilate Deo, omnis terra:
cantate et exultate et psallite. Psallite Domino in cithara et voce psalmi; in tubis ductilibus, in voce tubae corneae. Alleluia. |
Rejoice in the Lord, the whole earth,
sing and exult and make music. Play for the Lord on the lute and in the voice of rejoicing; with loud trumpets and in the sound of horns. Alleluia. |
| Gospel: In illo tempore, Abeuntes Pharisaei
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Plainsong |
| Dominus vobiscum.
Et cum spiritu tuo. Sequentia sancti Evagelii secundum Matthaeum. Gloria tibi Domine.
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The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit. The continuation of the holy Gospel according to Matthew. Glory to you, O Lord. |
| In illo tempore: Abeuntes Pharisaei consilium inierunt, ut caperunt Jesum in sermone.
Et mittunt ei discipulos suos cum Herodianis, dicentes; magister, scimus, quia verax es, et viam Dei in veritate doces, et non est tibi cura de aliquo. Non enim respicis personam hominum. Dic ergo nobis, quid tibi videtur: Si licet censum dare Caesari, an non? Cognita autem Jesus nequitia eorum ait: quid me tentatis, hypocriate? Ostendite mihi numisma census. Et illi obtulerunt ei denarium. Et ai illis Jesus, cujus est imago haec et superscriptio? Dicunt ei, Caesaris. Tunc ait illis: reddite ergo quae sunt Caesaris Caesari, et quae sunt Dei Deo. |
At that time, the Pharisees gathered together
and plotted to entrap him in what he said. So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” They answered, “The emperor’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” |
| Intonation ad libitum
Credo: Missa pro victoria
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Tomás Luis de Victoria |
| The chanting of the Gospel was followed by an improvisatory swirl of organ music as the Gospel book was carried to be kissed by the king and the senior clergy. Victoria’s massive setting of the Credo opens in a swinging triple meter, which dissolves into an excited dialogue between the two choirs. At “qui propter”, the composer creates the illusion of a great broadening of tempo leading into the central “Et incarnatus”. This section of the text was increasingly isolated in the Renaissance as a moment of mystical reflection. The rich flowing harmonies at “et homo factus est” created a moment of awestruck adoration. At “Crucifixus”, Victoria reduces the choir to four voices—the quicksilver counterpoint is almost a direct quotation from Jannequin’s original chanson. The closing section evokes the triumphalist spirit of the Counter-Reformation, building towards the mighty proclamation of “Et unam sanctam catholicam”. As in the Gloria, the coda is given over to ecstatic acclamations that shift between triple and duple meter.
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| Credo in unum Deum,
Patrem omnipotentem, factorem caeli et terrae, visibilium omnium et invisibilium. Et in unum Dominum Jesum Christum, Filium Dei unigenitum. Et ex Patre natum ante omnia saecula. Deum de Deo, lumen de lumine, Deum verum de Deo vero, genitum non factum, consubstantialem Patri: per quem omnia facta sunt. Qui propter nos homines et propter nostram salutem descendit de caelis.
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I believe in one God,
the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten not made, of the same being with the Father, by whom all things were made, who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven.
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| Et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto
ex Maria Virgine: et homo factus est. Crucifixus etiam pro nobis sub Pontio Pilato passus et sepultus est. Et resurrexit tertia die, secundum Scripturas, Et ascendit in caelum: sedet ad dexteram Patris. Et iterum venturus est cum gloria judicare vivos et mortuos: cuius regni non erit finis.
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And was incarnate by the Holy Spirit
through the Virgin Mary, and became man. He was even crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried. And the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father: And he will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead: and his kingdom will have no end.
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| Et in Spiritum Sanctum,
Dominum et vivificantem qui ex Patre, Filioque procedit. Qui cum Patre et Filio simul adoratur et conglorificatur qui locutus est per Prophetas. Et unam sanctam catholicam et apostolicam Ecclesiam. Confiteor unum baptisma in remissionem peccatorum. Et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum. et vitam venturi saeculi. Amen. |
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life, who comes forth from the Father and the Son. Together with the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He spoke through the Prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the ages to come. Amen. |
Intermission
| Sonata at the Offertory: Fabordones del octavo tono
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Antonio de Cabezón (1510–1566) |
| The second “act” of the mass opened with the Offertory which was accompanied by an elaborate censing of the sanctuary and clergy. The state organs would sound again as the king descended from his throne to make his offering of a purse of gold coins, freshly minted with his image, and the bread and wine of the mass. This ceremonial needed a musical “cover”, and we must imagine Victoria playing the organ: like Bach, he was as famous for his organ-playing as his compositions.
Antonio de Cabezón was perhaps the most widely admired Spanish organist of the Renaissance. He accompanied Philip II during his ill-fated marriage to Mary Tudor—Thomas Tallis may well have heard him play. Cabezón’s improvisations on the eighth mode first presents the mode as a stately march. Three glosados(variations) explore the upper, middle, and lower registers of the tonality with lively figuration. |
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| Motet at the Offertory: O quam suavis
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Sebastián de Vivanco (c. 1551–1622) |
| A native of Avila like Victoria, Vivanco was a singer, composer, priest, and professor of music. He was also an astute businessman. While choirmaster at Avila cathedral, he was offered the same position with a much larger salary by Seville Cathedral. Shrewdly, he leaked the offer to the Avila authorities and a bidding war ensued. In the end, Avila won by offering a higher salary; a luxurious Christmas present and a mortgage on a new house were thrown in for incentive. O quam suavis (SATB) takes us for a moment to the other side of the Spanish Renaissance: the mystical, intensely emotional world we encounter in the Victoria Tenebrae Responsories. The stark opening, with its expressive chromatics, warms into the lovely rising fourth of “qui ut dulcedinem”. Particularly beautiful is the symbolic descending scale at “de caelo”.
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| O quam suavis est, Domine, Spiritus tuus,
qui ut dulcedinem tuam in filios demonstrares, pane suavissimo de caelo praestito, esurientes reples bonis, fastidiosos divites dimittens inanes. |
O how gentle, Lord, is your Spirit,
who to show your kindness to your children has given the most delicate sweet bread of heaven, filled the hungry with good things, and sent the haughty rich away empty-handed.
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| Preface: Vere dignum et Justum Est
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Plainsong |
| Per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Dominus vobiscum. Et cum spiritu tuo Surum corda. Habemus ad Dominum. Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro Dignum et justum est.
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For the age of ages. Amen.
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit. Lift up your hearts. We lift them to the Lord. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is proper and fitting. |
| Vere dignum et justum est,
aequum et salutare, nos tibi semper, et ubique gratias agere: Domine sancte, Pater omnipotens, aeterne Deus: Qui cum unigenito Filio tuo, et Spiritu Sancto, unus es Deus, unus es Dominus: non in unus es Dominus: non in unius singularite personae, sed in unius Trinitate substantiae. Quod enim de tua gloria, revelante te, credimus, hoc de Filio tuo, hoc de Spiritu Sancto, sine differentia discretionis sentimus. Ut in confessione verae sempiternaeque Deitatis, et in personic proprietas, et in essentia unitas, et in majestate adoretur aequalitas. Quam laudant Angeli atque Archangeli, Cherubim quoque ac Seraphim: qui non cessant clamare quotidie, una voce dicentes: |
It is truly proper and fitting,
just and favourable, that we should always and everywhere give you thanks, O Lord, holy Father, eternal and almighty God, Who with your only-begotten Son and the Holy Spirit are one God, you are one Lord; not in the oneness of a single person, but in the Trinity of one substance. For what we believe from your revelation concerning your glory, the same also do we believe of your Son and of the Holy Spirit, without difference or separation. So that in confessing the true and everlasting Godhead, we shall adore distinction in persons, oneness in being and equality in majesty, which the angels and archangels, the cherubim and the seraphim do praise, never ceasing to cry out as with one voice: |
| Sanctus and Benedictus: Missa pro victoria
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Tomás Luis de Victoria |
| Victoria’s consummate mastery of the Venetian style is exemplified at this the central moment of the mass when the consecration took place. Two sopranos, symbolic of the two seraphim, call out to each other as the heavenly host begins its acclamation. At “pleni sunt caeli”, the texture is indeed “full”. Each of the eight voices climbs majestically upwards: a musical Jacob’s Ladder. The “Hosanna” has all the spring of a villancico, a type of Spanish carol which undoubtedly would have appealed more to the younger Philip than his ascetic father. The “Benedictus” begins in hushed adoration, the voices building up to a triumphant high note in the first sopranos. The charming “Hosanna” sneaks in once again to bring the movement to a joyous close.
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| Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus
Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua. Hosanna in excelsis.
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Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God of hosts; heaven and earth are full of your glory; Hosanna in the highest.
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| Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.
Hosanna in excelsis. |
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord:
Hosanna in the highest. |
| Motet for the Elevation: Duo Seraphim
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Tomás Luis de Victoria |
| Although his stature as the greatest composer of the Spanish Renaissance stands without challenge, Victoria spent most of his professional career in Rome in the service of the Counter-Reformation missionary colleges and city parishes. However, his links with Spain were strong, and his music shows the marked influence of Morales and Guerrero, whose music he revered. In one collection, he graciously included a motet of Guerrero and then wrote a secunda pars (second part) in tribute. In Duo Seraphim, Victoria chooses the celestial sound of four-part upper voices (SSAA) and creates musical puns at every opportunity, setting “Duo seraphim” for two voices and “Tres sunt” for three voices. The singers must have smiled when they reached “et hi tres unum sunt”, for Victoria suddenly shifts to three beats with one tactus or main pulse: a truly Trinitarian rhythm!
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| Duo seraphim clamabant alter ad alterum:
Sanctus, sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Plena est omnis terra gloria eius. Tres sunt, qui testimonium dant in caelo: Pater, et Verbum, et Spiritus Sanctus: et hi tres unum sunt. Sanctus, sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Plena est omnis terra gloria eius. |
Two seraphim cried out one to another:
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of Hosts: all the earth is full of his glory. There are three who give testimony in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit: and these three are one. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of Hosts: all the earth is full of his glory. |
| Lord’s Prayer: Per omnia . . . Pater Noster | Plainsong
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| Per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Oremus. Praeceptis salutaribus moniti et divina institutione formati, audemus dicere: Pater noster qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum, Adveniat regnum tuum, Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie, et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. Et ne nos inducas in tentatione, Sed libera nos a malo. Per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen. Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum. Et cum spiritu tuo. |
Through the age of ages. Amen.
Let us pray. Commanded by precepts and formed by divine institution, we are bold to say: Our Father, who is in heaven, May your name be sanctified, May your kingdom come, May your will be done on earth as in heaven. Today give us our daily bread, and put away our debts for us as we put away those of our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, And deliver us from evil. For the age of ages. Amen. The peace of the Lord be always with you. And with your spirit. |
| Agnus Dei: Missa pro victoria | Tomás Luis de Victoria
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| The Agnus Dei returns to the serenity of the Kyrie, the open fifths lingering as if suspended in time. The sonorities are so rich that an acoustical illusion occasionally occurs: as the bass part falls to the first low note, a “ghost” voice is sometimes heard high above the three soprano parts. The music grows impassioned with the pleading petitions of “qui tollis”. The conclusion is a marvel. Victoria takes the martial bluster of the chanson and transfigures the material. The texture pulses with murmurs of “dona nobis pacem” as the voices rise towards heaven. The voices linger on the final chord as the vision of celestial peace opens into eternity.
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| Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi:
miserere nobis. Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi: dona nobis pacem. |
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world:
have pity on us. Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world: give us peace. |
| Motet at the Communion: Ego sum panis
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Juan Esquivel (c. 1560–after 1623) |
| Esquivel was one of the younger generation of composers beginning to receive recognition when Victoria returned to Spain. His music was sufficiently popular to be found with Victoria and Morales’s in the repertoire of the cathedrals in Mexico City and Lima. While the French in Canada were still huddling in huts, the Spanish had well-established choir schools and composers born in the New World. Esquivel was one of the last of the classic polyphonists—Baroque tendencies are already present even in the Missa pro victoria. Even so, his music remained in the repertoire long after “antique” polyphony became unfashionable. Like O quam suavis, this exquisite motet shows the passionate Spanish style. Particularly noteworthy are the falling figure on “descendit” and the lush rising harmonies on “vivet in aeternum”. A lively triple-meter “alleluia” provides a charming coda. | |
| Ego sum panis vivus qui de caelo descendi,
si quis manducaverit ex hoc pane, vivet in aeternum. Alleluia.
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I am the living bread which came down from
heaven; whoever eats this bread shall live for ever. Alleluia. |
| Post-Communion Prayer, Blessing and Dismissal: Haec Domine | Plainsong |
| Pax vobis. Et cum spiritu tuo.
Oremus. Haec, Domine, oblatio salutaris famulum tuum Philippe, regem nostrum, ab omnibus tueatur adversis: quatenus et ecclesiasticae pacis obtineat tranquillitatem; et, post hujus temporis decursum, ad aeternam perveniat hereditatem. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum, Filium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat, in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen. Sit nomen Domini benedictum Ex hoc nunc et usque in saeculum. Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini. Qui fecit caelum et terram. Benedicat vos omnipotens Deus: Pater, et Filius, et Spiritus Sanctus. Amen. Pax vobis. Et cum spiritu tuo. Ite missa est. Deo gratias. |
Peace be with you. And with your spirit.
Let us pray. O Lord, may this saving sacrament preserve your servant, Philip, our king, from all adversities, to the end that he may both obtain peace and tranquility for the Church, and that after the course of his life is passed, he may attain an eternal inheritance. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, your Son, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for all ages of ages. Amen. Blessed be the name of the Lord From this time for ever. Our help is in the name of the Lord. Who made heaven and earth. May Almighty God, the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit, bless you. Amen. Peace be with you. And with your spirit. Go, the mass is ended. Thanks be to God. |
| Motet at the Dismissal: Laudate Dominum | Francisco Guerrero
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| With this the mass ended, and the court prepared to continue its progress through the city to the coronation banquet. On state occasions, it was a Spanish tradition to distribute largesse. As the king passed through the choir of the cathedral, he would have thrown gold reals to the clergy on either side. The scramble for coins in the choir stalls may have been an unedifying conclusion to the ceremony, but this magnificent double choir motet of Guerrero would have provided a sonorous cover for the clerical scrum.
Like Victoria, Guerrero prefers unequal choirs: SSAT and SATB (there seems to have been a Spanish taste for elaborate divided soprano parts). Word-painting is abundant. The higher first choir enters appropriately at “in excelsis”, and the power of the full double choir is reserved for “virtutis ejus”. There are joyful fanfares at “sono tubae” and running string figures at “chordis”. All the voices are symbolically joined at “omnis spiritus” and the occasion is crowned with a breathless acclamation of “laudet Dominum”.
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| Laudate Dominum de caelis;
Laudate eum in excelsis. Laudate Dominum in sanctis ejus; Laudate eum in firmamento virtutis ejus. Laudate eum secundum multitudinem magnitudinis ejus. Laudate eum in sono tubae; Laudate eum in psalterio et cithara; Laudate eum in tympano et choro; Laudate eum in chordis et organo. Laudate eum in cymbalis benesonantibus; Laudate eum in cymbalis jubilationis: omnis spiritus laudet Dominum. |
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
Praise him in the heights. Praise the Lord in his sanctuary; Praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him according to the multitude of his greatness. Praise him in the sound of the trumpet; Praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with drums and dances; Praise him with strings and organ. Praise him on the sweet sounding cymbals; Praise him on the jubilant cymbals; Everything that has breath praise the Lord! |
Programme notes by Douglas Cowling
Revised and edited by Naomi Perley
The Tallis Choir is:
Soprano
Margaret Allen, Anne Biringer, Elizabeth Cowling, Lauren Crowther, Kirsten Fielding*, Iona Lister, Jane McKinney, Katharine Pimenoff, Ana Luisa Santo, Suzanne Shwaluk, Rebecca Vogan, Jennifer Wilson*, Audrey Winch
Alto
Christine Davidson, Cynthia Hawkins, Valeria Kondrashov*, Tara Nadal, Lauren Pais, Naomi Perley, Elaine Robertson, Alex Rojik
Tenor
Dan Donnelly, Curtis Eisenberg, Nathan Jeffery*, Michael Johnston*, Robert Kinar, Sean Lee, Mark Li
Bass
Jean-Paul Feo*, Raphael Redmond Fernandes, Daniel Garcia-Moreno, Herbert Lemcke, Rocco Marciano, David Martin, Devyn Pope*, Benjamin Tran-Pugh, Daniel Tran-Pugh, Michael Vidoni, Isaiah Yankech
*concert soloist
Rehearsal Accompanist
Nathan Jeffery
Artistic Director
Peter Mahon
Thank you for joining us tonight.
Mark your calendars for our upcoming concerts this season:
Saturday, December 9, 2023 Christmas In The Renaissance
Saturday, March 2, 2024 Renaissance Tenebrae
Saturday, May 4, 2024 Glories of the German Romantic Era
We look forward to seeing you there!
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